Pumpkin Chicken Curry

I have to start by saying that the title of this recipe - Pumpkin Chicken Curry - could be misleading 😁. I actually used a winter squash, but the name, Squash Chicken Curry, just didn’t have the same ring to it, and the flavor, well it’s just as good!

I’ve often used winter squash as a substitute for pumpkin in recipes, it was more likely to be on hand rather than pumpkin. But, just to make sure I wasn’t misleading you, I checked with Google, the master of all, to make sure my instincts were correct 😆. Sure enough, you can use any winter squash, including butternut, buttercup, hubbard, sugar pumpkin, and acorn, interchangeably in recipes that call for pumpkin. Some varieties are so similar you won’t notice any difference at all. I had a couple of winter squash so when a recipe idea for pumpkin chicken curry caught my eye, it went on the menu. So - pumpkin or winter squash, take your pick, but make sure to try this curry dish - it is delicious!

INGREDIENTS -

2 large chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
4 cups cooked squash or pumpkin, 1/2 small chunks, 1/2 smashed
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp curry paste (I used panang), or curry powder could be substituted
2 Tbsp tomato paste
3 cups chicken stock
1 can coconut milk
Juice of one lime
Salt and pepper to taste
Cilantro for garnish

Using a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil to medium high. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic to the oil and saute for 3-4 minutes, releasing the flavors and softening up the onion. Add the curry paste, tomato paste, coconut milk, and chicken stock, stirring to blend the ingredients. Stir in the chicken, squash, and lime juice.

Now you have a couple of choices - I placed the dutch oven in a 300 degree preheated oven and allowed it to cook for approximately 2 hours. My gas stovetop, even at the lowest setting, is just a bit too hot to leave a dish like this over heat for that amount of time. I also think the “slow” cook method in the oven results in the flavors melding together and meat tenderizing just a tad bit better. Or, you could allow the chicken to simmer on the stove top for about 30 minutes until the chicken is done, or simmer even longer if your stovetop cooperates well with you at a low temperature!

Serve over rice - regular or cauliflower, and top with cilantro.

And the leftovers are even better! Enjoy!