Curry Chickpea Puree

Prepare the puree base:
1 Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a wide pot. Add the diced squash and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chickpeas to the squash and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2 Add the curry paste and toss to coat. Sizzle the paste in the hot pan for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Simmer the squash and chickpeas:
4 Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the squash is fork-tender and the liquid has reduced. It shouldn’t be too soupy; you want the liquid to reduce by about half.
5 Pour in the coconut cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and season again to your preferences.
Blend the puree:
7 Transfer ¾ of the chickpea-squash mixture to a food processor or blender and pulse until completely smooth and creamy. Add more liquid if needed until it reaches desired consistency. If the mixture is too thin, add a few spoonfuls of the remaining chickpeas and squash from the pot. Be sure to reserve a few spoonfuls of the unblended chickpeas and squash leftover as you’ll use it at serving.
Fry the mushrooms:
9 Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring regularly, until very crispy and well-browned about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and season with salt.
To serve:
11 Spoon the puree into shallow bowls and smooth it out with the back of your spoon. Arrange a few spoonfuls of the unprocessed chickpeas and squash on top and scatter a few crispy mushrooms on each dish. Serve with chili oil and fresh cilantro, if you like. Enjoy!