Pumpkin Curry

After a little bit of trial and error, I got it right! I present to you, thee most perfect Rainy-Day supper. Spicy comfort food at its very best...

Pumpkin Curry with Brown Rice

You will need:
a pot of cooked brown rice (or your favorite variety)
2 tablespoons butter plus more if needed
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
2 or 3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon yellow curry
1 teaspoon garam masala (an Indian spice blend- available at most grocers, but I will include the recipe for homemade at the end- I make mine, and have a delicious chili recipe that gets a good dose... Mmm, might have to share that one too.)
1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
a pinch of cayenne pepper if you like it spicy
2 cups pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cut into bite-sized cubes
2 medium red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
3/4 cup frozen peas

Heat butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in seasonings. Add pumpkin and potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. You may need to add a little more butter to keep the vegetables from sticking to your pan.

Pour in broth; bring to a bubble. Reduce heat and cover. Let simmer for 15 minutes or so, until potatoes are almost cooked and pumpkin has started to fall apart (the first time I made this, I pulled it off of the heat while the pumpkin was still in cubes- it was good, but I much preferred it this time, with the pumpkin all mushy, which made the sauce thick and creamy, rather than broth-y).

Add the peas and cook until they are heated through, just a minute or two. Stir in sour cream. Spoon over hot rice, and dig in!


Garam Masala:
3 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
8 cardamom pods
6 whole cloves

Combine all ingredients in a spice or coffee grinder; process until finely ground. Store leftovers in an airtight container.