Thai Pumpkin Chicken Curry with Coconut Ginger Brown Rice
As predictably as ever, monday has rolled around again and we are all expected to endure it. Let’s try to make the most of it, shall we? How about a delicious pumpkin chicken curry?
My family’s finally starting to get settled into our new house after our first week here. It was a long week though and the weekend flew by way too fast. Don’t you hate that? I always think I will get in some catch-up time but, of course, that never happens.
I’ve also been cooking so much lately. For real, like living in the kitchen. If only I had the time, energy, and patience to blog every single recipe that I made last week, *sigh*. It’s just so much fun being in a fresh new space and having room to work that I have been cooking and baking way more and blogging about it less and now I feel really behind.
It’s okay though, I have a plan. No, really! I am going to get it together one of these days and figure out this whole blogging thing. There’s gotta be a secret to making time for everything and making it all flow that I just haven’t discovered yet. I definitely haven’t got the writing part down if that isn’t childishly obvious.
Ha! I say that as if I have some other part of it covered. I have no idea what in the world I’m doing half of the time you guys. But hey, at least I’m having some fun in the process. Thanks for bearing with me. Your support means everything to me!
Sorry, enough about all of my inadequacies in the blogging department. Let’s talk about the delicious flavors happening in this dish. It’s got peanut butter in it for one thing! I don’t know about you but I could probably live on peanut butter, if that were possible, and peanut butter for dinner is one of my faves!
Then you have the curry and the pumpkin going on and they play so well together, especially with all of the veggies. Plus, lots of cilantro, (which I seem to be adding to everything recently.) Then you serve it on the coconut ginger rice and it has so much flavor! You can’t stop eating it and when you finish you basically lick the bowl clean and possibly even tear up a little bit.
All I’m trying to say is that this is well worth its sizeable ingredient list. You have to try this one!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size cubes
- 2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1/2 head cauliflower flowerets
- 1 large zucchini, thinly sliced
- 1 cup chicken broth (or water)
- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
- 3 cups cooked garbanzo beans
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons tamarind paste
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- salt & pepper
- peanuts and extra cilantro for topping
- 4 cups uncooked brown rice
- 8 cups water
- 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
- 1 inch piece of ginger root
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add rice and ginger piece, cover, and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for about 25 minutes until most of the water is absorbed.
- Add coconut milk and 1 teaspoon salt and continue cooking covered until all of the liquid is absorbed and rice is al dente.
- While the rice is cooking, add oil and chicken to a large saute pan over low heat and cook until chicken is completely done. Pour onto separate plate and cover to keep it from drying out.
- Add onion, garlic, and cauliflower to pan and cook for about 5 minutes over medium high heat. Add zucchini and continue cooking until cauliflower is softened.
- Pour in chicken broth and add soy sauce, tamarind, cilantro, pumpkin puree, and garbonzo beans then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until sauce begins to thicken. Add peanut butter and spices then remove from heat. Stir in chicken and salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot over rice topped with cilantro and peanuts.
Categories: Autumn/Fall, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten-Free, Holidays & Seasonal, Main Course, Seasonal, Soups & Stews