Cauliflower and Pumpkin Curry

Here's something for a chilly winter evening.  Hot like a soup, just a tad spicy, with the warmth of pumpkin and the heft of coconut milk.  I had it over rice and lentils, originally for protein, but will now be a post coming soon because it got kind of elaborate.  If not on a vegetarian rotation, some shredded chicken would make a nice addition.

I got out a baggie of puréed roasted pumpkin that I had frozen in November when the market was giving away all their pumpkins after Halloween.  The pie pumpkins shouldn't have been free, but the register insisted they were and the checker said I could have them.  Ok.  I'm going to assume you're using canned and actually measured what I put in.

I chose to use a fresh cauliflower for texture.  Frozen will take about ten minutes less to cook, since it has already been blanched.  Also, you don't have to cut it up.  I don't know why I never thought of it before, but I tore off a bunch of unnecessary leaves at the market before bagging it.  It's sold by weight, and I'm not planning to eat the trimmings.  Felt a bit guilty, but I have seen worse behavior in the market.

2 Tb olive oil
1 C diced yellow onion
*2 ribs celery, diced
*2 Tb tomato paste
1/2 tsp each salt, *coriander seed, and *cumin seed
1/4 tsp each pepper and *celery seed
2 tsp curry powder
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
*1 C pumpkin purée
1 can coconut milk (lite ok)
1 head cauliflower, cut in florets, or 4 C frozen florets, thawed
*Juice of 1 lemon

1.  In a large skillet with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high.  Add diced onion and celery and cook until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.

2.  Add tomato paste and spices and cook into a fragrant paste, another 3 minutes.  Stir in garlic and ginger.

3.  Add coconut milk and pumpkin to skillet and bring to a simmer.  Add cauliflower florets and stir to coat.  Lower heat to medium low, cover, and boil curry gently until cauliflower reaches desired doneness, about 10 minutes with frozen and 15-20 for fresh.  Stir in lemon juice to finish.

4.  Serve hot over rice or with a side of bread.

Difficulty rating  π