Description

Another wonderful idea from Half Baked Harvest! I adjusted the seasonings a titch and she leaves a lot of room in the recipe for extra spice. Do as you please and if you have done some prep this is a lot quicker and easier than you’d think – enjoy!

Ingredients

Scale

For the chicken;

2+ lbs. chicken breasts (or thighs), trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt AND 1 T. brown sugar

2 t. EACH garam masala AND cumin

1 t. EACH paprika AND turmeric

1 T. kosher salt AND 1 t. freshly ground black pepper AND cayenne pepper to taste (I didn’t use any this first go)

2 T. EACH olive oil AND butter for cooking

For the rest;

2 T. EACH olive oil AND butter

1 large onion, diced AND 2+ c. butternut squash in small cubes (1 cm-ish)

6 cloves of garlic, minced AND 2 T. grated fresh ginger AND 1 T. garam masala

1 t. EACH cumin, paprika AND turmeric (and more cayenne is you wish!)

chili flakes to taste – I tossed in a couple of shakes

1 can (156 mL) tomato paste

1 large can (540 mL) coconut cream (or coconut milk) + 1/2 c. water used to rinse the can

1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

In a large (glass) bowl, toss together all of the chicken ingredients until well combined and then cover and refrigerate for half an hour or even overnight.

When you’re ready to cook, heat up the 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add in all of the chicken mix, and cook and stir for several minutes until the chicken starts to brown, then stir in the butter, tossing to coat. Turn off the burner and remove the chicken to a new plate or bowl.

Using the same skillet and whatever saucy bits are left in it, turn the heat back to medium-high, add the remaining olive oil and butter, then the chopped onion and cubed squash. Cook for about 5 minutes until the squash has started to soften (stabbing with a fork is the easiest way to tell), then add in the garlic, ginger and remaining spices and cook and stir for another couple of minutes until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another few minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and carefully pour in the coconut cream, then rinse the can and add that water too – at this point you should be able to tell if it’s saucy enough for you, add more coconut cream or coconut milk or water as needed. Stir well and bring it all to a simmer. When you’re ready to eat, stir in the cilantro and serve in big bowls over rice – naan would also be a beautiful addition!