It is still pumpkin season! I do not care if the department stores do not agree with me with all of their Christmas decorations already for sale since the first week of November! In my book, fall ends on Thanksgiving and winter starts on Black Friday. So, I am still enjoying everything fall — pumpkins, fall foliage, football…

I am having fun with pumpkins this season by eating them, having them all over the house and cooking them. I got another pumpkin from Trader Joe’s. TJ’s was such a pumpkin treasure trove this fall. It had all kinds of pumpkins. Imagine my delight when I saw Kabocha right next to sugar pumpkins and other winter squash. Kabocha or Japanese pumpkin was the type of pumpkin that I grew up eating in the Philippines as a kid. Among all of the types of pumpkins, I think Kabocha is the sweetest. It is usually prepared stewed in fresh coconut milk, green beans, chili peppers, shrimp and/or pork, and shrimp paste.

I decided to cook something similar which is pumpkin in coconut milk and seafood. Once again, this recipe is very easy and forgiving. As I have mentioned in my previous posts, I like recipes that do not require exact measurements so they are pretty hard to mess up. This was how I made this dish:

PUMPKIN COCONUT SEAFOOD STEW

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 medium kabocha pumpkin (peeled and cubed)
• 1 can coconut milk
• Seafood combination (shrimp, scallops, calamari)
• 1/4 c onion, chopped
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fish sauce to taste (optional). If using start with 1 tablespoon. Adjust according to taste.

INSTRUCTIONS

• Saute the onions and garlic in EVOO. Set aside.
• Saute the cubed pumpkins until tender for about 7-8 minutes.
• Mix the sauteed onions and garlic with the pumpkins in the pot.
• Add coconut milk, salt and pepper.
• Heat to a quick boil then let simmer for about 10 minutes on low heat to the desired tenderness of the pumpkins.
• Add the seafood, heat to another quick boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until the shrimps turn pink. (Do not overcook the seafood to avoid them becoming tough or rubbery.)
• Add fish sauce, if using.

Easy, right? I like my pumpkin stew thick which is why I let mine simmer longer so the pumpkins and coconut milk are really mixed in. This is so delicious with steamed rice. I could not stop eating this and once again, I had lunch for 4 days! Enjoy!

Please let me know if you make this!

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