Recipe from Priya Krishna and Ritu Krishna
Adapted by Priya Krishna
Updated Nov. 14, 2023
- Total Time
- About 25 minutes
- Rating
- 4(835)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This cozy vegetable main is an ode to earthy, maple-y fenugreek, a staple spice of Indian cooking that is a perfect match for the mild sweetness of butternut squash. Normally roasted, butternut squash is gently stewed here with ginger, onion, turmeric, tomatoes and brown sugar, bringing out a unique and addictive sweet-and-sour flavor. Kaddu is traditionally paired with puri, a type of fried bread, but roti, tortillas and even toast work well with this bright and hearty one-pot dish. —Priya Krishna
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 2tablespoons olive oil
- 1teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- ½teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1small yellow onion, finely diced
- 2tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- ½teaspoon red chile powder, such as cayenne
- ¼teaspoon asafetida (optional)
- 1medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 4medium Roma tomatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 2tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime), plus more as needed
- 2tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (stems and leaves), for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
191 calories; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 33 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 486 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Step
1
In a large (12-inch) deep sauté pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the fenugreek seeds and cook until they start to sputter, which should be within seconds. Reduce the heat to medium-low and swirl in the turmeric. Add the onion and sauté until it just starts to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ginger, chile powder and asafetida (if using), and cook for 1 minute. Add the butternut squash and salt, cover and cook until the squash is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Step
2
Stir in the tomatoes, lime juice and brown sugar. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the tomatoes are soft but still retain their shape, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust the lime juice and salt according to taste. Garnish with the cilantro and serve warm.
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4
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835
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Cooking Notes
kyra
I thought this was a really good recipe! Sweet, sour, spicy. Yum! I used mustard seeds instead of fenugreek. I ended up having to cook the squash about 8-10 extra minutes. And did 1/4 tsp of regular chili powder and 1/4 of cayenne. I like spicy but think it would have been too spicy with a full 1/2 tsp cayenne. Next time I think I’d add a little crunch with either some chopped roasted peanuts or fried shallots!
megan
This turned out amazing! The flavor was incredible! Only substitutions were using acorn squash instead of butternut, and I used 1 can diced tomatoes instead of fresh, since the ones at the store were looking a little sad. I am going to make this again and again!
Shailaputri
This is an excellent recipe. If you're preparing this for Navarati, skip the onions and tumeric, which are not allowed during the fast. You can also include green chiles, mustard seeds, cumin seeds as well as tamarind, which are all allowed.
Thomas
This was delicious, I’ll be making it many more times. I cooked the squash a while longer, ~45 min on medium low till it was soft and partially broken down and saucy. Used canned tomatoes, no other changes. Really delicious, the flavors are bright and multilayered, balanced, substantial but not heavy - beautiful.
jennysorel
I agree this is a delicious dish. I didn’t find fenugreek seeds, so I used 1/2 tsp ground fenugreek that I added with the turmeric. @Kyra, I used 1/2 tsp cayenne as recipe calls for - not too spicy. I used local, organic yellow cherry tomatoes from the farmers market, and maple syrup in place of the brown sugar. Don’t leave off the cilantro. It definitely adds something to provide the full umami flavor. The 25 min. is just cooking time. W/ peeling, chopping, etc, this took a good hour to make.
Janet
Just gorgeous! Rarely do I have everything for a recipe on-hand, but I did today. Taking the convenience route with pre-cut organic squash and diced tomatoes, it came together fairly quickly. The squash cubes were much larger than the recipe specified, so the cooking time was longer, and I stirred everything a few times to be sure the squash was cooked. PS: if you grind several peeled ginger roots in a mini-processor and freeze it in 1 tablespoon clumps, you can do recipes like this in a flash.
Anisha
My Mom makes this every year for Diwali. She used pumpkin which is a nice way to deal with non-carved pumpkins you may have gotten for Halloween. She cuts them into large chunks, leaving the peal on. No onions, or tomato, but adds in green chilis and powdered coriander. So tasty!
Deirdre Fitzgerald
This was a fantastic "yellow" dish to replace our tired sweet potatoes with marshmallows for the Thanksgiving feast. I prepped the squash and onions the day before which made cooking a breeze and used canned diced tomatoes (15 oz) instead of the roma tomatoes. I cooked it down to soften it (30 min) but left the squash with some firmness. Even more delicious the next day as a breakfast side with eggs!
