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turkey coconut milk curry in a bowl with a spoon in it.
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4.87 from 15 votes

Creamy Turkey Coconut Milk Curry

Enjoy this tasty turkey coconut milk curry! It features tender turkey and sweet pumpkin in a creamy coconut sauce - a perfect blend of comforting flavors.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 432kcal
Author: Adina

Equipment

  • Large deep skillet or Dutch oven

Ingredients

  • 1 small butternut squash or Hokkaido pumpkin 1.5 lbs/ 700 g Note 1
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1.5 lbs turkey breast 700 g
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 dried chili or ½ teaspoon red chili flakes or to taste, Note 2
  • 1 piece of ginger about the size of a walnut
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 red peppers bell or red pointed peppers
  • 1 cup chicken stock 250 ml
  • 1 can coconut milk 14 oz/ 400 ml
  • 1 bunch green onions
  • cilantro or parsley
  • fine sea salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch optional, Note 3

Instructions

  • Pumpkin: If using butternut squash, peel it. Hokkaido pumpkin doesn’t need peeling. Process or finely grate 7 oz/ 200 g of the pumpkin or squash. Cut the remaining pumpkin into cubes.
    1 small butternut squash or Hokkaido pumpkin
  • Turkey: Cut the turkey breast into cubes. Both pumpkin and turkey cubes should be of similar size. Vegetables: Mince the garlic cloves, chili, and ginger. Cut the peppers into small cubes and chop the green onions. Keep the ingredients separated as they have different cooking times.
    1.5 lbs turkey breast + 2 garlic cloves + 1 dried chili + 1 piece of ginger + 2 red peppers + 1 bunch green onions
  • Sear turkey: Heat the oil. Sear the turkey breast cubes on medium-high heat in several batches. Don't overcrowd the pan; otherwise, the meat will steam in its juices instead of being seared.
  • Simmer turkey curry: Return all the meat to the pan, add salt, garlic, ginger, chili, and turmeric, and let it cook for about 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the bell peppers, ground pumpkin, chicken stock, and coconut milk, bring to a boil, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the pumpkin cubes and the meat are tender.
    1 teaspoon turmeric + 1 cup chicken stock + 1 can coconut milk
  • Add the chopped green onions and cook for another 2 minutes. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper and scatter the cilantro over.
    cilantro + fine sea salt and ground black pepper
  • Thicken the curry if desired. Mix cornstarch with 1-2 tablespoons of cold water. Whisk the slurry into the simmering curry and let it bubble for about 1 minute until the sauce thickens slightly.
    1 tablespoon cornstarch

Notes

  1. Butternut squash or pumpkin: I use butternut squash or Hokkaido pumpkin interchangeably in this recipe. They have a slightly different texture (Hokkaido is creamier) and flavor (both delicious), but we love both versions.
  2. Heat: Use chili or red chili flakes to taste. ½ teaspoon red chili flakes yield a moderately hot curry, but I find it depends on your brand; some are hotter than others.
  3. Cornstarch for thickening the sauce: I noticed I only have to thicken the sauce when I am using light coconut milk. But if you would like a thicker sauce anyway, thicken it with cornstarch.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the dish | Calories: 432kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 534mg | Potassium: 1015mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 13714IU | Vitamin C: 77mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 5mg