Mild coconut chicken & pumpkin

Name: Mild coconut chicken & pumpkin
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Coconut comfort, no chilli
Ingredients: 350 g boneless skinless chicken, cut into 2 cm pieces; 300 g pumpkin, peeled and diced; 1 carrot (80 g), peeled and thinly sliced; 200 ml coconut milk; 200 ml water; 1 teaspoon neutral oil; 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric, optional

Coconut comfort, no chilli · Coconut comfort, no chilli

Mild coconut chicken & pumpkin

Tender chicken and pumpkin in a lightly spiced coconut sauce. Start without the optional spices if your child prefers a very mild aroma.

10 minPreparation

25 minCooking

35 minTotal time

4Servings

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MyAutismHub · 4 September 2026
Separate components · Portions are a guide; appetite and needs vary.

Illustration of mild coconut chicken & pumpkin — AI-generated serving illustration

For 4 servings

What you’ll need

350 g boneless skinless chicken, cut into 2 cm pieces
300 g pumpkin, peeled and diced
1 carrot (80 g), peeled and thinly sliced
200 ml coconut milk
200 ml water
1 teaspoon neutral oil
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric, optional

Allergens
Contains coconut, which can cause allergy. Check coconut milk ingredients and cross-contact.

One step at a time

Let’s make it

Heat the oil in a saucepan and stir the chicken for 3 minutes; it does not need to brown.
Add pumpkin, carrot, coconut milk, water and optional turmeric. Bring to a simmer.
Cover and simmer gently for 18–22 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and the chicken reaches 75°C in the thickest piece.
Shred or cut the chicken as needed. Serve with a familiar starch and cool the child's portion to a comfortable temperature.

Preparation and cooking times are estimates. Use the doneness checks in the method.

Make the texture work

Offer sauce, chicken and vegetables separately. Reduce mixed textures by mashing pumpkin into the sauce only if your child welcomes that change.

Season it properly

Taste before adding salt. Keep pepper, chilli and strong sauces as optional adult table add-ons.

Simple swaps

Use sweet potato instead of pumpkin. This recipe deliberately omits chilli; adults can season their own portions at the table.

Keep it safely

Refrigerate within 2 hours; use within 48 hours or freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat once until steaming hot, stirring the sauce well.

Food education

What the ingredients bring

These are practical food-group notes, not a laboratory nutrition analysis. Portions and brands change the numbers.

Provides a mix of protein or energy foods, plus vitamins and minerals from its vegetables, fruit or grains.

Before serving: supervise eating and adapt size and texture to your child’s chewing skills. These are ordinary family recipes, not a treatment for autism or a prescribed swallowing diet.

Mild coconut chicken & pumpkin

Mild coconut chicken & pumpkin

What you’ll need

Let’s make it

Make the texture work

Season it properly

Simple swaps

Keep it safely

What the ingredients bring

Something for next time

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