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Thai Red Curry Squash

A squash dish simmered in coconut milk, red curry paste, garlic, ginger, and spices.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 11 ingredients
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Why it works: Clove and ginger match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,038 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓

Thai Red Curry Squash

Time15 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Make the curry base

  1. Heat large wok or skillet over medium heat until very hot.

  2. Add oil, and, when hot, add curry paste, garlic and ginger.

  3. Stir-fry 1 minute.

  4. Add coconut milk, brown sugar and tamari soy sauce, and cook 2 minutes.

Cook and serve

  1. Add squash, and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  2. Add water if mixture is too thick.

  3. When squash is almost tender, add scallions and green bell peppers, and continue cooking until squash is tender but still intact.

  4. To serve, garnish with Thai basil leaves, if using, and toss well.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

549Calories
6 gProtein
41 gFat
42 gCarbs

Counts 10 of 11 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 10 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Coconut1/2 cup shredded (40g)283
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Green Bell Pepper1 medium (119g)31
Soy Sauce1 tbsp (15ml)9
Clove1 tsp ground (2g)7
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Ginger1 tsp grated fresh (2g)2
Basil5 leaves fresh (2.5g)1
Pumpkinnot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Clove + gingertop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together6,038 recipes

    Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

  2. Ginger + coconuttop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,168 recipes

    Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).

  3. Garlic + gingertop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together6,402 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  4. Canola oil + coconuttop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together139 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

  5. Clove + coconuttop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together458 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Coconut milk
Provides fat and body, making the sauce creamy and rich.
Acorn squash
Supplies the main bulk, turning tender and sweet as it cooks in the sauce.
Red curry paste
Supplies the core aromatic and spicy flavor of the sauce.
Brown sugar
Adds sweetness that balances the spice and salty soy sauce.
Green bell peppers
Add crisp texture and fresh, slightly bitter vegetal flavor.

The step that matters

Cooking the squash until tender but still intact. Acorn squash can turn mushy if overcooked, while undercooked cubes stay hard. Adding the scallions and peppers only near the end keeps them crisp-tender, and stirring gently helps the cubes hold their shape while cooking evenly in the sauce.

Swap the garlic

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (canola oil, clove, ginger, coconut, milk, sugar, sauce):

  1. Cinnamonfits better
  2. Cardamomfits better
  3. Nutmegfits better
  4. Garlicthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against canola oil, clove, ginger, coconut, milk, sugar, sauce. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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