Volunteer pumpkin tip curry

During our South fence project, I spread out some homemade compost and noted that the pumpkin seeds  were sprouting. I decided to keep these volunteers as a living mulch. Today, they are thriving, healthy, and starting to flower. To keep them a little in check, I decided to harvest the young tips and use them in a curry. Below is the recipe, serves about four.

The bulk of the pumpkins... yes, there's more.

Ingredients
3-4 tbs red curry paste (more or less to taste, can try other types of curry paste)
1-2 tbs oil for frying
chunky diced brown onion
can of coconut cream or milk
defrosted tofu
about 2 cups of sliced, diced, or chopped vege (broccoli, cauli, carrots...)
bunch of young pumpkin tips (6 inches long each)
1 tbs coconut oil (optional, for added richness)
1 tbs sugar (palm or brown is ideal)
splash of fish sauce, a bit of minced up anchovy or another source of salt to taste

Method

1. Prepare the pumpkin tips by gently stripping it. Do this using a small knife to pick up some strands of fibre from the cut end and peel the fibres off. This will take off the outer hairs as well. It's OK if you don't get them all.
2. Prepare the defrosted tofu by firmly squeezing out as much moisture as you can. It will be like a wet sponge. Dice.
   
3. Heat up the oil and saute the onion for a few minutes. Turn down the heat.
4. Add the curry paste and saute gently until fragrant. 
5. Add the coconut cream gradually and stir to incorporate the curry paste. 
6. Add coconut oil, sugar and fish sauce and stir.
   
7. Turn up the heat to boiling then down to a simmer, with lid off for several minutes, until the liquid has reduced a little.
8. Add tofu and stir to coat tofu with sauce. Yum! Cook for a few minutes.
   
9. Add your vege, excluding pumpkin tips and replace lid for a few more minutes. If using quicker cooking vege like green beans and capsicum/peppers, add them with the pumpkin tips in the next step.
10. Add pumpkin tips, replace lid for a few more minutes again. 
11. There shouldn't be much sauce left as the vege soak it up. Add a bit of water if too dry.
12. Mix with tongs if needed to ensure vege are cooked and pumpkin tips are wilted.
13. Serve over rice.
    

Harvested pumpkin tips

End product. *chef's kiss*