Was I the one who just said she wasn’t quite on the pumpkin train yet? Well, I made an exception for Trader Joe’s Spicy Pumpkin Curry Simmer Sauce. Yesterday, it was finally cool enough to even think about fall food. Granted, it was because we’ve been under a blanket of wildfire smoke this weekend. Seriously, your lungs feel like you scraped them on a cheese grater.
Anyway, the jar tells you to make 1/2 a pound of protein and 3/4 cup of vegetables (which I’m betting they meant peas?), but I went all in. One pound of boneless skinless chicken breast, a small bunch of rainbow chard, chopped into 1 inch ribbons, and a full jar of sauce. Because it wasn’t actually spicy to me, I also added half a serrano chile. I’m a medium spicy person and could have added more, or even a little cayenne. YMMV.
I usually use Maya Kaimal simmer sauces (the coconut curry in the big tub at Costco is a fave) but this one sounded so good, we went ahead and gave it a shot. I gave the chicken a head start in a large non-stick skillet and sautéed it until it was no longer pink. I didn’t use oil, but obviously if you need it, go ahead.
Stirred in the jar of sauce, added the chile, and brought it to a boil. Reduced the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Then I added the chard and let it wilt for another 5 minutes. Stirring occasionally. I ended up using the whole small bunch because it cooks down so much and I like a lot of veg. Spinach would be great, too, probably two bags.
Trader Joe’s Spicy Pumpkin Curry Simmer Sauce got a thumbs up at our house. A squeeze of lime over the top might also be good. I served it with basmati rice cooked with onions, cumin seeds, black cardamom, cloves and a cinnamon stick. We haven’t had TJ’s frozen naan in months up in the Pacific Northwest, but that would have been on the table, too.
If you’re feeding more than two, you’ll probably want to pick up two jars. This basically fed two of us with a small amount of leftovers, maybe enough for one light lunch.
If you’re vegetarian, I can see extra firm tofu, paneer, or even just cauliflower florets working great with the sauce.
Check out some other We Tried’s from Trader Joe’s:
Jalapeño Seasoned Corn and Rice Puffs
Pork and Ginger Soup Dumplings
Cauliflower and Butternut Squash Risotto
