This recipe — a streamlined version of one found in Nigella Bites — is similar to, but far less labor-intensive than, Su-Mei Yu’s Thai Curry Gaeng Koa. If you’ve got all the ingredients on hand, the only challenge is dealing with the squash. Plan ahead, and you’ve got a filling, warming, spicy dish for a cold night.

Steps

1. Prep the squash by peeling it with a vegetable peeler, slicing it in half, discarding the seeds, and slicing the squash into smallish bite-size cubes. You should have about 2 to 2½ pounds of cubed squash.
2. Put the oil into a large Dutch oven. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat for a few minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the coconut milk, then whisk in the curry paste. Add the fish stock, fish sauce, sugar, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves, then add the cubed pumpkin.
3. Cook over medium to medium-high heat until the pumpkin becomes just tender, five to 15 minutes depending on the squash. (While the pumpkin is cooking, cook the rice.) Add the green beans, if using, and simmer until barely tender. Add the shrimp, scallops, or fish, and simmer for a few minutes, until the seafood is just cooked. Stir in the lime juice.
4. Serve the curry over the rice, with the cilantro leaves sprinkled on top as a garnish.