Squash, Fennel and Miso Curry

Squash, Fennel and Miso Curry

This one is genuinely special to us. We came up with this recipe when we were messing around trying to combine some of our favourite flavours, and the combination of sweet roasted squash, aniseedy fennel and deep savory miso just totally blew us away. The roasting step makes all the difference, the squash gets these gorgeous caramelised edges that hold up beautifully in the curry sauce. Chuck in that quick pickled topping and a squeeze of lime and you've got something that feels properly restaurant-worthy. Trust us, once you make this one you'll be putting it on regular rotation.

Cook: 40 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Large baking tray
  • Small bowl
  • Frying pan
  • Microplane or fine grater

Ingredients

  • 1 small butternut squash
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 fennel bulb
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 10g ginger
  • 2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 x 400g can of black beans
  • 1 tbsp brown rice miso paste
  • 1 x 400ml can of coconut milk
  • 150ml vegetable stock
  • 2 tbsp coconut yoghurt
  • 2 green chillis
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • ½ lime
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt

Method

1

Prep the veg

  • Peel, deseed and slice the squash into 1cm slices
  • Finely slice the fennel
  • Peel and mince the garlic and ginger
  • Finely slice the green chilli and spring onion
  • Juice the lime
2

Roast the squash

  • Place the squash on the tray, season with a pinch for salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil
  • Roast for 30 minutes until the squash is tender
3

Make the pickle

  • Pour the rice wine vinegar, lime juice, sugar and salt into a small bowl and mix to dissolve the sugar
  • Add the green chilli and spring onion to the bowl, mix to coat and set aside
4

Make the base

  • Heat the frying pan over a medium heat with the olive oil
  • Add the fennel and cook until softened and lightly caramelised, around 10 minutes
  • Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander and cumin
  • Whisk the miso into the vegetable stock and pour into the pan with the coconut milk
  • Add the black beans and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened
  • Stir through the coconut yoghurt and taste to season with salt and pepper

Tips & Variations

  • Squash swap: We love butternut here but if you can get your hands on Crown Prince or Kabocha squash they work brilliantly too. Just keep the slices roughly the same size so everything cooks evenly.
  • Miso matters: We use white miso for a milder, sweeter flavour but if you only have brown or red miso that's totally fine. Just use a tiny bit less as it's saltier and more intense.
  • Make it spicier: Ian always adds an extra green chilli because he's got a serious heat obsession. Taste as you go and dial it up or down depending on who you're cooking for.

Why This Works

The real secret here is the miso. It adds this deep, almost meaty umami backbone to the curry that you just can't get any other way. We find that roasting the squash separately before adding it to the sauce keeps it from going mushy and means you get that lovely sweet, slightly charred flavour running through every bite. The fennel softens into the sauce and loses its sharpness, so even if you're not normally a fennel fan, give this one a go.