Halloween Hokkaido Curry with Black Sesame Tofu

A deep orange Hokkaido curry with fresh Thai curry paste and crispy tofu, sprinkled with black sesame like little Halloween spiderwebs. Served with jasmine rice, it's the perfect match for a spooky evening with friends.

By yumbelo · 2 servings · 60 minutes

Ingredients

• 400 g Hokkaido pumpkin
• 200 g firm tofu
• 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
• 1 can coconut milk
• 250 ml water
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 pc red chilies
• 3 pc garlic cloves
• 15 g fresh ginger
• 1 pc lemongrass
• 1 bunch coriander
• 1 pc lime
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp cumin, ground
• 1 tsp coriander seeds, ground
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 150 g jasmine rice
• 2 pc spring onions
• salt

Method

1. Rinse the jasmine rice thoroughly in a sieve and cook it in water with a pinch of salt according to the package instructions. Then keep it warm, covered.
2. Remove the tough outer leaves of the lemongrass and finely chop the lower pale half. Deseed the chilies, peel the ginger and garlic, and roughly chop them.
3. Add the lemongrass, chilies, ginger, garlic, coriander seeds, cumin and the coriander stems with 1 tbsp cooking oil to a tall container and blend with an immersion blender into a smooth paste. Add a little water if needed.
4. Halve the Hokkaido pumpkin, remove the seeds and cut it with the skin into pieces about 2 cm in size.
5. Pat the tofu dry and cut it into cubes about 1.5 cm in size.
6. Toast half of the black sesame in a dry pan over medium heat for a few minutes, until fragrant, then set aside.
7. Heat 2 tbsp cooking oil in the pan and fry the tofu cubes all over until golden brown and crispy, about 8 minutes.
8. Deglaze the tofu cubes with 1 tbsp soy sauce, let it reduce briefly, remove from the heat and sprinkle with the toasted sesame.
9. In a large pot, fry the curry paste over medium heat for 2 minutes, until it smells intense and the color deepens.
10. Pour in the coconut milk, stir well and simmer for 1 minute. Then add the pumpkin, the water and the remaining soy sauce.
11. Cover the pot and simmer the curry over low to medium heat for about 15 minutes, until the pumpkin is soft. Thin the sauce with a little water if needed.
12. Season with brown sugar, salt and the juice of half a lime until sweetness, saltiness and acidity are balanced.
13. Cut the spring onions into fine rings and roughly chop the coriander leaves. Cut the other lime half into wedges.
14. Divide the rice between two plates, ladle the curry over it, sprinkle with tofu, remaining black sesame, spring onions and coriander, and serve with the lime wedges.