Butternut squash curry with chickpeas

This recipe was a bit of a surprise! I had a squash that needed to be used up so I thought I’d try this vegetarian recipe and add some chicken breast. I added a healthy tsp of Thai red curry paste and it turned out to be a little on the spicy side when I tried it before serving it up for my 3 year old and 19 month old. I added a good dollop of greek yoghurt to calm it down and crossed my fingers. Neither batted an eyelid, not even my 3 year old who can definitely be the fussier of the two. So, the key is, only add a small tsp of red thai curry paste and serve with greek yoghurt for the kids! All in all, another good recipe to russle up for the kids and heat through later for the adults. This recipe is not recommended for freezing as the coconut milk may curdle when you re-heat.

Serves 4 adults / or 2 adults and 4 kiddie portions.

Ingredients

1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 small tsp of red thai curry paste
(if you want to) 2 boneless chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces
2 onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 cardamom pods
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 butternut squash, chopped into small bite size pieces
250ml low salt vegetable stock
1 beef stock cube
400g coconut milk
400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 lime
handful of mint leaves

Instructions

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan or wok, then gently fry the curry paste with the onions, cardamom and mustard seeds for 2 – 3 minutes until fragrant.
(If you are adding, add the chicken and coat in the paste).
Stir in the butternut squash and coat in the paste and then add the stock and coconut milk. Bring everthing to a simmer, add the chickpeas, then cook for 15 minutes until the squash is tender and the chicken is cooked.
For the kids, when serving, stir through a dollop of greek yoghurt if you think it needs it, and squeeze a little lime juice, and tear over the mint leaves for a bit of decoration!
As above for the adults, but you don’t have to worry about the yoghurt!
Serve with rice and/or warm naan breads.