Description
This vibrant and flavorful Baked Baby Pumpkin with Red Curry Prawns recipe combines tender baby pumpkins filled with a rich red curry coconut sauce and succulent prawns. Served alongside a tangy cucumber salad and fragrant jasmine rice, it’s a comforting yet light dish perfect for a cozy dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cucumber Salad
- ½ cucumber, finely shredded or sliced
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- Pinch of sugar
For the Pumpkin and Curry
- 2 small squashes (baby pumpkins)
- 1 tbsp red curry paste
- 200ml coconut cream
- Splash of fish sauce
- 150g cooked and peeled prawns
To Serve
- Fresh coriander, to scatter
- Lime juice, to squeeze over
- Cooked jasmine rice
Instructions
- Prepare the cucumber salad: Finely shred or slice the cucumber. In a bowl, mix the white wine vinegar with a good pinch of sugar until dissolved, then toss this dressing with the cucumber. Set aside to marinate and develop flavor.
- Pre-cook the baby pumpkins: Halve the squashes and carefully scoop out the seeds. Fit the halves back together and place them in the microwave. Cook on high power for 10 minutes, checking for tenderness and adding a few extra minutes if needed to ensure they are almost fully cooked. Transfer the halves to a baking tray once done.
- Make the red curry sauce and assemble: In a pan, heat the red curry paste combined with the coconut cream. Add a splash of fish sauce for depth. Spoon about half of this sauce into the hollows of each pumpkin half. Leave the remaining sauce in the pan and add the cooked prawns, stirring to coat them thoroughly with the curry sauce. Spoon the prawns into the pumpkin hollows evenly.
- Bake to finish: Place the baking tray with the filled pumpkins in a preheated oven at 200°C (180°C fan)/Gas mark 4. Bake for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. After adding the prawns, continue baking for an additional 5 minutes until warmed through and slightly bubbling.
- Serve: Remove from the oven, scatter fresh coriander over the stuffed pumpkins, and squeeze fresh lime juice on top to brighten the dish. Serve alongside the cucumber salad and the cooked jasmine rice for a complete meal.
Notes
- Microwaving the pumpkin halves before baking helps soften them and reduces overall cooking time.
- If you prefer spicier curry, increase the amount of red curry paste slightly.
- Make sure the prawns are pre-cooked to avoid overcooking during baking.
- Jasmine rice complements the dish well with its fragrant aroma and texture.
- For a gluten-free version, ensure the fish sauce used is gluten-free.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed pumpkin half with prawns and 1/2 cucumber salad serving plus jasmine rice
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
