Thai Pumpkin and Prawn Curry

I love, love, love Thai food - and I particularly love a rich, creamy, coconutty, red Thai prawn curry.

This recipe brings a seasonal twist to my favourite aromatic indulgence: the inclusion of a pumpkin.

You could, of course, use squash in place of pumpkin. I had this giant beast for Halloween - and I was feeding five people, including B, who counts as two - so it was necessary. However, a humble butternut squash will suffice for most!

Image courtesy of www.taste.com

You will need:

* 400ml tin of coconut milk

* 1-2 tbsp red Thai curry paste (there is an excellent recipe for making your own here, although I like to add a teeny tiny bit of tomato puree to mine as well)

* 350ml fish stock (a stock cube dissolved in hot water will do)

* 2 tbsp fish sauce

* 2 tbsp palm sugar (caster sugar will do)
* 1/2 tsp Tamarind paste

* 3 lemongrass stalks, outer layer removed and bruised with a knife

* 1 kg pumpkin or squash, peeled and chopped into chunks

* 500g raw king prawns

* 3 or 4 pak choi, washed and separated

* Juice and zest of 1 lime

What to do...

1. Heat a large saucepan or casserole dish over a medium heat and mix together the red thai paste and the thick cream, skimmed off the top of the coconut milk. Mix these together rapidly.

2. Still stirring, add the rest of the coconut milk, fish stock, fish sauce, palm sugar, lime and lemongrass.

3. Add the pumpkin and bring to the boil, then simmer over a low heat until the pumpkin has softened.

4. About five minutes before you are ready to serve the curry, add the prawns and the pak choi. When the prawns are all pink, they are ready. 

5. Serve as a bowl of warming, spicy soup; over fragrant jasmine or coconut rice, or with Thai ribbon noodles. 

6. Enjoy. 

7. Go back for seconds. Enjoy some more.