Squash, Pork, and Tamarind Curry
By Camila ChaparroPublished on December 22, 2025
Time
40 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Look for Thai/Indonesian-style tamarind concentrate labeled “nước me chua”; do not use Indian-style tamarind concentrates. You can substitute kabocha squash for butternut or acorn, but you will need to extend the cooking time in step 3 to about 20 minutes. If you can’t find gai lan, you can substitute broccolini, using the florets in place of the gai lan leaves. Serve with rice.
Instructions
- Remove leaves, small stems, and florets from 8 ounces gai lan, stalks trimmed; slice gai lan leaves crosswise into 1½‑inch strips (any florets and stems can go into pile with leaves); and cut stalks into ½‑inch-thick pieces. Set aside.
- Cook 8 ounces ground pork in Dutch oven over medium heat, breaking up large pieces, until golden-brown fond begins to form on bottom of pot, 5 to 8 minutes. Add 1½ cups chopped large shallots and cook until very soft, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in 5 minced garlic cloves, 4 teaspoons grated ginger, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 2 cinnamon sticks and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 2¾ cups water, scraping up any browned bits, then add 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces; ¼ cup tamarind juice concentrate; 2 tablespoons fish sauce, and gai lan stalks. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low; cover; and simmer until squash is tender, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in gai lan leaves, and cook, uncovered, until leaves wilt but are still bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Discard cinnamon sticks, sprinkle with ½ cup Thai basil leaves, and serve.
Time
40 minutesYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Inspired by a tamarind and squash curry recipe in Naomi Duguid’s cookbook, Burma: Rivers of Flavor, we made those two ingredients the stars of this dish. To build a savory backbone for our curry, we browned just 8 ounces of ground pork on the stovetop to render it and made use of the flavorful fat by cooking our aromatics and spices in it. After pouring in water and scraping up the browned bits of savory goodness, we added butternut squash, which soaked up all the flavors in the pot. Tamarind juice concentrate imbued the dish with a tangy, sweet, and fruity dimension that complemented the umami notes. For additional fiber and textural interest, we incorporated gai lan, also known as Chinese broccoli, a vegetable popular in Myanmar. Gai lan delivers two textures at once—tender, quick-cooking leaves and snappy, crunchy stalks—both of which contrasted deliciously with the soft, dense squash. A sprinkle of Thai basil leaves finished the curry with a dose of licorice-scented pepperiness.
Before You Begin
Look for Thai/Indonesian-style tamarind concentrate labeled “nước me chua”; do not use Indian-style tamarind concentrates. You can substitute kabocha squash for butternut or acorn, but you will need to extend the cooking time in step 3 to about 20 minutes. If you can’t find gai lan, you can substitute broccolini, using the florets in place of the gai lan leaves. Serve with rice.
Instructions
- Remove leaves, small stems, and florets from 8 ounces gai lan, stalks trimmed; slice gai lan leaves crosswise into 1½‑inch strips (any florets and stems can go into pile with leaves); and cut stalks into ½‑inch-thick pieces. Set aside.
- Cook 8 ounces ground pork in Dutch oven over medium heat, breaking up large pieces, until golden-brown fond begins to form on bottom of pot, 5 to 8 minutes. Add 1½ cups chopped large shallots and cook until very soft, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in 5 minced garlic cloves, 4 teaspoons grated ginger, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 2 cinnamon sticks and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 2¾ cups water, scraping up any browned bits, then add 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces; ¼ cup tamarind juice concentrate; 2 tablespoons fish sauce, and gai lan stalks. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low; cover; and simmer until squash is tender, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in gai lan leaves, and cook, uncovered, until leaves wilt but are still bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Discard cinnamon sticks, sprinkle with ½ cup Thai basil leaves, and serve.
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