A simple 30-minute vegetable curry that is loaded with pumpkin, Thai flavors, spinach, chickpea, and peppers. You'll love how fragrant, nutritious and spicy this Thai Red Curry Pumpkin is!
The ultimate vegetable curry that actually tastes good!
If you like pumpkin recipes be sure to check out these delicious meals too: Roasted Pumpkin Hummus, Pumpkin Caramel, Pumpkin Salad With Feta, Potato, Pumpkin, and Spinach In Creamy Sauce or simply type the word ''pumpkin'' into the search bar.
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Why it's Yummy
- If you love Thai curry I bet you never tried one with Pumpkin!
- A quick and easy one-pot meal that will be ready in 30 minutes.
- Tender pumpkin with spinach, chickpeas and mix of peppers are all cooked in spices and thick coconut curry sauce.
- Has everything a one dish needs, healthy fats, veggies, protein.
- It is spicy like a proper curry should be but you can easily adjust the level of spiciness desired!
- Gluten free, dairy free and can be made vegan.
Ingredients
I am listing here a few essential ingredients for this pumpkin curry, but for the full list please go ahead to the recipe card at the bottom of the blog post.
- Pumpkin - choose your favorite, I like to use pumpkin that has a deep orange color inside and tastes sweeter (In different regions the names and types will vary but Muscade de Provence pumpkin is my go-to). You'll want to choose a pumpkin that has firm flesh and can hold its shape. If you have a specialist in the shop who can advise you, that would be even better! As an alternative, butternut squash is always foolproof for curries and stews. The final result will not only depend on the pumpkin type but also on how long you simmer it in the liquid. Cut the pumpkin in uniform sizes, medium to small thick so that they cook evenly and quickly. (Usually less than 30 minutes!).
- Full-fat coconut milk - better than regular coconut milk for rich thick sauce.
- Chicken or vegetable stock – adds more flavor but feel free to use warm water instead. Alternatively, bouillon cubes work really well here too.
- Chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) - You can use either canned or raw chickpeas (cooked prior). Use 2 x 15oz cans for a richer and thicker curry. But depending on how light or heavy I want my curry I will sometimes add only 1 can.
- Red Curry Paste – the best thing EVER. Start with two spoons in the beginning and add more to achieve the level of spiciness you are going for. I went for 4 this time 🙂
- Peppers - a mix of bell peppers of choice and red hot peppers (serrano peppers and etc) for delicious spicy flavors. Make sure to remove the seeds first.
- Lime juice - a generous heaping two tablespoons to balance all the flavors is essential. However if not sure, or have not used lime juice in your dishes, start with one tablespoon in the beginning and add more if you feel so.
- Ginger - I have added a generous amount of fresh ginger slices. That’s what is very common in Thailand meals. I usually keep the slices in the pot, even after the curry is ready (more intense flavors - yes!). However, if you are afraid to go overboard with it or simply don’t like those bits in your curry (FYI - they are not for eating, but for added flavor) then either remove them right away after the pumpkin curry is ready or grate the ginger very finely instead.
- Fish Sauce - a few spoons of fish sauce or gluten-free soy sauce can work wonders for your curry!
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.
Tips
- Cooking pumpkin is easy and it is even easier when it is mixed in a pumpkin soup or a vegetable curry simmered until soft and flavorful. Pumpkin should be diced into medium chunks not very big or too small, right about bite-size pieces to cook evenly.
- 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 stalks of lemongrass instead of lime. Add whole stalks into the pot to simmer, about the time when adding the broth. After the 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!
- This curry will be perfect to serve after my favorite Asian appetizer such as Easy Low Carb Keto Lettuce Wraps With Chicken.
Common Recipe Questions
You definitely can freeze this pumpkin curry and basically any vegetable 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.
Or even Thai yellow curry? Which curry to choose from will depend on the spiciness desired, flavors, and the ingredients that taste good when combined. Red curry is made with red curry paste and chili and is the most common and appealing choice for most people. Thai green curry on other hand is very popular to make with fish and is quite common in Thailand itself. The green color comes from a variety of different herbs and leaves added. And in yellow curry dominates fresh turmeric. All flavors are quite different and in my opinion, most of the vegetables go well with the red curry paste more than any other type of curry.
Will depend on the chef who’s making the Thai Curry! But as a general rule in any curry dish is to use a generous amount of spices, salt, pepper, sugar, herbs, ginger, garlic, and onion. This is the base for any curry. Lemongrass, kaffir or bay leaves, fish sauce, and even rice vinegar add a ton of depth to the dish that all result in a delicious bowl of Thai red curry.
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Easy Pumpkin Recipes
Check out ALL PUMPKIN recipes.
Recipe
Thai Red Curry Pumpkin
INGREDIENTS
- 3 tablespoon coconut oil grapeseed oil
- 1 large brown onion or 2-3 shallot (sliced into half-moons)
- 2 medium garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 small red chili or serrano pepper (seeds removed, chopped)
- 1 small red bell pepper (sliced medium thin)
- 1 small orange or yellow bell pepper (sliced medium thin)
- 4 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
- 4 - 4 ½ cups pumpkin of choice (medium dice)
- 3 ½ cups spinach leaves
- 1 handful of cilantro (chopped)
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 medium bay leaves (or kaffir leaves)
- 3 slices of fresh ginger
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- A Pinch two coconut or brown sugar (optional)
- 1-2 15 oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
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.
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.
PRIVATE NOTES
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Julia
Thai red curry paste makes any dish beyong perfect!
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!
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!
Claudia Lamascolo
I love the flavors in this thai recipe going to make it this weekend thank you!
Julia
Awesome, thank you Claudia!
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!
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!