Pumpkin and chicken curry with cashews
This pumpkin chicken curry with cashews is the perfect winter warmer for cold nights. You can easily substitute the chicken for chickpeas (or another protein of your choice) to make this dish vegetarian. Chickpeas are my go-to vegetarian protein in curries because one cup provides around 23% of your daily intake of protein. In addition, the nuts can also be left out if so desired.
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 500g Chicken Thigh Fillets quartered & skin removed
- 200ml water
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp Garam Masala
- 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and chopped finely
- 400ml unsweetened coconut milk
- 500g pumpkin (weighed without skin and seeds and stringy insides removed)
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 150g cashews (unsalted), roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water to make a paste (use almond flour if preferred)
- 6 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
- Seasoning: salt & pepper
Serve with brown rice or quinoa
Method:
- Gently heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and cook the onion until it starts to soften, being careful not to burn it (this will take about 5 minutes).
- Add the chicken if you’re using it, followed by the garlic and ginger. Cook until the chicken turns white.
- Add the rest of the spices and chilli and stir.
- Add 4 tbsp of water, and stir for 2 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk and the rest of the water.
- Add in the pumpkin and nuts and leave to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
- When the chicken is cooked all the way through and the pumpkin is soft, stir in the cornflour or almond flour.
- Let is simmer and thicken, then add the coriander.
- Serve with short grain brown rice or as desired.