Butternut Squash and Coconut Curry

Butternut Squash and Coconut Curry served with chapattis!

They say that owners look like their pets (I’m hoping to be the owner of a pug soon...does this mean I look like a pug?!)

They also say men marry women who look like their mothers (does that mean Mr KG thinks I look like his Mum?!)

But what does the food someone eats or cooks say about them?



Self portrait?

I often think that people who cook exotic food must be reasonably well travelled. There’s a big difference between someone who likes to order the odd Chinese or curry and someone who cooks pasta from scratch, or has an authentic recipe for lamb tagine.

And so I wonder – what do the recipes on this blog say about me?!

Unfortunately I am nowhere near as well travelled as I would like to be. I have been to all of the obvious places in Europe – France, Spain, Germany and Greece. I’ve also been to Prague. But that’s really where the extent of my “travelling” starts and stops.

From a young age I’ve had a desire to go to new places and when I wrote my first ever bucket list when I was 13 it included travelling to India, Japan, Russia and China. These are most definitely still the 4 places I would like to visit the most. Since beginning to learn Mandarin I feel like my dream to visit China is becoming more and more possible. I’d love to fit in a month long tour of China before I start my training contract but I just have to keep on hoping for now – after all a temporary job and a flat with Mr KG are way higher on my list of priorities.

I may not be well travelled but I am well eaten – if that’s even a saying! I’ve certainly tried my fair share of curries, some of which were more authentic than others.

Wherever I’ve lived (or Mr KG has lived) we’ve always been in pursuit of a good curry. I’ve also been fortunate enough in the past to have a friend from Bangladesh who’s Mum LOVED to cook us curries for revision sessions back during my A-Levels. Another friend spent a lot of time in Nepal and brought home recipes for authentic Nepalese curries.

Silky coconut curry with butternut squash, red chilli and lentils

One day I hope that I will be able to share a traditional recipe passed down to me on one of my travels, but that might be for a while yet.

Until then, all I can do is share with you a recipe for one of my favourite curries which I cook at home. The idea has come from a variety of dishes I’ve tried both at home and in restaurants so it may well be a twist on a classic, who knows!

Stuffed Marrow with Cheese Sauce

Updated: 26 August 2013

 

 

 

Every now and then I like to go back and revisit a recipe.

The majority of recipes on my blog (perhaps the cakes excluded) get cooked on a regular basis in my house.

Of course some things are seasonal – in fact this recipe in particular is one that only really comes out at the end of the summer. But when August is here and our veg patch is heaving with marrows we’ll have this dinner once a week.

But, because I cook these recipes so often it’s nice to go back and look at my original post and work out what about that recipe still works well, or how I might have tweaked it to make it EVEN better.

 

Check out my giant marrow!!!

 

You won’t find any changes to this recipe here. Really they fall into two categories - #1 is presentation. Instead of cutting the marrow in half, scooping out the seeds and filling with the mince, I now Cut the marrow into chunky disks, scoop out the seeds and fill the centre with the mince. Don’t worry – it’s still smothered in cheese sauce post-oven.

Change #2 is the mince sauce. It still tastes fab whether you choose to use meat or a meat substitute such as quorn, but we’ve recently moved away from a tomato based sauce and instead use stock and gravy for a truly savoury filling.

Check out the full recipe below to see the upgraded version!
 

  

Keep scrolling down to find the original post:

 

Originaly posted: October 2012

 

Just over a week ago now, my church held a harvest festival lunch. First, they collected in tins and other preserved goods to give out to people in the community, and then everyone shared in a feast made up of dishes that each different family bought to the table. There included salads, quiches, and cold meats, as well as some authentic African and Indian cooking from different groups within the congregation. And, of course there were plenty of yummy cakes on offer too!

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend as I was working. Gutting I know!

Nonetheless, harvest festival is one of my favourite times of the year as it marks the begging of autumn (or fall from my American friends), YAY!

Now, what’s not to love about autumn? First of all there are knitwear, and snugly boots, big socks and scarves. Plenty of fun food related festivals, such as Halloween with toffee apples and other candy-related goodness, bonfire night (or Guy Fawkes night) with soup, burgers, hot dogs, cinder toffee and candy floss (what’s not to love) and last but not least, the event we’ve all been waiting for...CHRISTMAS! Now there’s just too much food related goodness to mention for Christmas.

But do you know another thing I love about harvest time? Giant...vegetables...

For some bizarre reason, harvest always reminds me of giant, prize winning vegetables, from giant pumpkins, squashes, marrows and more!

We’ve had our fair share of giant veg in our vegetable patch this year. Our marrow plant has not only taken over the vegetable patch, but the lawn and the patio – with its 4 large arms reaching out to grow even more marrows.

So what’s the best way to cook a giant vegetable?! In my opinion, you’ve got to STUFF it!

In the past, I’ve stuffed aubergines and a butternut squash but this year it was the turn of the marrow

The idea is simple, these giant marrows have such a delicate, almost sweet and creamy flavour that nothing could match it better than a savoury mince topped with a creamy cheese sauce.

What makes this meal such a family favourite, is just how easy it is to prepare, how easy it is to get veg into fussy eaters, and how a giant marrow can easily make 4 perfect portions.

Top Tip: this recipe can easily be made vegetarian by replacing the beef mince with either a veggie substitue or lentil, like in my lentil lasagna.