CBB
Delightful mix of sweet, sour and spice. To add protein, added drained can of chickpeas and fried in oil before adding fenugreek seeds. Used a little less than Tablespoon of brown sugar and subbed plum tomatoes and grape tomatoes for Roma. Came together quite easily in wok. Served over quinoa. Definitely will make again and again.
Gloria
I found that leftovers were great in salads. I used baby spinach, cubed avocado, and goat cheese, with olive oil and Japanese rice vinegar, and a glop (however much you want) of the squash. Interesting flavors - I may make the recipe in the future just to have On hand for salads.
Sean
I make stovetop squash and sweet potato dishes all the time -- but here's a tip, chop them up and throw the chunks in a steamer basket for five-ten minutes before adding to the saute pan. This softens them up and makes them more amenable to mixing with the other ingredients. I find it hard to believe you can cook raw squash this way in only 10 mins!
Morfydd
Allow time for the prep; I wrestled with the squash for a while! Excellent flavours, even though I had to sub mustard seeds. No coriander so topped with parsley and green onion. Served up with toasted naan, mango chutney and a few nuts. Happy Thanksgiving to American cooks from up in the North!
Jim
Cooked exactly as directed but in an Instant Pot. 30 minutes and it was perfect and delicious.
Amanda
A different way to serve butternut squash. The mix of spices come together nicely. However there is no way butternut squash will soften in 15 minutes. It took me closer to 40 minutes.
susan
Adapted a bit based on what I had on hand. Used Panch Puron Indian spice mix, 14 Oz can of fire roasted tomatoes, drained. Smallish squash so reduced everything accordingly. Very adaptable recipe. Loved it. Will keep in rotation.
The Groovy Gourmet
Made this last night with an array of other Indian inspired dishes. My kids and I loved it...btw, kids are 29 (haha).
Alan Scott
Didn't have fenugreek so substituted maple syrup and omitted the the brown sugar as well.Also, substituted canned tomatoes without the juice for the fresh tomatoes. Also substituted Korean gochugaru for the red pepper flakes.
Renana
Made this for Thanksgiving as suggested in the video. Easy, interesting, and delicious! Flavors I haven't experienced for a long time. Probably need to find more uses for my fenugreek and asafetida.
dduck
The video shows that she does not peel the squash at all!
Meira
Yes, though we found that when we followed her model and didn't peel the squash, we ended up eating tough squash skin which wasn't fun. Next time I make it, I'm definitely peeling the squash!
Meira
Outstanding depth and complexity of flavor and very easy to make. 1/2" cubes of squash easily cooked in the time suggested. Used canned tomatoes; otherwise made no alterations. (I did use asafetida, which is always good.) Served with quick flatbreads; would also be good with rice.
Sharon B
I’m afraid this one was a rare dud for me. I was pretty faithful to the recipe. I just didn’t love the flavor and texture. If I were to try to tweak this recipe (I do love fenugreek), I might roast the squash cubes ahead of assembling the curry. I think a little caramelization might help.
Michael Maggs
Delicious!
kathleen
I only had two small honey nut squash, so I added in chard, which worked really well. I loved this.
Hannah
I love this recipe - one of my all time favorite ways to prepare squash. Similar to others I sometimes have to cook the squash a bit longer, and often use canned diced tomatoes especially during the winter.
LM
Amazing! Put a fried egg on top
DH
In the video for this recipe, the author seems to cut and cook the squash unpeeled.
Meira
Yes. I followed that example when I cooked it but I was using a long-stored squash and the peel was quite noticeable when we were eating it. In the future I will either use a fresh/younger squash or peel it.
LisaAnne
This was easy to make and delicious but with 1/2 tap of cayenne ours was tongue tingling hot. And we like spicy. I would use less next time but some yogurt mixed with lime juice, salt and pepper tamed the heat.
Bbrown
Made this for Thanksgiving. Excellent, and my guests liked it too.
d w
Loved it. I could only find pumpkin but it was delicious. Honestly I could have gone even spicier when I tasted it so I served with some green pepper flakes.
c marvin
This is SO good. And pretty for company. I added chopped roasted peanuts as another post suggested and think the taste and crunch are essential. Also followed another post by steaming squash in advance for 10 mins. Made the rest of the cooking go quickly.
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