Pumpkin Curry

This seasonal curry gets a boost of nutrition and a beautiful color from fall's favorite ingredient...pumpkin!

Curry is flavourful, nourishing, warm, and comforting! The best part about any curry? It tastes even better the next day! So make a big batch and enjoy the leftovers throughout the week.

Spices add a boost of antioxidants, color, and flavour to the curry without the addition of extra oils and sugars. However, spices are like introverted friends! They take a little effort to draw them out of their shell and experience their true beauty.

Blooming is a technique to bring a spice to life where you use heat and oil to amplify the flavour. The flavor compounds in spices are fat soluble meaning won't easily dissolve water-based solutions. An important step in this recipe is to let the curry paste "bloom" with the olive oil, garlic, and onion before adding the chicken, vegetables, coconut milk, and pumpkin puree! If you add it all at once the flavour from the red curry paste and garlic won't be quite as aromatic and flavourful.

Customize this curry recipe to your flavour or lifestyle preferences. For example you can make the recipe plant based by swapping out the chicken for tofu and adding in a can of chickpeas for a boost of protein and fibre-filled carb. Got veggies to use up? Throw them in this curry! Cauliflower, zucchini, or green beans would make wonderful additions!

PUMPKIN CURRY

* Nutrition Facts are without the rice.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 teaspoon (5g) olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons Thai Red Curry paste
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• ½ (75g) onion, diced
• 2 large (10 ounces) chicken breast, diced
• 1 (150g) bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup (225g) canned pumpkin puree
• 1 can (400mL) full fat coconut milk
• 2 medium (200g) carrots, diced
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• Optional: brown rice or naan for a starch and cilantro or fresh parsley for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch Oven over medium-high heat.
2. Add the minced garlic and Thai Red Curry paste and let bloom for 2 or more minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning.
3. Add the soy sauce and onion. Saute until the onions are translucent,
4. Add the diced chicken and saute until no longer pink.
5. Add the bell peppers and saute until they are just tender before adding the pumpkin puree. Stir to combine.
6. Add the can of coconut milk alongside the diced carrot. Let simmer until the carrots are cooked through.
7. Immediately before serving stir in 2 cups of raw spinach. 
8. Serve over rice or naan!
   
   

NUTRITION TIPS

 Let's take a look at how this recipe shakes out in terms of the Fundamental Four food groups we teach our clients at Vitality Nutrition.

• PROTEIN: from the chicken (or tofu if you prefer!)
• FAT: from the coconut milk
• VOLUME: from the peppers, pumpkin, carrots, and spinach
• FIBRE-FILLED CARB: from brown rice
• FREEBIES: thai red curry paste and soy sauce

Simple, effective, and delicious!

I WANNA KNOW!

Did you try this recipe? Comment below! Snap a photo and tag me on Instagram so I can see your creation!