A simple 30-minute vegetable curry that is loaded with pumpkin, Thai flavors, spinach, chickpeas, and peppers. You'll love how fragrant, nutritious and spicy this Thai Red Curry Pumpkin is!
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Pumpkin Curry
Let me show you how easy it is to make this curry from scratch, with healthy ingredients, and just 30 minutes.
If you like pumpkin recipes be sure to check out these delicious meals too: pumpkin hummus, pumpkin caramel next.
Ingredients
- Pumpkin - Pick one with deep orange flesh and a sweet flavor, like Muscade de Provence if available. Butternut squash is a great alternative for curries and stews. Choose firm-fleshed varieties that hold their shape and cut them into even, medium-small pieces for quick, even cooking (around 30 minutes).
- Full-fat coconut milk - This is my go-to for creating a rich, creamy curry sauce. Regular coconut milk works too, but the full-fat version takes it to the next level of lusciousness.
- Chicken or vegetable stock - Adds a lovely depth of flavor, but if you're out, warm water works just fine. Bouillon cubes are a handy alternative, and I use them often in a pinch!
- Chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) - Canned or cooked-from-dry both work great. I usually go for two 15 oz cans for a hearty, thick curry, but when I want something lighter, I'll stick with just one can. It's all about the mood that day!
- Red curry paste - The ultimate flavor bomb! Start with two tablespoons and adjust to your spice preference-I went for four this time, and it was perfect.
- Peppers - I love mixing sweet bell peppers with some red hot varieties like serrano peppers for that extra kick. Just don't forget to remove the seeds unless you're a spice enthusiast!
- Lime juice - Two heaping tablespoons are a must for balancing the flavors, but if you're unsure, start with one and add more as you taste. Lime juice really brings everything to life!
- Ginger - I add generous slices of fresh ginger for a classic Thai touch. I like to leave the slices in the curry for a bold, intense flavor (but remember, they're not meant to be eaten!). If you're not a fan of big ginger pieces, finely grating it works beautifully too.
- Fish sauce - Just a few spoons of fish sauce (or gluten-free soy sauce if you prefer) will work magic in enhancing the umami flavors of your curry. Trust me, it's a game-changer!
📋 You can find the full ingredient list in the Recipe Card below the article.
Tips
- Make-ahead tips - during pumpkin season, get a bunch of different types of veggies and freeze the raw diced pumpkin in a container to use later. This way, you'll have frozen pumpkin available for many months to come and enjoy a cozy bowl of pumpkin soup or vegetable curry anytime your heart desires.
- For a more authentic Thai-style dish use one or two lemongrass stalks instead of lime. Add whole stalks into the pot to simmer, about when adding the broth. After the curry is ready, remove the stalks and ginger before serving, or keep it in the pot for a stronger flavor. Both ginger and lemongrass should not be eaten but are here for added flavor.
- Ginger - for some people, the amount can be too much to handle because ginger has a totally different ''spicy kick''. Start with little or add only about 1 thicker-ish slice of ginger if not sure. I warned you!
Easy Curry Recipes
- Butter Chicken Masala
- Dhal
- Cabbage Curry
- Slow Cooker Massaman Curry
- Chickpea Coconut Curry
- Thai Red Curry Chicken Noodles
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Recipe Card
Thai Pumpkin Curry
Ingredients
Method
- In a medium-sized skillet heat vegetable oil over medium heat and saute bell pepper strips until softened, stir in the chopped hot peppers as well, and saute for a few minutes more. Set aside.
- In a heavy bottom pot, over medium heat, add vegetable oil, and once the oil is hot saute onions, spices. Saute until onions soften and follow with garlic.
- Once the garlic is fragrant (1-2 minutes) add the red curry paste and stir for a minute. Follow with pumpkin, making sure to coat it with the onion and spices, season with salt and pepper. Saute for 5-10 minutes after that throw in the earlier sauteed peppers. Mix until combined. Add the ginger, bay leaves, fish sauce, lime juice and pour in the broth, coconut milk. Simmer until the pumpkin becomes soft, adjusting the heat accordingly.
