Weeks ago I had this incredible Pumpkin & Chicken Curry at a hospital’s cafeteria. That’s right. At a hospital. In the cafeteria.

It was made without coconut milk and came topped with sawtooth coriander or pak chee farang (ผักชีฝรั่ง) in Thai. At first I wasn’t quite sure if I was seeing it right until I took a bite. I was surprised how the strong coriander taste goes so well with the sweet pumpkins. The soup itself wasn’t as thin as I thought. It was hearty, if I can use that word. The bits and pieces from the pumpkin had thickened it without being heavy. And the best part was the curry was mildly spicy. Not the mild kind you find in Parisian traiteurs but mild for Thais. It was perfect for me. I never like fiercely explosive spicy food that numbs the tongue, deafens the ears and make the temples throb. Plus, Hubby has orders to cut down down on fat — cholesterol problem. So this was the perfect curry for us. I ordered some to go.

Yea, I took home hospital food.

But back home, I did start to look for a recipe. All I found were those made with coconut milk. The ones without used lemon basil. I might try that next time but nothing included sawtooth coriander. In the end I used a Pumpkin & Chicken Curry recipe from one of my Thai cookbooks. Of course, I omitted the coconut milk, used less garlic, more shallots, added sawtooth coriander and a small knob of cumin. The recipe I have uses red curry paste from Suphanburi. And I found out why the curry is mild in taste — it uses prik bang chan (พริกบางช้าง), large chili peppers that are mildly spicy. Why the cumin? I am sure the hospital used it. Really. The white plate and utensils were tinged yellow and there was a slight astringent flavor. A case of the cafeteria messing around? Or did it use curry powder? Or just leftover stuff that the chef just threw in for fun???????

Whatever. The sawtooth coriander was the star that gave the curry an extra notch.

This also marks the first time that I made curry paste from scratch (!!!!!). Quite an experience I must say. Especially for my elbows.

Ingredients:

20 grams prik bang chan

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

20 grams galangal

5 grams cumin

20 grams lemongrass

5 grams kaffir lime peel

3 grams coriander root

35 grams garlic (I used Thai garlic which are about 2 cm long but pack more flavor than the large varietal)

30 grams shallots (Used small Thai shallots. More flavors.)

20 grams fermented shrimp paste (kapi กะปิ)

2 tablespoon rice bran oil or any other frying oil

Fish sauce

500 grams pumpkin (cut into 2″ by 2.5″ pieces)

12 chicken wings (wings are my favorite part of the chicken. Feel free to use other parts.)

Sawtooth coriander

1. I started by slicing the first nine ingredients, except for the sea salt, thinly. This makes it easier to pound them into a fine paste. Then I put the chili and salt, which acts as a grinder, into the mortar and pound them into a fine paste. (I ended up using more chili than what is seen in the picture.)

When making curry paste from scratch, chili and salt are always pounded first. Then the next hardest ingredient is added in and pounded into a fine paste before the next hardest ingredient is added in and pounded. Confused? I have been told it’s easier to pound everything into a fine paste if each ingredient is added in one at a time.

2. Next, I added the galangal and pounded into a fine paste. Afterwards the cumin is added and pounded into fine paste. See the pattern here?

It didn’t seem like a lot of work but by now my right elbow is sore.

3. Next the lemongrass is added in. Keep pounding, Right Elbow.

I have to admit the lemongrass was the most time consuming part. Not sure why. Must be all that fiber. Or the mortar is getting fuller and makes it more difficult to pound. At this point, I switched hands. But since I am right handed, my left elbow wasn’t bringing down the pestle hard enough on the lemongrass. It took me a good ten minutes. My left elbow stopped talking to me.

4. I switched back to my right hand, added in the kaffir lime peel and pounded it into a fine paste with the rest. All this time, my right elbow cursed me nonstop. Honestly, I did thought about dumping everything into a food processor.

5. Next comes a “soft” ingredient — coriander root. I lifted my arm to pound it but my right elbow threw a tantrum and refused to move. I had to bribe it with a massage.

6. Three more ingredients to go! As I added in the shallots, I heard Right Elbow say:

Are you doing this for your blog? Don’t tell me you enjoy this! USE STORE BOUGHT PASTE!

Why, that would be cheating.

7. Next I added in the garlic and started pounding feverishly. All the while, ignoring Right Elbow’s wailing.

8. Lastly, (did I hear Right Elbow shout HURRAY), I put in kapi and mix everything together into a paste.

Voilà! It wasn’t as difficult as I thought.

Both my elbows haven’t talked to me since.

9. Finally, we get to make the curry! I poured in two tablespoons rice bran oil into a large pot on medium heat. Added in the chili paste and stir-fry until fragrant. Next, I added in the wings. Give it a quick stir and added in 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil. When the wings are cooked, add in the pumpkins. I let it come to a boil again, and turn the heat down to low for about 20 minutes. Taste and season with fish sauce.

10. Just before serving sprinkle with sawtooth coriander cut into 1 cm pieces or just tear them into small pieces.

I tried some the next day with lemon basil and it was just as good. Next time I will make it with both the sawtooth coriander and lemon basil………….that is when my elbows stop pouting.