Remember a week or so ago when I made the chicken and pumpkin pizza? If not, don’t worry, it’s right here.Well, that got me thinking, what else can I use pumpkin in. I had chicken leftover from the pizza adventure and a bit of pumpkin. But pumpkin is a pantry staple so I just made a new batch. The pizza was part Mexican in flavor, part Indian in flavor, clearly it was an ethnically challenged pizza. I decided to play up the India flavors and turn it into a curry.
I’m so glad I did. This curry was AMAZING! It will be a new dinner staple in my house. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Now, don’t let the ingredients freak you out. Yes, it is long, but they all go in quickly. I promise this is worth the effort.
Ingredients
- Chicken
- 4 chicken thighs; boneless/skinless
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp . granulated garlic
- 1/4 tsp . dried thyme
- 1/3 tsp . cinnamon
- 1/3 tsp . coriander
- 1/2 tsp . cumin
- 1/4 tsp . black pepper
- 1/4 tsp . salt
- 1/2 tsp . oregano
- 1/4 tsp . chili powder
Pumpkin Curry
- 1-15 oz . can pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/4 tsp . dried ground sage
- 1/4 tsp . thyme
- 1/3 tsp . sugar
- 2 tbsp . chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp . cumin
- Pinch of cinnamon
- 2 cloves garlic; minced/grated
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1-15 oz . can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 -1 cup cream (depending on personal tastes)
- 1 lime; juiced
Toppings
- 11/2 cups freshly roasted red peppers; diced
- 4 tbsp . cilantro; chopped
- 2-3 cups cooked rice
Instructions
-
Mix all the herbs and spices together for the chicken.
-
Rub the mixture into both sides of the chicken thighs.
-
On medium high heat, add olive oil to a skillet.
-
Once the skillet is hot, sear each chicken thigh.
-
Cook on each side for about 4 minutes or until cooked through.
-
Remove from the pan and allow to rest for several minutes before slicing.
-
In a non-stick skillet, over medium heat, add the freshly sliced red peppers and allow them to char.
-
Allow them to cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, then flip over and allow them to char on the other side.
-
Once they have cooked, remove and dice.
-
Meanwhile, add the pumpkin curry ingredients to a saucepan.
-
Mix well over a medium heat.
-
Layer in a bowl with cooked rice, pumpkin curry, sliced chicken, roasted red pepper, and cilantro. Enjoy.
33 Comments
The Food Hunter
September 17, 2014 at 8:51 amWow! this sounds delicious!
Michelle
September 18, 2014 at 10:21 amThanks FH, it really was.
janelle
September 17, 2014 at 9:54 amlooks tasty! great idea
Michelle
September 18, 2014 at 10:21 amThanks Janelle, I love being outside the box at times.
Sandra Shaffer
September 17, 2014 at 9:58 amThis looks absolutely amazing!! So healthy and flavorful. You really did a great job on this recipe. Photos too. Gimme some curry!!
Michelle
September 18, 2014 at 10:22 amThank you Sandra. I love it when I can make a really healthy dish (minus that bit of cream I snuck in) but yet it’s so full flavored you don’t know you’re eating healthy.
christine
September 18, 2014 at 5:00 amThe flavors sound amazing.
Michelle
September 18, 2014 at 10:22 amThank you Christine.
Amy Fothergill
September 18, 2014 at 1:03 pmI’d like to try this dairy-free. I bet coconut milk would be a good sub. Thanks for posting!
Michelle
September 18, 2014 at 2:40 pmAmy, dairy-free was my aim, but it needed a silky texture. I usually keep coconut in the pantry, but happened to be out, so I went for regular cream. So I think you are spot on with coconut milk.
Christine | No Gojis No Glory
October 1, 2014 at 12:35 pmSooo…I’ve never actually had an entree that included pumpkin. But this recipe looks so amazing I don’t think I have much of choice. Pinned and ready to try!
Michelle
October 3, 2014 at 12:28 pmChristine, you really should give it a try. It’s perfect as a savory ingredient.
Robyn @ simply fresh dinners
October 2, 2014 at 7:41 amJust this year I have learned to try new dishes with pumpkin. In the past, I would only eat pumpkin pie and nothing more. It’s been such an eye opener and I’m so excited about all the new dishes and desserts. This looks fabulous and the pics are beautiful. Thanks for a great recipe, Michelle!
Michelle
October 3, 2014 at 12:29 pmRobyn, I have found many people are not familiar with pumpkin as savory. If you like acorn or butternut squashes, you will love this.
Maggie Zhu
October 6, 2014 at 6:53 amUsing pumpkin in curry, what a genius idea! I never had this before but I can imagine it’s so delicious! I like Thai curry with coconut flavor, because it has a hint of sweet and the cream balance the spicy curry. I think the pumpkin curry share similar idea, to use creamy pumpkin to add texture and the depth of the dish. This dish is so beautiful and healthy, cannot wait to try it out! 🙂
Michelle
October 7, 2014 at 12:16 pmThank you Maggie. I truly believe pumpkin is a hidden gem. People limit it to sweets, but it’s a squash and should be made savory too. If you like heat, add more spices, it will only get better. I couldn’t because I have a young palate to contend with here.
Debi @ Life Currents
October 24, 2014 at 2:38 pmBeautiful! And I bet it was really yummy! I also would like to note that I think it’s really cute that you have those elephants in your pictures. Have you done a post talking about them? They look like they’re special to you. 🙂
Michelle
October 24, 2014 at 3:12 pmThank you Debi, this was very tasty, been thinking of making it again, which I rarely have time to do. I should do a post on about the elephants, might help explain them. Thanks for the idea.
Patricia @ Grab a Plate
October 24, 2014 at 11:54 pmThe flavors & colors are fab! I can almost smell this cooking now!
Michelle
October 25, 2014 at 12:05 amThe aroma was quite wonderful! Thank you.
Jessica @ Sprinkle Some Sugar
October 25, 2014 at 12:31 pmLove all of these amazing flavors!
Michelle
October 25, 2014 at 7:33 pmThank you Jessica.
Tara
October 26, 2014 at 12:19 pmThat looks really amazing!! Thank you for sharing a great recipe!!
Michelle
October 26, 2014 at 4:32 pmThank you Tara!
Becky
October 26, 2014 at 1:44 pmI never would of thought of turning pumpkin into a curry, but I LOVE the idea!! This sounds amazing!!
Michelle
October 26, 2014 at 4:30 pmI think pumpkin is sorely underused as a savory item. Hope you enjoy it.
Healing Tomato
October 26, 2014 at 11:02 pmBeing Indian, my ears and eyes always perk up when I hear curry! Your recipe has definitely caught my attention. I can’t wait to try this curry.
Michelle
October 27, 2014 at 1:21 amWhile not authentic I am sure, it was tasty enough and hit the right flavor profile that I felt I could borrow the word curry.
Joanne T Ferguson
October 27, 2014 at 2:50 amG’day! Your curry looks delish!
Cheers! Joanne
Michelle
October 27, 2014 at 11:15 amThank you Joanne!
Nicky
October 27, 2014 at 11:48 amI saw this on Pinterest and knew I had to make it. I love a good curry when the weather cools off. Next week, the temperature is going to dip and this will be perfect. Thanks.
Michelle
October 27, 2014 at 4:19 pmThank you Nicky, I hope you and your family enjoy it.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies
September 9, 2015 at 11:32 am[…] I also use pumpkin in many savory applications. Last year I made chicken and pumpkin pizza and a chicken pumpkin curry. Yeah, you read that right, pizza and […]