Pumpkin Curry

This is a fairly simple recipe, but it’s packed with flavor. Hate pumpkin? No worries, use butternut squash instead. (I would but my husband is allergic to it — butternut makes his lips swell up like bad lip injections!)

I adore naturally dairy free recipes and the coconut milk pairs so well with the pumpkin in this. I was also happy to use up this Trader Joe’s canned pumpkin — I bought a couple cans last fall and found out the hard way that their puree is way too runny for pumpkin pie. (But it was perfect for this curry!)

Trevor and I consider red curry paste and fish sauce to be staples in our house but if you don’t have them on hand, check the Asian section at your grocery store next time you go.

One of the main reasons I picked this recipe for today is I am out of fresh produce — with the exceptions of onions, lemons, and limes. This recipe uses one small onion (or half a large onion) and one lime. No other fresh ingredients needed, but you can always add extra veggies if you’d like.

1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree

1 small onion, finely diced

2 teaspoons minced garlic (about four cloves)

1 (heaping) tablespoon red curry paste

1 14 oz. can coconut milk, unsweetened

2 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

1 lime, juiced

1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar (or 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar)

1 lb. chicken breasts (I used tenders)

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. If the chicken is thawed, add a little oil to the pan once hot. If the chicken is frozen, you can skip the oil. Salt and pepper the chicken, add it to the skillet with the diced onion. Add the garlic and red curry paste. Let it cook for a minute then add the pumpkin purée. Cook until bubbling and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.

While the curry simmers, mix the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice together in a small bowl. (Don’t let the smell of the fish sauce deter you! Just power through and trust it will be delicious when it all comes together.) Add coconut mixture to the simmering chicken and pumpkin, bring the heat back to medium, and cook the curry for another 5-10 minutes.

Serve with hot white rice.