Pumpkin/Butternut Squash Butter Chicken

This curry was so delicious! This recipe is made with either butternut squash chunks or pumpkin puree. I made it both ways and both ways were delicious. The first pic, above, is with canned pumpkin puree. The second pic is with no pumpkin puree, and I used butternut squash chunks instead. (I used the same amount of chicken in both.) The squash/pumpkin added a delicious hint of sweetness to the curry. In the version with the puree, it also thickened the sauce very nicely. 

Pumpkin/Butternut Squash Butter Chicken

adapted from Closet Cooking

For the chicken marinade:
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon garlic, grated/minced
1 tablespoon ginger, grated/minced (I used purchashed ginger/garlic paste here)
1 tablespoon garam masala 
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite sized pieces

For the butter chicken:
2 tablespoons butter or ghee
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, grated/minced
1 tablespoon ginger, grated/minced  (I used purchashed ginger/garlic paste here)
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth 
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk (or 1 cup heavy/whipping cream)
2 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed OR 1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
2 tablespoons butter
salt to taste

1.  For the chicken marinade: Marinate the chicken in the mixture of the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, garam masala, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, and salt for 20 minutes to overnight.

2.  For the butter chicken: Melt the butter in a large pan (or saucepan) over medium heat, and cook the onion and chicken, about 10 minutes. (I included all the marinade and just cooked it with the chicken here.) Add the garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, coriander, and tomato paste, mix, and cook until fragrant, about a minute.

3.  Add the broth, coconut milk OR cream, and butter nut squash (OR pumpkin puree), bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the squash/chicken is tender, about 15-20 minutes. Add the fenugreek leaves and butter, mix, season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

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