This curry butternut squash with turkey, spinach and hominy is an elegantly spiced, gluten-free, one-pan meal that takes only 45 minutes to make!
If you’ve never used hominy in your cooking before, you’ll love it! It’s a plump, chewy kernel of white corn that’s been dried and soaked in a mineral lime bath. It has a mild flavor and is traditionally used in Mexican cooking, but I thought it would add the perfect texture to this Indian-spiced meal!
Hominy doesn’t just add a great flavor and texture to this tasty meal, it’s very nutritious! It’s rich in B vitamins, full of fiber, low on calories, low on sugar, it’s gluten-free and has almost no fat!
How to Make This Recipe – Step by Step
1. Chop 1 medium butternut squash into small-medium size cubes, (discard the hard skin).
2. Chop 1 medium red onion into chunky slices.
3. Mince 4 garlic cloves.
4. Open a 13 oz. can of white hominy and pour out juices. Once drained set aside.
5. Thaw and drain a 10 oz. package of frozen, chopped spinach. Squeeze out moisture. Set aside.
6. In a bowl, combine ½ tsp. cardamom, 2 tsp. curry, ½ tsp. ground nutmeg, 2 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. flour, ½ tsp. cayenne pepper, 1 tsp. sea salt, and ½ tsp. black pepper.
7. Over a MEDIUM flame, add sliced butternut squash to a skillet with 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Sauté squash until lightly brown – about 5 minutes. Then, add diced onions. Cook together until squash is tender, about 5 more minutes.
8. Gently mash the butternut squash. Allow it to stay a bit chunky. You only want to break it up a tiny bit.
9. Push the squash and onions to one side of the pan, add a drizzle of olive oil to the empty side and brown minced garlic for 1-3 minutes.
10. Once garlic is brown, add 1 pound ground turkey and chop it gently into the mixture. Brown for about 5 minutes. Add and stir in mixed spices.
11. Add spinach and hominy. Gently mix into your spiced turkey and vegetables.
12. Add 3½ cups chicken stock to the pan, raise the temperature to HIGH and stir. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, and serve.
Common Questions
I used a Moroccan-style curry called Ras El Hanout (which translates to “top of the shop,” implying a mixture of the best spices a shop has to offer), but any kind of Indian, Caribbean or Thai curry will do!
The measurements for this recipe should be perfect for most curries, but if you know yours is either on the strong or weak side, take it into account when adding, especially if it’s on the strong side. Add just a little at a time when you’re mixing in your spices and taste.
You can serve it on top of rice or served with a fluffy piece of Naan bread. But if you’re looking to cut back on the carbs, you can certainly eat it just as it comes, like a stew. Personally, I just put it in a bowl and eat it with a big soup spoon!
The spiciness of this recipe is on the “hot” side, so if you want to pull back on the cayenne pepper, go right ahead. Personally, though, I like to add a whole tablespoon of hot sauce to spice it up even more, but to each their own.
Yes. Simply store it in a container with a lid in the fridge for at least a week and a half, or freeze it. It thaws perfectly, and just as deliciously as if you just made it. Reheat in a sauce pan for 4-5 minutes, or microwave for 2-3 minutes.
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Curry Butternut Squash with Turkey, Spinach and Hominy
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash – chopped into cubes
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 13 oz. can of white hominy (pozole)
- 2½ tbsp. olive oil
- 10 oz. package frozen, chopped spinach – thawed, drained and squeezed
- 4 large garlic cloves – minced
- 1 medium red onion – chopped
- 3½ cups chicken stock
- 1 tsp. flour
- ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. nutmeg – ground
- 2 tsp. curry
- ½ tsp. cardamom – ground
- 1 tsp. sea salt – or kosher salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare ingredients. Chop 1 medium red onion into chunky slices. Mince 4 garlic cloves. Thaw and drain a 10 oz. package of frozen, chopped spinach. Squeeze out moisture. Open a 13 oz. can of white hominy and pour out juices. Once drained set aside.
- In a bowl, combine ½ tsp. cardamom, 2 tsp. curry, ½ tsp. ground nutmeg, 2 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. flour, ½ tsp. cayenne pepper, 1 tsp. sea salt, and ½ tsp. black pepper.
- In a bowl, combine ½ tsp. cardamom, 2 tsp. curry, ½ tsp. ground nutmeg, 2 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. flour, ½ tsp. cayenne pepper, 1 tsp. sea salt, and ½ tsp. black pepper.
- Over a MEDIUM flame, add sliced butternut squash to a skillet with 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Sauté squash until lightly brown – about 5 minutes. Then, add diced onions. Cook together until squash is tender, about 5 more minutes.
- Gently mash the butternut squash. Allow it to stay a bit chunky. You only want to break it up a tiny bit. Push the squash and onions to one side of the pan, add a drizzle of olive oil to the empty side and brown minced garlic for 1-3 minutes.
- Once garlic is brown, add 1 pound ground turkey and chop it gently into the mixture. Brown for about 5 minutes. Add and stir in mixed spices. Add spinach and hominy. Gently mix into your spiced turkey and vegetables.
- Add 3½ cups chicken stock to the pan, raise the temperature to HIGH and stir. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, and serve.
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