Burmese Pumpkin Curry with Mint & Tamarind

This vegan Pumpkin Curry is inspired by a Burmese recipe, it features the flavours of mint, tamarind and is both quick and easy to cook!

Quick and Easy Vegan Curry.

This recipe is responsible for a new found love of all things squash and pumpkin.

Inspired by a recipe from a book called Burma by Naomi Duguid it has become a regular feature on our weekly dinner menu.

This pumpkin curry is very different to from my usual curry recipes. Most of which are Indian and rely on dried spices and seeds, things like my beef dopiaza or chicken jalfrezi.

Or are from south-east Asia and rely on complex pastes like my Thai Prawn curry or Beef Massaman curry.

This easy pumpkin curry recipe relies on a far simpler set of ingredients.

It is hot and sour with a hint of sweetness, it is also vegan and takes a shade over 30 minutes to cook!

Ingredient Advice.

I usually make this pumpkin curry with a butternut squash. The primary reason for this is that they are on the smaller side. This is really important when cooking for two!

I will usually get two or three meals from a butternut squash and I can not be doing with the same meal over and over. My freezer management is also shockingly bad!

I will usually call it squash week, I will maybe have this, my butternut squash tagine and then possibly my butternut squash pasta or butternut squash chilli.

I may even roast off the leftovers and turn it into puree and use it in my pumpkin risotto recipe!

My British readers will be more than aware of mint sauce but if you are from the US then you may need a hand.

Mint sauce is a mix of mint, vinegar and sugar.

To make your own grab a big handful of mint, add 50ml of vinegar, 50 ml of boiling water. Mix then add salt and sugar to make it to your taste.

It is far from being a typical Burmese ingredient!

Originally this recipe calls for a type of acid, some sugar and mint. So in reality pretty analogous!

One final hint, if you are not vegan switch out the soy sauce for fish sauce, it adds a wonderful complexity of flavour!

Serving Suggestions.

I like curries served with rice, my usual go to is simply boiled basmati rice.

I have served this pumpkin curry with coconut rice and it is delicious.

My love of flat breads with curry means that this recipe has also been served with my very Indian chapatis.

It worked a treat with this dryer style of curry.

If you wanted to pair it with a salad then this Burmese ginger salad would be ideal!