The best cure for a cold day is a warm dish. Are you looking for your new favorite go-to meal on a cold day? While we can always count on a bowl of soup to do the job, we love to add variation to our meals by trying new recipes. After trying this Butternut Red Curry from Michelle Miller of Sunkissed Kitchen, we instantly knew the recipe would become a staple in our home. This curry is guaranteed to spice up your week.
A delicious Thai Chicken and Pumpkin Curry, simmered in richly spiced coconut milk, with lots of veggies. This warming Thai curry dish is perfect over rice, or serve it over cauliflower rice to keep it Whole30 and grain free!
A Delicious Twist To A Thai Red Curry
I adore spicy dishes like this Thai Chicken and Pumpkin Curry when the weather is cold out. It’s a great feeling to cozy up with a hot meal.
This Thai red curry is made with chicken and vegetables, with the addition of butternut squash. Butternut squash is not a common ingredient in Thailand, but pumpkin is!
Pumpkin is a common crop grown year round in the tropics, and butternut squash has a similar texture and flavor. Pumpkin and butternut squash can be use interchangeably, since pumpkin is different in North America and difficult to cut into cubes like the large, thick SE Asian counterpart.
Red curry paste is a delicious combination of shallots, ginger, red chilis, Kaffir lime, lemongrass, and shrimp paste, along with additional seasonings. I highly recommend making your own curry paste once in a while! However, getting all of these ingredients outside of SE Asia can be challenging.
I use the Mae Ploy Red Curry Paste. A tub of it is huge and will last through many, many curry recipes! I do not recommend buying Thai Kitchen. Mae Ploy has great spice and a much fresher flavor than other brands I have tried.
Living in Asia, I was spoiled with really good coconut milk. Since moving back to the States, I have continued buying Thai coconut milk in a paper carton. I find the canned options we have here taste more like a can than coconut! Order it online or buy it in an Asian import store.
Ingredients For Thai Chicken and Pumpkin Curry
- Avocado Oil
- Chicken breasts (skinless, boneless chicken thighs will also work!)
- Butternut squash (or an Asian-style pumpkin)
- Shallots
- Ginger
- Red Curry Paste (this brand is Whole30 compliant!)
- Coconut Milk
- Vegetable Broth (or water, to thin as necessary)
- Salt
- Zucchini
- Red Pepper
- Lime Juice
- Cilantro
The Perfect Cooktop for Simmering
Saucy dishes like this Pumpkin Curry can leave sauce splattered all over your kitchen!
The butternut in this curry simmers in the coconut milk and aromatics to slowly soften, and the simmer enhancer feature on my Sharp Induction Cooktop ensures slow pulses of heat are sent through my pan, meaning there’s no splatter.
Delicate sauces, like this coconut milk curry, and the Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup I shared a few month ago, don’t burn thanks to this well thought-out feature.
When there are spills, the Sharp Induction Cooktop is easy to clean up. It is such an upgrade to the electric stovetop I used to have, where I had to pull the burners out to clean the stovetop. When I am done cooking, all I have to do is spray it down and wipe it – it’s really as easy as cleaning off the countertops!
Hop on over to the Sharp website to find out more!
How to Make Butternut Red Curry
Step 1: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat (level 7) and add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil. Add the thinly sliced chicken breast, and stir fry until just cooked, about 8 minutes. Remove chicken from pan.
Step 2: Into the same skillet, add the other tablespoon of avocado oil and cubed butternut squash. Reduce heat to medium (level 5), and stir fry the butternut squash to blister it, about 12 minutes. The squash needs to be softened and lightly caramelized on the exterior.
Step 3: Add the grated ginger, shallots, and red curry paste, and lightly fry for about 2 minutes as it’s stirred to coat the butternut squash.
Step 4: Add the coconut milk, and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat (level 4). Allow simmering for about 15-20 minutes, until the squash is softened.
Step 5: Return chicken into the curry, and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Step 6: Add the chopped zucchini and sliced red pepper to the curry. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Adjust the level of heat by adding more curry paste if needed, and season with more salt, to taste.
How to Serve Thai Chicken and Pumpkin Curry
This Pumpkin Curry is Whole30 if you buy the curry paste I recommended or carefully check for added sugars in whatever paste you choose.
Garnish this Curry: Lime wedges and cilantro are great garnishes that add another layer of Thai flavor to this curry.
Rice or Cauliflower Rice: Choose whatever option is best for your calorie/nutrition needs!
Is Thai Pumpkin Curry Spicy? If you use the Mae Ploy Red Curry Paste, it will be spicy. You can adjust the level of spiciness by using more or less of the paste. You can also try other Red Curry Pastes that have less spice.
Check out the full recipe on Sunkissed Kitchen.
