For a while now, I have been wanting to try out a main dish with pumpkins. I figured out that a vegetable with a sweet taste should fit well with a hot sauce so made this Thai curry. Matsaman curry is usually made with potatoes, carrots and read meat, as far as I know. I used pumpkin and added some peas. Like many stew kind of dishes, this was even better the day after. We really liked the combination, although I have no pretences at all of having made an otantic Thai dish. If you want to try it, look for Matsaman curry paste in Asian shops. If you can not get it, the red or green curry paste can also be worth a try.

Matsaman Curry with Pumpkin

500 gr. beef in cubes
600 gr. pumkin, peeled and cut in small cubes
600 gr. peas
3 onions, cut in small pieces
50 gr matsaman curry paste
3 tbsp vegetable oil
750 ml coconut milk
1 tbsp tamarind paste
brown sugar to taste
Thai fish sauce to taste
coriander and spring onions to sprinkle on top (optional)

Wash and shell the peas (if you are using canned or frozen peas, use less, around 450 gr). Stir the curry paste and vegetable oil on medium heat for a few minutes, until the paste starts to dissolve. Add the meat, increase the heat and cook stirring until the outside of the meat pieces is brown. Add the onion and stir-cook for a minute. Pour the coconut milk, bring to cook, and cook at low heat until the meat pieces become soft. Add tamarind paste, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce and the pumpkin pieces. After a few minutes, add the peas. Cook until the peas and pumpkin are soft. Taste before taking off the heat and add fish sauce and brown sugar if needed (if it's too hot you can add a little extra sugar and if you like it saltier add a little fish sauce). Sprinkle with coriander and spring onion pieces, and serve with steamed jasmin rice.