Turkey Curry with Butternut Squash

by Nick Pfaff

I love curry. But I especially enjoy massaman curry, which is generally made with potatoes, carrots, onions, coconut milk, and peanuts. With its big chunks of vegetables, and its hearty and aromatic sauce, it’s an amazingly comforting meal on a cold, wet Oregon evening. I usually make curry with chicken, or sometimes as a vegetarian dish. After the holidays I always end up with an abundance of turkey, and it’s so easy to replace any chicken recipe with some of the turkey you have leftover from Christmas or Thanksgiving. Plus it’s one less thing you have to cook.  Just add the pre-cooked turkey in the last 15-20 minutes, allowing the turkey to heat up in the robust curry sauce.  You can easily substitute the pureed butternut squash with leftover pureed pumpkin.  Serve hot over jasmine rice.

Turkey Curry with Butternut Squash - serves 4

1 butternut squash pureed
½ tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. peanut oil, or vegetable oil
3 yellow potatoes (Yukon gold)
2 cups carrots, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp. yellow curry powder
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup coconut milk
2 cups pre-cooked turkey meat
Chopped mint for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1.  Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.  Remove stem from squash and cut squash in half.  Remove seeds, sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  Place in the oven and roast for an hour or until tender enough to puree.  Scoop out meat of the squash and place in food processor.  Puree using the coconut milk.

2.  While squash is cooking cut potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic. 
3.  Place potatoes in a small saucepan and cover with cold water.  Place on medium high heat and cook until potatoes are ¾ of the way done.  Drain, place on a plate, and allow to cool in the refrigerator. 

4.  Heat oil in a large saute pan on medium heat.  Add carrots and onions.  Saute for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and saute for an additional minute.  Sprinkle curry powder over vegetables, and add chicken stock.  Stir to blend curry powder.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low.  Add potatoes, pureed squash, and turkey to pan.  Allow to simmer until all vegetables are fully cooked.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

5.  Serve hot over rice with chopped fresh mint for garnish.

Nick Pfaff is a proud native of  Oregon. He enjoys cooking, eating, and drinking all the wonderful things the Northwest has to offer.