Cozy Pumpkin Curry

I love a curry on a cool evening. The spices are so incredibly warming and the sauce is perfect for sopping up with a delicious naan. To celebrate that love of curry and my obsession with Autumn, this autumnal curry dish is built out with pumpkin puree. The pumpkin adds an extra layer of earthy, sweetness to this dish and screams “ready for fall”. I am very much looking forward to making this curry dish all season long!

Tips For Making This Pumpkin Tikka Masala with Chicken Recipe

If you plan on making this autumn curry, here are a few tips to make it extra delicious:

• When shopping for ginger paste, look in the frozen aisle of your grocery store.  I love to stock up on frozen ginger as I can use as little or much as I need without worrying about it going to waste in the fridge.
• Be sure to grab pure pumpkin puree instead of pumpkin pie filling. The pumpkin pie filling will have sugar and spices added that you won’t necessarily want in this dish.
• When marinating chicken in yogurt, only use glass or stainless steel bowls to hold the ingredients. If you use a plastic bowl, the acid in the greek yogurt can start to subtly dissolve the plastic, leaving you with a bowl that’s rough looking on the inside and much more difficult to clean.

Recipe Details

Step 1: Start with marinating the chicken in greek yogurt

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Add yogurt, warming tikka masala spices, and cubed chicken breasts into a glass, ceramic, or stainless steel bowl (I love these glass ones with lids or this stainless steel one – both affiliate links). Mix to coat the chicken in the yogurt and spices, cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

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Step 2: Begin Making the Pumpkin Tikka Masala

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In a dutch oven, like this 5.5 quart Le Creuset (affiliate link), you’ll melt unsalted butter over medium-low heat.  Sweat two yellow onions in the butter until they’re really soft and translucent, about 10-12 minutes. At this point, you’ll up the heat to medium, add loads of warming spices and tomato paste. Let the spices become really fragrant and the tomato paste become a shade darker before adding the rest of the ingredients

Step 3: Add the Chicken and Build Out the Sauce

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Add the yogurt-marinated chicken to the dutch oven and let cook until the edges of the chicken are white and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin puree and coconut milk to create the autumn curry sauce. Stir to mix everything together and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes or so until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly.

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Step 4: Finish and Serve

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Once the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, take the dutch oven off the heat and stir in fresh, chopped cilantro leaves. The cilantro adds a delicious freshness to the dish and the color is so beautiful!  

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Divide the chicken pumpkin curry into 4 bowls with basmati rice and serve with naan. For leftovers, you can divide the servings into individual bowls with the rice into air-tight containers and refrigerate.  Eat any leftovers within 3 days of cooking and reheat in the microwave or on the stove top with a splash of water.

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If you like the sound of this autumn curry recipe, you should also check out these warming meals:

• Butternut Squash Alfredo Pasta with Rosemary Pancetta
• Pumpkin “Cheese” and Cauliflower
• Apple and Almond Stuffed Pork Chops

Be sure to tag @laura.loves.to.cook on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook to let me know how your recipes turn out. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Print Recipe

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Pumpkin Chicken Tikka Masala

Author: Laura Wilkins Cooking Method: Simmered Cuisine: Indian Courses: Main Course

Difficulty: Intermediate Prep Time 20 mins Cook Time 30 mins Rest Time 30 mins Total Time 1 hr 20 mins

Servings: 4

Best Season: Fall

Dietary:

G Gluten Free

Description

A cozy meal perfect for the autumnal season, this chicken curry recipe is cooked in a pumpkin tikka masala sauce. It’s a warming, sweet, earthy, and slightly spicy autumn curry made for delicious nights in.

Ingredients

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

Yogurt Marinated Chicken

• 2 lb chicken breast, cubed into 1½ inch pieces
• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp salt

Pumpkin Tikka Masala

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp coriander
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp salt
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 15 oz pumpkin puree
• 13.5 oz coconut milk
• ¹⁄₂ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• Basmati rice and naan for serving

Instructions

Marinate the Chicken

1. In a large glass, ceramic, or stainless steel bowl, add the greek yogurt, garlic powder, ground ginger, garam masala, ground turmeric and salt. Mix until evenly combined.

2. Add the cubed chicken to the yogurt mixture and stir to evenly coat the chicken.

3. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours.

Prepare the Pumpkin Tikka Masala

1. In a large, heavy bottomed dutch oven, melt the unsalted butter on medium-low heat.

2. Add the chopped yellow onions and sweat in the pot until softened and translucent, about 10-12 minutes.

3. Turn the heat up to medium and add the ginger paste, garam masala, cumin powder, ground turmeric, coriander, tomato paste, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes to the dutch oven. Stir to mix. Cook until the spices are fragrant and the tomato paste begins to deepen in color, about 2-3 minutes.

4. Add the yogurt-marinated chicken to the dutch oven and toss with with the onions and spices. Let cook until the chicken is cooked around the edges, about 4-5 minutes.

5. Add the pumpkin puree and coconut milk to the pan, stir to combine and let bring to a simmer. Let simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.

Finish the Pumpkin Tikka Masala and Serve

1. Once the chicken is cooked, take the pot off the heat. Stir in the chopped fresh cilantro.

2. Divide the pumpkin chicken tikka masala among four bowls, with basmati rice and naan on the side. Enjoy!