One of my favorite things to order at a Thai restaurant is Pumpkin Curry. Oh man, I can eat a whole bowl of that stuff by myself. But believe it or not, it can be almost impossible to find in Oakland, at least on menu. And my favorite anyway is at Bang San -- 12 miles and a bridge crossing, or a BART ride and walk through the most charming parts of the Tenderloin -- all the way over in San Francisco.

So on these carless, so broke-ass I can't even afford to BART into the City nights like this, I must take matters into my own hands.















Thai curries are so easy to make, and in addition to being tasty, they can also serve another purpose near and dear to my heart: cleaning out the refrigerator of those almost-dodgy veggies.

Thai Curry with Kabocha and Tofu

Kabocha is a Japanese pumpkin, and far superior to using Jack o' Lanterns. :)

1, 14 oz can light coconut milk
2 tbsp Thai red curry paste (I like Mae Ploy)
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock (broth can also be used)
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
8 oz extra firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 2-inch strips
1 small kabocha squash, baked until soft and cut into rough 2-inch pieces
1 small can bamboo shoots, drained

Thai basil leaves
Cooked brown jasmine rice

Warm coconut milk in a 2 quart saucepan. Incorporate curry paste into the coconut milk. Add stock, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tofu and vegetables and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

Serve over cooked rice and garnish with Thai basil leaves (whole or chopped, as desired). Serves 4 generously.