Sometimes, living with a man can be frustrating.
Like yesterday, when I re-made this recipe for the blog, after having tested it a few days before.
Being the newly-organized person I am (cc: New Year’s resolutions), I made sure to order extra Greek yogurt for this recipe.
In the final steps, when I went to grab the yogurt from the fridge to fold into the perfectly simmered sauce, that’s when I realized: Lu had eaten all the Greek yogurt.
Now, let me preface this story by saying that Lu never eats Greek yogurt on his own. I’ll make an after-dinner dessert with Greek yo, bananas, blueberries, strawberries and gluten-free granola and offer to make him one and he’ll always say, “No, it’s okay,” which I know means, “I don’t want to eat a whole bowl, but I’ll have some of yours – and probably eat more of it than you do.”
Thus, I didn’t think he would open the yogurt himself. Well, I was proven wrong.
It’s okay, he didn’t know. It’s funny, because Lu typically doesn’t go into the refrigerator, unless it’s to get the following: fruit, hummus, carrots, olives, almond milk or, Inspiralized recipe testing leftovers.
He’s more of a pantry guy (popcorn, mango slices, nuts, almond butter, etc.)
Anyway, I wanted to add something creamy to this recipe so that when I photographed it, it looked true to the recipe. Unfortunately, all I had was ricotta cheese – which tasted delicious, but made the sauce grainy (as you can see in these pictures.)
So, when you make yours, the sauce will be creamier, not so coagulated-looking. It will be perfect, as long as your roommate doesn’t polish off the last of the Greek yogurt.
Men!
But honestly, this spiralized twist on a classic Indian dish is amazing – the sweetness in the butternut squash complements the strong flavors of the spices. Actually, my inspiration for this recipe was from this Indian butternut squash curry I had in London, when I was there on a work trip a few years ago (in my previous, non-Inspiralized life.)
The chicken adds a lean protein to this meal, but if you’re vegetarian – try tofu or even some paneer cheese! Once you’ve got the sauce down, you can add it on anything (even some spiralized rice!)
Do you like Indian food? Do you have any classics you’d like to see me Inspiralize?
Nutritional Information & Recipe
Chicken Tikka Masala with Butternut Squash Fettucine
Ingredients
- For the pasta:
- 1 large butternut squash or 2 medium, peeled, Blade B, noodles trimmed
- olive oil cooking spray
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- For the tikka masala:
- 1 tablespoon virgin unrefined coconut oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
- 1 cup diced white onion
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
- 1½ teaspoons garam masala
- 1½ teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt to taste
- 1.5 cups canned tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 ½ tablespoons chopped cilantro
- For the chicken:
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts cut into thin strips or 1” cubes
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out the butternut squash noodles. Spray with cooking spray and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Roast for 8-10 minutes or until al dente.
- In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. When the heats, add in the onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until onion turns translucent. Add in the garam masala, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and add the tomato puree and lemon juice to the saucepan. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook at a simmer for about 10 minutes for the flavors to develop.
- Once the sauce is simmering, cook the chicken: in a large skillet, add in the olive oil. Once oil heats, add in the chicken, season with salt and pepper and then cover to quick cookly, 5-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Once sauce is done, remove from heat, stir in the Greek yogurt and cilantro and then add in the chicken. Stir to combine.
- Divide the butternut squash noodles into bowls and top with chicken tikka masala.
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