Sauteed Prawns with Winter Squash & Pumpkin Seed Curry Recipe

Last Updated: September 17, 2026

For April's recipe of the month, learn how to make Sauteed Prawns with Winter Squash and Pumpkin Seed Curry with Copperleaf Executive Chef Adam Stevenson.

Ingredients:

1 cups full-fat Greek yogurt
½ tablespoons ground turmeric
1 tablespoons garam masala
1 tablespoons ground cumin
16 medium size (16/20) Prawns, peeled and deveined
2lbs Winter Squashes; Butternut, Kabocha, Acorn, Delicate, peeled & seeded, cut into large dice- see chefs note

For the Sauce

¼ pound unsalted butter
1T Coconut Oil
2 medium-size yellow onions, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 Tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated or finely diced
1 tablespoon cumin seeds whole
1 cinnamon stick whole
2 medium-size tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced, see chefs note Kosher salt to taste
2 cup Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock
1c coconut milk
1 ½ teaspoons tomato paste

For the Finish

1 ½ cups cream
3 Tablespoons Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
½ bunch cilantro leaves, stems removed

Whisk together the yogurt, turmeric, garam masala and cumin in a large bowl. Cover, and set aside in refrigerator (for up to a day).
In a large pan over medium-high heat, melt half the butter and the oil until it starts to foam. Add the prawns and sear on both sides for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
Add the remaining butter and oil to the pan, once it starts to foam, add the onions, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and cumin seeds, and cook until the onions just start to brown.
Add the cinnamon stick, tomatoes, chiles and salt, and cook until the chiles are soft, about 10 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and tomato paste and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Add the diced squashes and return to a simmer. Allow to simmer uncovered, for approximately 10 minutes.
Stir in the cream, return to a simmer until the squashes are cooked just tender, approximately 5 to 10 minutes more.
Stir the Yogurt mixture into the sauce – stir gently to combine
Portion into a serving dish and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and fresh cilantro leaves.
Serve with Cardamom Basmati Rice

Chefs Note:

Use more chile as your tastes can tolerate
Not all winter squashed need to be peeled- keeping the skins on the Delicata Squash will give the curry a nice texture and taste, additionally, not all squashed cook at the same pace- by adding all the squash to the sauce at the same time will allow those that cook faster to breakdown more and become absorbed into the sauce.
Using a fresh chicken stock will help to make a the sauce more rich and nutrient dense

COOK SUNDAY SUPPER WITH CHEF ADAM LIVE:

Executive Chef Adam Stevenson is inviting you into his kitchen for a new live video series "Sunday Supper with Chef Adam". Each week, Adam will feature a new recipe live on Instagram that you can replicate at home. If cooking isn't your thing, not to worry. Adam's Sunday Supper meals will be featured as the weekly special on Copperleaf's takeout menu, so you can order from the pro himself. To top it off, Chef will share his recommended wine pairing with each dish, which will be available for curbside pickup as well. Be sure to follow @cedarbrooklodge and @adamsthecook on Instagram to catch the show and see behind the scenes footage.