Lightened-Up Butternut Squash Curry + Forbidden Black Rice
Is there still time to cram in a few more healthy January recipes?
Good, because I’ve got one today that I’m hoping you’l love. I don’t make Indian food nearly as often as I should. I thoroughly enjoy all the flavors involved in curries but the reason I don’t add these recipes to the menu too often is because not everyone in my house likes them like I do.
Hey, that’s fine with me by the way, as a foodie I’ve accepting taking the teasing I sometimes get from my family about some of the strange foods I love. For example, I love brussels sprouts. I know it’s not everyone’s favorite, but I don’t care. I’ll just be over here shamelessly chowing on my sprouts and the haters can go eat a biscuit. Haha, I’m kidding (mostly).
Anyway, this was one of the rare times when I just really needed to make a curry so I went for it. I also decided to serve it with some of my beloved black rice. Would you believe me if I told you this black rice is from the same very small bag I used the last time I shared a recipe using black rice?
I’m guessing it must seem like if it’s made its way onto the blog I must make it a lot, but honestly it’s not very common for me. I just happen to love how it looks and whenever I do cook it I can’t help adding it to a photo of something. Although, I do love the taste and texture as well. It’s a very nutty rice with a great bite to it. If you haven’t tried it I’d recommend it.
If you’re familiar with Thai and Indian cuisine at all you might know that they use quite a bit of coconut milk and sometimes nut butters. While I absolutely will not be giving up these things anytime ever, I realize they’re not exactly on the light side so I thought it would be nice to make a lighter version to show how it can be done without sacrificing flavor.
Oh, and lastly, I was keeping this pretty much as light as possible by using powdered peanut butter
Lightened-Up Butternut Squash Curry + Forbidden Black Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil divided
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger minced
- 2 1/2 cups 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced into cubes
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 1/2 tablespoons powdered peanut butter *see note
- 1 14 ounce can light coconut milk (**see note)
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar optional
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 15 oz. can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 4 servings forbidden black rice cooked according to package instructions
- steamed vegetables for serving such as broccolini (optional)
Instructions
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Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large, high-sided skillet and cook chopped onions, garlic, ginger, and cilantro over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
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When the onions are tender add the curry paste, squash, turmeric, and garam masala, coconut milk, water, chickpeas, and salt and pepper to taste. Increase heat until it comes to a boil then reduce to simmer and cook for 20 - 25 minutes covered, stirring often and adding a few splashes of water if it gets too dry during this time.
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After it has simmered, remove lid and simmer a few minutes longer until thickened. Lastly, stir in the powdered (or regular) peanut butter.
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Serve hot with warm black rice and hot broccolini if desired.
Recipe Notes
*For the lightest version of the recipe you can purchase powdered peanut butter online or possibly at your local grocery or health store. However if you prefer a slightly creamier curry I recommend using real peanut butter here. **You can also purchase lite coconut milk online or in stores but, again, for a creamier curry use full-fat.
