Thai Yellow Pumpkin and Seafood Curry

It's a good idea to have something up your sleeve that you can cook quickly, and simply, when you've got friends coming over to supper midweek after work. This is that something. Don't let the length of the list of ingredients put you off. You really could go to the supermarket at lunchtime and buy everything you need. What's more, most of it keeps: salmon, raw prawns, lime leaves and lemongrass in the deep-freeze (and all but the salmon can be used from frozen); curry paste in the fridge; the coconut milk, fish sauce, fish-stock concentrate and turmeric in the cupboard. In other words, one shopping expedition, many curries.

I've said 1-2 tablespoons of curry paste. This is because pastes vary enormously in their strengths and people vary enormously in their tastes. Some like it hot: I like it very hot — and use 2 tablespoonfuls. But it might be wiser to add 1 tablespoonful first and then taste later, once all the liquid's in, to see if you want to add more. One last bossy note: if you can't get raw prawns, don't use cooked ones; just double the amount of salmon.

1 x 400 millilitres tin coconut milk

1 - 2 tablespoon red thai curry paste (or yellow)

350 millilitres fish stock

3 tablespoons thai fish sauce (nam pla)

2 tablespoons caster sugar

3 stalks lemongrass (cut into 3 and bruised with flat of knife)

3 makrut lime leaves (destalked and cut into strips)

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 kilogram pumpkin (peeled and cut into bite sized chunks)

500 grams salmon fillets (pref organic) skinned and cut into large bite sized chunks

500 grams peeled raw prawns

pak choi (or any other green veg of your choice)

juice of 1 lime (to taste)

1 bunch fresh coriander (to serve)

14 ounces tin coconut milk

1½ cups fish broth

3 tablespoons thai fish sauce (nam pla)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

½ teaspoon turmeric

2¼ pounds pumpkin (peeled and cut into bite sized chunks)

1½ pounds salmon fillets (pref organic) skinned and cut into large bite sized chunks

1 pound shell-off raw shrimp

baby bok choy (or any other green veg of your choice)

juice of 1 lime (to taste)

1 bunch cilantro (to serve)

Method

Skim the thick creamy top off the tin of coconut milk and put it, over medium heat, into a large saucepan or casserole with the curry paste. Let it sizzle and, using a fork, whisk or wooden spoon, beat milk and paste together until combined.

Still beating gently, add the rest of the coconut milk, fish stock, fish sauce, sugar, lemongrass, lime leaves and turmeric. Bring to a boil and then add the pumpkin. Cook on a fast simmer until the pumpkin is tender, about 15 minutes, although different sorts of pumpkins can vary enormously in the time they take to cook; some squash take as little as 5 minutes.

You can cook the curry up till this part in advance, maybe leaving the pumpkin with a tiny bit of bite to it (it will soften and cook as the pan cools). Either way, when you're about 5 minutes away from wanting to eat, get ready to cook the seafood.

So, to the robustly simmering pan, add the salmon and prawns (if you're using the prawns from frozen they'll need to go in before the salmon). When the salmon and prawns have cooked through, which shouldn't take more than 3-4 minutes, stir in any green veg you're using — sliced, chopped or shredded as suits — and tamp down with a wooden spoon.

When the pak choi's wilted, squeeze in the juice of half a lime, stir and taste and add the juice of the remaining half if you feel it needs it. Take the pan off the heat or decant the curry into a large bowl, and sprinkle over the coriander; the point is that the coriander goes in just before serving.

Serve with more chopped coriander for people to add to their own bowls as they eat, and some plain Thai or basmati rice.

Still beating gently, add the rest of the coconut milk, fish broth, fish sauce, sugar, lemongrass, lime leaves and turmeric. Bring to a boil and then add the pumpkin. Cook on a fast simmer until the pumpkin is tender, about 15 minutes, although different sorts of pumpkins can vary enormously in the time they take to cook; some squash take as little as 5 minutes.

When the baby bok choy's wilted, squeeze in the juice of half a lime, stir and taste and add the juice of the remaining half if you feel it needs it. Take the pan off the heat or decant the curry into a large bowl, and sprinkle over the coriander; the point is that the coriander goes in just before serving.

Additional Information

For gluten free check the curry paste is gluten free.