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Sri Lankan Winter Squash and Coconut Curry
In Colombo, Sri Lanka, home cook Mallika Fernando and her husband, Allan, taught us to make poosanikai kootu, an easy one-pot pumpkin curry in a rich, fragrant coconut base. Butternut squash works well in this recipe, but if kabocha is available, it’s closer to the variety used in Sri Lanka. Kabocha does not need to be peeled, as the skin is edible. Coconut water adds tropical notes to the sauce, but water is fine. Serve with steamed basmati rice and/or warm flatbread.
4
Servings
Tip
Don’t worry if the curry seems watery before the second and final addition of coconut milk. The squash will continue to absorb liquid and the consistency will thicken during the final minutes of cooking.
1 hour
Ingredients
-
3
tablespoons refined coconut oil or neutral oil
-
4
medium garlic cloves, minced
Directions
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01In a large Dutch oven over medium, combine the oil, garlic and serranos; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the curry leaves (if using) and the mustard and cumin seeds; cook, stirring, until the garlic is lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the turmeric, curry powder and ¾ teaspoon black pepper; cook, stirring, until the spices are browned but not burnt, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, until the onion is lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
Reviews
October 24, 2025
Wow!
This was a fantastic! My local coop didn't have Serranos so I used a 1 jalapeño. Could have used a bit more heat so next time I will use Serrano chilis.
And there will be a next time! The next day it was quite thick so had to thin with a bit of water but the flavors were even better. A real keeper. I will share this recipe at my farmers market since it is squash season and there are many kabocha available.
Thanks!
October 13, 2025
Wow
This was absolutely delicious. It is also substantial enough to be a meal with some bread or rice. I used butternut squash this time but I will try kabocha next time. One serrano pepper gave this dish medium heat. I think two serranos would be too hot for anyone that does not like super spicy food.
September 28, 2025
Great!
What a great use for winter squash! I feel pretty limited in my repertoire for family-favorite winter squash preparations, but this one is going on the list. We served it with rice and naan and look forward to the leftovers.
January 8, 2026
Decent soup
I prepped all the ingredients but my husband did the actual cooking FWIW. 3 serranos didn’t seem to be all that spicy for us. We used kabocha, and I almost wish I’d peeled it. Very nice flavors, and vegetarian. We’ll make it again.
September 2, 2025
nice squash version
My only negative was that it feeds MORE than 4 and after refrigeration it thickens quite a bit. So decrease it your first time around
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