Guest post by Big Apple Curry co-founder Myna who is my sister, lives in Toronto, and works in the non-profit sector. 

I was out for dinner with a few close friends last week when as we were getting ready to leave, my friend Leah suddenly said “Wait! I have presents for you!” and pulled butternut squashes out of her bag. We all started laughing because we weren’t exactly expecting to be handed squash. Plus, these weren’t just any winter vegetables from the supermarket. Leah grew them on her family’s farm called Clark Bros in Puslinch, Ontario, Canada, which is about one hour from Toronto. It was a very thoughtful gift, especially for me, since I  love to cook.

Butternut squash grown on Clark Bros farm in Puslinch, Ontario, Canada

With no shortage of squash recipes available, I wondered what I should make to honour this butternut squash that was carefully cultivated and grown by my dear friend. As I’ve written before, every Sunday I make a big one-pot meal that I can take to work for lunch during the week. In the winter, I look for recipes that are hearty and nutritious like soups and stews. I found a Martha Stewart recipe for Curried Butternut Squash Soup that was perfect for Leah’s squash. This vibrant orange soup blends butternut squash, chicken broth and coconut milk together, which gives it a smooth and creamy texture. Stewed with fresh ginger, it’s seasoned with a bit of curry powder, crushed red chilli pepper, and then topped with fresh chives.

If you’re looking for different ways to incorporate more Indian flavours into your cooking, this soup recipe is a great choice. It uses a few of the key aromatics and spices in Big Apple Curry’s 5-10-5 Rule – a useful cheat sheet of basic ground spices, whole spices, and herbs you can keep in your pantry to make authentic Indian dishes at home all year long.

Martha Stewart’s Curried Butternut Squash Soup 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup diced shallots (I used regular yellow onions)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup minced fresh peeled ginger
• 4 bay leaves
• 1/2 tablespoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• 2 1/2 pounds Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
• 1 1/3 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 cups homemade or canned, store-bought low-sodium chicken stock, heated
• 1 one-inch chunk palm sugar (I used about 1 tsp of brown sugar)
• 1 fifteen-ounce can low-fat coconut milk
• Freshly chopped chives, for garnish
• Fresh curry leaves, for garnish (I didn’t have any on hand)

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, and continue to stir; add ginger. Continue cooking until shallots are soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add bay leaves and red pepper; continue cooking for 1 minute more. Stir in squash, salt, and curry powder; cook for 10 minutes.

2. Raise the heat to medium-high, and add chicken stock. Cover, and bring to a boil. Immediately lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring and mashing every 5 minutes. Add the palm sugar and cook for 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk and continue cooking for 10 minutes.

3. Remove bay leaves from soup. Using an immersion blenderor in batches using a bar blender, puree until smooth.

4. Reheat soup, seasoning with salt. Garnish with chives, and serve immediately.