![Creamy Butternut Squash Red Curry [ Paleo - AIP ]](https://asquirrelinthekitchen.com//wp-content/uploads/2017/11/red_curry_portrait.jpg)
This mouth-watering red curry will fire up your taste buds and resuscitate your enthusiasm for vegetables!
Feeling bored with the same old-same old? Stuck in a rut? I know the feeling, but help is on the way! Nothing beats a cooking lull like adding bright colors and exotic spices to your plate and your palate.
What’s to love about this red curry?
Wholesome, creamy, full of flavor – there’s so much, I can’t decide! It has everything you could wish for and then some in a satisfying vegetable stew. Plus, it’s allergen-free and Autoimmune Protocol friendly. No dairy or nightshade spices.
So where does the curry magic come from?
If you are currently following the Autoimmune Protocol, you know to stay away from store-bought curry powders (because they contain spices that are not allowed on AIP such as paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cumin). When preparing an AIP curry, the trick is to bring together AIP-approved ingredients that pack a similar punch of spice and depth as traditional curry paste.
To achieve the desired result, I use fresh ginger, fresh garlic, lemongrass, turmeric powder, and cinnamon powder for the base aromatics. I then add coconut milk, orange juice, and lime juice for the sauce base. This flavor profile won’t disappoint you, I promise!
Kitchen Tips:
- You may swap butternut squash for other winter squashes such as pumpkin or Kabocha squash.
- If you know in advance you will need extra sauce, double up the ingredients.
- The curry sauce can be prepared in advance and stored up to 3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
- This recipe lends itself well to batch cooking. Heat leftovers as needed using your preferred method.
- Freezes well.
- For the curry sauce:
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 large shallot (about 3 ounces), minced
- 1 (1-inch) knob fresh ginger, peeled and shredded
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 (14-ounce) can full fat coconut milk
- Juice of 2 oranges
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 stick lemongrass, cut in half lengthwise
- 2 pounds chopped butternut squash
- 1/2 pound chopped red beets
- 1/2 pound broccolini
- 1 lime and chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
- To prepare curry sauce, melt coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté for 5 minutes while stirring. Don't let shallots turn brown.
- Add ginger and press cloves of garlic with a garlic press. Continue to cook for another minute while stirring.
- Add coconut milk, orange juice, lime juice, turmeric, cinnamon, salt, and lemongrass. Stir well.
- Add butternut squash and beets to the sauce. Mix well using 2 large spoons, making sure vegetables are well-coated with sauce.
- Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes, stirring a few times.
- Meanwhile, steam broccolini. To do so, place a vegetable steamer in a pot, add 1 to 2 inches of water, cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add broccolini, cover again, and steam until crisp-tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Once steamed, you may leave broccolini whole or cut into bite-size pieces for serving.
- When squash is cooked, discard lemongrass and add broccolini. Check seasoning and adjust salt to taste.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro and drizzle with extra lime juice before serving.
If you are in the mood for more Autoimmune Protocol-friendly curry recipes, check out the ebook SPICE on Amazon! This ebook, written by Jo Romero from Comfort Bites, has over 90 Paleo and AIP compliant recipes, including many mouthwatering curries! You can read my review of Spice here.
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This was delicious. I have made the recipe exactly as it is, but this time I added chicken. I added bone broth when I reheated it and ate the leftovers as a soup. Thank you!
Thank you for your feedback! – Sophie
Totally delicious! Added bone broth and fish sauce. Yum! Thanks.