Here is kind of a fun one. There are all kinds of seafood soups and stews, from all cultures with land near the sea. Thailand is no different!
First of all, this recipe is somewhat based around a "pumpkin", but ... not the wondrous pumpkin we all know and love from Cinderella. This is a type of pumpkin most Westerners usually refer to as the "kabocha" squash
(called "Fak Thong", in Thailand); this squash likely originated in Cambodia.
Image lifted from SnackingSquirrel.com
It's amongst one of the lowest carb winter squashes
(although can usually be found, year round). It's WONDERFUL! One place where it can almost always be found is in a Tempura dish at your local Japanese haunt ... fried! The rind for a kabocha softens as it cooks and is completely edible, but I confess to cutting it off, anyway. It's a habit I developed from avoiding the rind in tempura. It's actually quite lovely and totally fine to eat
(plus doesn't require the extra effort!). I leave this to you, to decide.
The taste is something like a cross between a russet potato and a sweet potato, but with significantly less carbs. It takes a bit more work to get to and is a little harder to find, but ... the effort can be worth it!
Pairing this amazing "pumpkin" with seafood, coconut and many of the Thai aromatics creates a fresh, clean, slightly sweet, healthy, creamy and smooth blend of flavors. It's a truly special dish and can be served as is, or served with some
cauli-rice. Either way, you're in for a treat!
Nutrition Note: Kabocha info is based off of 4 cups of kabocha cubes, for 1/2 cup per person. Nutrition info is not in USDA database. It is an educated guess, but one which is close and honorably presented.