Pumpkin Curry with Chicken and Coconut
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Featuring a coconut-based curry sauce with sweet pumpkin, tender chicken, plump golden raisins, and toasted coconut, this Pumpkin Curry is a real feast for the taste buds and guaranteed to be a hit!
Many years ago when we had an excess of pumpkins from the garden I was getting creative developing all kinds of pumpkin recipes. This Pumpkin Curry with Chicken and Coconut recipe was one of the end results. Sweet coconut curry sauce dotted with golden raisins and sprinkled with toasted coconut is the base for this chicken and pumpkin dish served with steamed Basmati rice.
The first time I made it, I don’t think I had ever seen our 18 month old eat so fast before! When we sat down to dinner, I spread out some of the pumpkin and chicken with some rice, all laced with that yummy sweet curry sauce, and boy did she go to town! I kept refilling her tray faster than I could eat myself. I gave myself a pat on the back and smiled that smile of happy mothers of healthy-fed babies. This dish has remained a family favorite ever since.
This Pumpkin Curry is easy to prepare. It’s also a quick dish if you prepare the pumpkin in advance. I say that because it took nearly 20 minutes just to peel the tough and irksome rind off the pumpkin in order to dice it! Be very careful not to cut yourself when you do it. So cut the pumpkin into big slices, peel it, and cube it in advance (keep it in the fridge for up to a couple of days), and the rest of the prep work will take you all of 5 minutes.
Quick and easy, this Pumpkin Curry produces stunningly delicious and visually appealing results!
Pumpkin Curry Recipe
Let’s get started!
Peel and cut the pumpkin it into 1/2 inch cubes.
Heat the butter in a Dutch oven (I use and love Lodge) or pot over medium-high heat and saute the onions until tender and translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink.
Add the curry powder (and yes, that’s TABLEspoons – none of this “1-2 teaspoons” jazz!) and apricot or peach jam and stir to combine. Cook for another minute. (I like this curry powder but for the absolute BEST flavor, make our incredible homemade Curry Powder!)
Add the flour and stir to combine.
Add the chicken broth, salt, and the coconut milk and stir to combine. Increase the heat and bring it to a simmer, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened.
Add the pumpkin and raisins and stir to combine.
Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin is soft but not mushy.
To toast the shredded coconut, heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat and toast the coconut until it’s golden brown.
Serve with steamed Basmati rice or naan bread and sprinkle with toasted coconut.
Enjoy!
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Pumpkin Curry with Chicken and Coconut
Ingredients
- 4 cups sugar pumpkin , cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 large chicken breast (about a pound) , cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium yellow onion , diced
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 2 tablespoons apricot or peach jam
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- or BEST homemade curry powder (click link for recipe)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup quality chicken broth
- 14 oz can coconut cream (or coconut milk if you can't find coconut cream)
- 2 tablespoons golden raisins
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup flaked/desiccated coconut toasted (see Note)
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a or pot over medium-high heat. Saute the onions until soft and translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink. Add the curry powder and apricot jam and cook for another minute. Add the flour and stir to combine.Slowly add the chicken broth and increase the heat, constantly stirring, until the flour is dissolved. Add the coconut milk and salt and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened. Add the pumpkin and raisins. Return to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the pumpkin is soft but not mushy. Add salt to taste.
- Sprinkle with some toasted shredded coconut and serve with steamed Basmati rice or naan bread.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet November 4, 2013
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
This was so good! Almost tastes like dessert! Yum! I’m sending it to my son and plan to make it when I visit my parents next month. I’ll keep it in rotation and try butternut squash when I can’t get pumpkin. Thanks so much for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Diane, thank you!
I like to use Japanese pumpkin (aka kabocha squash) for any recipes that call for pumpkin because the skin becomes tender when cooked and you don’t need to peel it. And the green skin is extra pretty, too. This is the kind of pumpkin they use in Thai pumpkin curry, too, which is absolutely delicious.
If you have a squash that has a hard skin I have found the easiest way to peel it is to cut it into slices and lay a slide on it’s side on a cutting board so I can use a knife to cut the peel off. This is much easier than trying to use a vegetable peeler on the hard squash skin.
Thanks for the tips, Jessica. That’s exactly how I cut the peel off my squash. It would be too miserable trying to use a vegetable peeler – hello hand blisters!
I made this tonight it was super easy and looked exactly like the photo! Tasted great too :) Happy to find your blog.
Wonderful! I’m happy you enjoyed it. It was hit in my family as well – even my then 18 month old daughter cleaned up her plate :) I’m thrilled you found my blog and hope you’ll return often! Best, Kimberly
yummeeee, looks mouth watering!
Thank you, bakeaffairs! It was really fun creating this and the results were yummy! Will be making it again soon for my 18 month old ;)
Is a sugar pumpkin different from a Jack o Lantern pumpkin? Can I use the kind sold at the commissary during this season….like the ones at the pumpkin farm:) really want to try this one….had my favorite mushroom soup yesterday:) still love the recipes and the pictures!!!
Hug to you!!
Hi, dear Pam!! So happy you’re still enjoying the Hungarian Mushroom Soup :) We love it, too. Yes, sugar pumpkins (also called baking pumpkins) are different. They’re smaller, the flesh is firmer, and they have more flavor. The flesh of jack o lantern pumpkins is more pulpy and has more moisture in it. I would think the commissary carries sugar/baking pumpkins – those are the kinds used to make pumpkin pie. But if they don’t, you can certainly use the standard pumpkins for cooking. I’d recommend dicing up the pumpkin in advance, putting it in a bowl and letting it sit in the fridge overnight to release some of the moisture so you can drain it before using it to avoid a watery sauce (that may or may not be necessary though – I haven’t tried making it with the standard type pumpkin. And you could just add more flour to thicken the sauce). Also, you may need to reduce the cooking time – the standard pumpkins may become soft faster and you want to avoid a mushy texture in this dish. If you end up making this, let me know how it goes. Sending a hug right back to you! :)