Winter Squash and Wild Mushroom Curry

Recipe from Madhur Jaffrey

Adapted by David Tanis

Updated Feb. 11, 2020

Winter Squash and Wild Mushroom Curry
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(5,459)
Comments
Read comments

This is comfort food, Indian-style, adapted from a recipe by Madhur Jaffrey. It’s also vegan, and perfect for a fall evening. Use a mixture of cultivated mushrooms; they come in all shapes and sizes. Look for royal trumpets, a large, meaty type of oyster mushroom; shiitakes, and small portobellos. Use some wild mushrooms too, if you can, like golden chanterelles, lobster or hen of the woods. You can make this as spicy as you wish, but be sure to include some cayenne and green chile, to complement and play off the creamy coconut milk sauce. Serve with basmati rice, rice noodles or mashed potatoes. —David Tanis

Featured in: A Warming Curry for Fall

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 3tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 10ounces butternut or other winter squash, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1 or 2small green chiles, such as jalapeño or serrano
  • 3medium shallots or 1 small onion, finely diced
  • ½teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • ½teaspoon cumin seeds
  • Handful of fresh or frozen curry leaves (optional)
  • 2garlic cloves, minced
  • 1teaspoon ground coriander
  • Pinch of ground cayenne
  • ½teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1pound mushrooms, preferably a mix of cultivated and wild, trimmed and sliced ⅛-inch thick
  • ¾cup coconut milk
  • 2tablespoons lime juice
  • Cilantro sprigs, for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

181 calories; 14 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 465 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a wide skillet, heat oil over medium-high. When hot, add squash cubes in one layer. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes, letting cubes brown slightly, then flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Use a slotted spoon to lift squash out, and set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Cut a lengthwise slit in each chile to open it, but leave whole. (This helps the chiles heat the sauce without making it too spicy.)

  3. Step 3

    Add shallots, salt lightly and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves, if using, and let sizzle for 30 seconds, then add garlic, coriander, cayenne, turmeric and chiles. Stir well and cook for 30 seconds more.

  4. Step 4

    Add mushrooms, season with salt and toss to coat. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Return squash cubes to skillet, stir in coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to medium and simmer for another 5 minutes. If mixture looks dry, thin with a little water. Taste and season with salt.

  6. Step 6

    Before serving, stir in lime juice. Transfer to a warm serving dish and garnish with cilantro.

Ratings

4 out of 5
5,459 user ratings
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Comments

S

Curry leaves are leaves of the Murraya Koenigii tree. Do not confuse with something called "curry plant" (helichrysum) which has no connection with Indian cooking. Curry leaves are widely used in South Indian cooking, and impart a very characteristic aroma and taste to the food. There is no real substitute. They are easily available in the US as Indian grocery stores have proliferated in most areas, otherwise via the Internet. Curry leaves also have no connection with curry powder.

SH

Delicious, but instructions are a bit off. Makes no more than 4 servings. Double squash. Pre-roast squash for 10 min at 400 to ensure it will be fully cooked, then saute. Mushrooms need more than 5 min to soften. Use 1/4 tsp cayenne at least. Ground cumin is fine. Full can coconut milk. Add 1 crushed preserved lime when returning squash to pan. Loosen curry with water if needed before serving.

Daniel

Made this tonight to eat during the rain storm tomorrow. Used 3 hot peppers from our garden seeded. Tasted absolutely fabulous. Two changes: 1. Instead of water I added 1/4 cup of vermouth 2. Added canned chickpeas Instead of serving it with rice I would serve it crusty bread and garlic butter

Jmk

Didn’t have winter squash or mushrooms, so used white sweet potatoes and peas. Roasted the sweet potatoes instead of sautéing. Served with farro. Everyone raved.

Rachelle

Yummy, easy recipe but a bit dry for a curry. I agree to add the whole can of coconut milk. Next time I will also add half the can full of water so I can simmer it a bit longer to let the flavors meld before it dries out.

RabbiWendy

This was so delicious! I would definitely make it again. Super easy. I used the little beech mushrooms from Trader Joe’s, kabocha squash, fresh grated turmeric and fresh grated ginger (I didn’t have any dried), and a little bit of Thai Kitchen red curry paste instead of curry leaves (I wouldn’t even know where to get those). I used my air fryer to roast the squash while I did the rest of the prep and cooking. I hate a capsaicin burn, so I omitted the chile and cayenne.

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