- Once softened, take out about 1 cup of pumpkin, puree with an immersion blender and return to the pot (or do this directly in the pot if well experienced). You can decide on how smooth or not you want this to be.
- Finally, add the spinach, cilantro, and chickpeas last, stir to combine and simmer for 2-5 minutes. Taste and add more seasonings if needed.
- Remove from heat, cover with a lid and let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- Make-ahead tips - during pumpkin season, get a bunch of different types of veggie and freeze the raw diced pumpkin in a container to use later. This way you'll have pumpkin available for many months to come and enjoy a cozy bowl of pumpkin soup or vegetable curry anytime your heart desires.
- For a more authentic Thai-style dish use one or two stalks of lemongrass instead of lime. Add whole stalks into the pot to simmer, about the time when adding the broth. After curry is ready, remove the stalks along with ginger before serving or keep it in the pot for a stronger flavor. Both ginger and lemongrass should not be eaten but are here for added flavor.
- Ginger - for some people, the amount can be too much to handle because ginger has a totally different "spicy kick". Start with little or add only about 1 thicker-ish slice of ginger if not sure. I warned you!
- Can I freeze pumpkin curry? You definitely can freeze pumpkin curry and basically any curry that doesn't have dairy in it. That being said, it doesn't mean you can't freeze creamy sauces/soups, just the texture may be slightly grainier than usual after defrosting. The flavor is different as well. Pumpkin curry will freeze well in a freezer-friendly sealable bag or container and when ready to use, thaw the curry in the fridge overnight or at room temperature until completely defrosted. However, in this particular pumpkin curry recipe, make sure to puree the 1 cup mentioned until very smooth otherwise the texture may not end up very good after thawing and will be too grainy as well. Anyway, I always recommend consuming any meals within 1-2 days of preparation.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
Instructions
In a medium-sized skillet heat vegetable oil over medium heat and saute bell pepper strips until softened, stir in the chopped hot peppers as well, and saute for a few minutes more. Set aside.
In a heavy bottom pot, over medium heat, add vegetable oil, and once the oil is hot saute onions, spices.
Saute until onions soften and follow with garlic.
Once the garlic is fragrant (1-2 minutes) add the red curry paste and stir for a minute.
Follow with pumpkin, making sure to coat it with the onion and spices, season with salt and pepper.
Saute for 5-10 minutes after that throw in the earlier sauteed peppers.
Mix until combined. Add the ginger, bay leaves, fish sauce, lime juice and pour in the broth, coconut milk.
Simmer until the pumpkin becomes soft, adjusting the heat accordingly.
Once softened, take out about 1 cup of pumpkin, puree with an immersion blender and return to the pot (or do this directly in the pot if well experienced).
You can decide on how smooth or not you want this to be.
Finally, add the spinach, cilantro, and chickpeas last, stir to combine and simmer for 2-5 minutes.
Taste and add more seasonings if needed.
Remove from heat, cover with a lid and let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Easy Pumpkin Recipes
I love to cook with pumpkin, and you will for sure love these recipes!
Check out ALL PUMPKIN recipes.
Jess
OMG! DELISH! How did you learn to cook Thai food? I was very impressed and totally enjoyed this curry!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Thank you Jess! I am glad you liked it! I just happen to love Thailand very much 🙂
Jess
That's amazing. I have been looking all over for a recipe that tastes authentic!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Thank you Jess, glad you liked it and thank you for feedback, this mean a lot to me!
Pam
We all loved this, and it's so perfect for fall! Thanks for sharing the recipe with us.
Julia
So glad you liked it, thank you Pam!
Claudia Lamascolo
I love the flavors in this thai recipe going to make it this weekend thank you!
Julia
Awesome, thank you Claudia!
Beth
This is so full of flavor and that makes it so satisfying. My daughter and I made this and we loved it. Thanks for the great recipe.
Julia
Thank you Beth so much!
Gina
So flavorful! Putting this on the meal prep rotation for the fall - love how cozy and warming it is with the pumpkin!
Julia
Thank you Gina!
Julia
Thai red curry paste makes any dish beyong perfect!