Sunday Lunch Week 34: Pumpkin with Shrimp, Curry Lamb, Dosti Roti & Paratha

The plan for this weekend was supposed to be simple — even a day off. My younger daughter had just moved back into college, and once we got her settled in, I expected to stay with my husband in the city. At the last minute, though, my older daughter and her friend decided to go to an airshow, and that meant I landed back home unexpectedly.

I was grateful for the quiet return and only planned to make a quick, comforting childhood favorite — macaroni and eggs — for myself(recipe coming soon). But once I offered to cook lunch for my daughter and her friend, the menu shifted in a heartbeat. A squash that had been sitting around for two weeks became the start of something more: pumpkin talkari. To make it special (and because I wanted a new recipe for the blog), I asked if they’d like shrimp added in. My daughter said yes, and to my surprise, her friend smiled and said pumpkin with shrimp was their favorite too. What a coincidence — and what a relief when cooking for someone not as familiar with Trinidadian food.

From there, the lunch grew. I remembered two pounds of lamb I had defrosting in the fridge and decided it would pair beautifully with the pumpkin and roti. I seasoned and cooked it down into a fragrant curry lamb with potatoes. Meanwhile, I shaped the same batch of dough into both dosti roti and paratha roti. The paratha turned out to be the softer, more irresistible winner that day, though both were enjoyed.

Even as I was cooking for my daughter and her friend, part of me was thinking about my husband. Since I wasn’t in the city to cook for him, I didn’t want him left without food for his long workdays. So I seasoned some chicken and left it roasting in the oven for him. Somewhere along the way, I even thought about frying fish for my daughter to take back, but then I remembered my own golden rule in the kitchen: do the hardest thing first, and keep things simple when you can. In the end, I chose to stop where I was. He would be fine for two days — and he was coming back on Tuesday to spend his birthday week with me anyway.

What started as a plan for a quick solo pasta lunch turned into a hearty, comforting spread — pumpkin with shrimp, curry lamb, and roti, with a little extra love tucked away in the oven for my husband.

This Week’s Menu & Recipes

• Pumpkin Talkarie with Shrimp — a twist on the traditional pumpkin talkari, enriched with fresh shrimp. [Click to see this new recipe]–See the original pumpkin talkarie recipe here.
• Curry Lamb with Potatoes — tender lamb simmered in a fragrant curry base. [Recipe link]
• Paratha Roti & Dosti Roti — both made from the same dough, giving us the best of both worlds.
• Roast Chicken — oven-baked and seasoned for easy weekday meals.

Meal Prep & Make-Ahead

• Pumpkin can be peeled and diced a day in advance.
• Lamb tastes even better when seasoned overnight with green seasoning.
• Roti dough can rest in the fridge for a day — the texture improves.
• Chicken can be marinated days ahead; roasting later makes for quick weekday meals. To give you an idea, I season the chicken on a Thursday or Friday and bake on Sunday. Works for us and it’s one less thing to do on the weekend.

Tips for This Menu

• Start with the hardest dish — the curry lamb takes the longest, so let that simmer while prepping other items. I started with the pumpkin first since the lamb was an afterthought – the story of my kitchen life.
• One dough, two roti styles — shaping half into dosti and the other half into paratha gives variety without extra effort.
• Balance flavors — pumpkin with shrimp adds sweetness and lightness against the richness of curry lamb. One of my favorite combos!
• Cook with your guests in mind — asking for preferences ensures the meal feels personal and welcoming.
• Keep perspective — it’s easy to let Sunday lunch snowball. Sometimes stopping before adding “just one more dish” is the best choice.
• Budget-friendly swaps: If lamb isn’t on hand, goat, beef, or chicken make excellent substitutes. Pumpkin with shrimp can easily be made vegetarian — just skip the shrimp.

Sunday Lunch Reflections

What I thought would be a day off turned into one of those memorable kitchen days where plans shifted, ingredients aligned, and the meal came together beautifully. The coincidence of my daughter’s friend also loving pumpkin with shrimp made me smile — a reminder that food connects us in unexpected ways.

The paratha roti was the clear favorite, but having both styles on the table gave everyone a choice. And while I wasn’t with my husband in the city, knowing he had roast chicken waiting felt like a small way of cooking across the miles.

These are the Sundays I treasure — meals born out of improvisation, family, and love.

Did You Love This Sunday Lunch – Leave a Comment

If you enjoyed this week’s Sunday lunch menu, I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below sharing your thoughts, memories, or what you cooked this week. Your feedback and stories help keep this tradition alive. I’ll also be sharing reels (and sometimes full videos) — so be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for step-by-step inspiration when available.

Questions or Concerns — Write Me!

If you have any questions, concerns, issues, or suggestions about any of the recipes mentioned in this menu or others, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below or reach out via email at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you and am here to help make your cooking experience as enjoyable and successful as possible.

Subscribe for More Recipes

More Sunday Lunches to Explore

Here’s a look back at the last three weeks of our Sunday Lunch series:

• [Week 31: BBQ Ribs, Pepper Shrimp, Potato Salad, Rice & Boiled Plantains]
• [Week 32: Curry Duck with Pigeon Peas, Curry Aloo & Paratha]
• [Week 33: Chickpeas Rice, Lamb Chops & Lemon Potatoes]

Explore more on the full series page: [52 Weeks of Sunday Lunches]

What’s on your Sunday table? I’d love to hear how your menus shift and grow depending on who’s around the table.

LATEST POSTS:

• The Softest Chapati Recipe (Whole Wheat Flatbread)
• Stewed Chicken with Bodi (Bora / Yard Beans)
• Curry Short Ribs with Zucchini
• Sunday Lunch Week 51: Stewed Beef with Dumplings, Instant Pot Oxtail & A Season of Good Deeds
• Sunday Lunch Week 50: Coconut Rice, Baked Lamb & Steamed Green Beans