Say hello to your new favorite meatless meal idea! Our Roasted Air Fryer Kabocha Squash has a rich and creamy Thai curried Sauce that makes even the hungriest carnivores happy. If you have been craving something warming and nourishing, this healthy pumpkin recipe is for you.
Jump to:
- Why it’s Different
- How we did it
- Recipe Shortcuts
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- Why “Crack” Coconut Cream?
- How to “Crack” Coconut Cream or Milk?
- Step by Step
- Serving Suggestions
- Garnishes
- Recipe Tips
- Variations
- Reheating and Storage
- Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
- More Delicious Curries
- Air Fryer Kabocha Squash with Curried Sauce
Why it’s Different
You are going to love the melt in your mouth roasted kabocha (also known as a Japanese pumpkin or winter squash). Kabocha squash is not only delicious air fried but we bet you will love it in our Creamy Kabocha Truffle Pasta.
What sets our air fry kabocha squash apart from the others is this decadent red curry sauce. This kabocha recipe easy enough for a meatless weekday meal but fancy enough for Thai Royal taste.
How we did it
We air fried our Japanese pumpkin slices just until fork tender. Then, we used the “crack the curry method” to make a thick coconut turmeric "choo chee curry sauce". Finally, we drizzled the red curried sauce on top of the roasted kabocha and served with a side of forbidden black rice. One bite and you will find out why this kabocha squash recipe is fit for a king.
Recipe Shortcuts
We have been craving everything “pumpkin” this autumn. Unlike our savory Thai Pumpkin Curry and our Instant Pot Pumpkin Risotto our air fried kabocha curry recipe idea originated in the Thai Royal Palace. We learned all the tricks to make this special recipe at the Mandarin Oriental Thai Cooking School in Bangkok, Thailand.
To save time and resources, we took some short cuts like cooking the kabocha squash in the air fryer and adjusting the curried sauce with easy to find ingredients.
Come along and we will show you how to cut a kabocha squash, easy recipe substitutions, recipe tips and how to crack your curry.
No air fryer? No problem! We have included baked instructions for your convenience too.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Kabocha squash (Fạkthxng – ฟักทอง) or sometimes called a Japanese pumpkin is a winter squash. You may substitute with other sweet yellow squash like butternut squash, acorn squash or even a pie pumpkin. Did you know that kabocha squash has only about 35 calories in a cup with about 7 grams of carbohydrates? In our opinion, we feel the kabocha squash is sweeter than a butternut squash and has less moisture. These attributes make it a delicious addition to this easy autumn and winter recipe.
Coconut milk or coconut cream – full fat and without added ingredients or thickeners. We have the best results with Aroy-D full fat or Thai Kitchen coconut milk. Traditionally, choo chee curry sauce is made with coconut cream. Unlike a regular curry which has a thinner sauce, choo chee (chu chee) type of curry is more like a thick gravy. We know that coconut cream is more expensive and more difficult to find. So, we have found an easy work around using regular full fat coconut milk. You just cook off the extra liquid. Check out our recipe card below for the details.
Red Curry Paste – To save time we use store bought - premade paste. However, if you have all the fresh Thai ingredients like kaffir lime leaves, Thai bird chilis, galangal, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots, you could also make your own from scratch. Our favorite brands are Mae Ploy Thai Red Curry Paste or Thai Kitchen. Use the Thai Kitchen brand, If you want to keep the kabocha squash recipe vegan. If you have any leftover paste, try our Simple Spicy Thai Hot Pot.
Brown sugar/Palm sugar/ Sugar Alternative of choice – as you already know, Thai Cuisine is extra delicious because it generally incorporates sweet, savory, sour and spicy in every bite.
Turmeric – not only gives this delicious, curried sauce a beautiful golden color but it also packs in some healthy antioxidants. We used 1 teaspoon of dried turmeric. You can also use 1 tablespoon of fresh grated turmeric.
Fish Sauce – gives the Thai curry its savory flavor. Red Boat or Thai Kitchen both carry gluten free options. There are vegan fish alternatives at the market too.
Lime zest or thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves to garnish. Give a boost of freshness to the curried air fried kabocha squash.
Why “Crack” Coconut Cream?
In traditional Thai curries, the coconut milk (coconut cream) is cooked for about 5 to 10 minutes until the oil separates from the coconut cream or milk. The purpose is to help the spices and aromatics of the curry paste get incorporated into coconut milk and intensify the flavor, richness, and creaminess of the curried sauce. We think our Thai Curry Turkey Tofu Meatballs are extra delicious using this process.
Coconut cream is commonly used to make a thick curried sauce. However, it more difficult to find and costs more than regular full fat coconut milk. That is why we have revamped this recipe so you can use full fat coconut milk for the curried sauce.
How to “Crack” Coconut Cream or Milk?
- Pour the coconut cream or milk in a wok or large pan so that it has a big cooking surface.
- Stir continuously over medium heat while the bubbles are forming.
- You will notice evaporation as the steam rises and the coconut milk gets thicker.
- Be patient! It takes about 10 minutes for the coconut cream to crack. You will see the oil separate from the coconut. Sometimes, the coconut mixture does not crack until you add in the curry paste. You can now add the rest of the ingredients in the recipe.
Please note, if you use a coconut milk or cream with added thickening agents, your coconut cream or milk may not ever crack. Do not worry! The actual crack is not as important as getting the product thickened by allowing the liquid to evaporate off. Once that happens, the curry is rich, thick and its flavor is well distributed into the curry sauce.
Step by Step
- Microwave whole kabocha squash on high for just 2 to 3 minutes. This makes the winter squash easier to cut and peel.
- Carefully cut kabocha in half, remove the seeds and peel. Save the seeds if you desire and make Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds.
- Slice the squash in 1.5-to-2-inch slices.
- Grease the air fryer basket and the sliced squash on both sides. Then, season with garlic salt.
- Air Fry Kabocha squash for approximately 12 to 16 minutes or until slightly toasty and fork tender.
- In the meantime, pour coconut milk in pan or wok over medium heat and let it bubble away while you stir for 5 to 10 minutes until the oil starts to separate from the coconut milk.
- Then, add the red curry paste, brown sugar, turmeric, and fish sauce and cook until thick and bubbly.
- Serve air fryer kabocha squash with curried sauce and rice. Garnish with either thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves or lime zest.
Serving Suggestions
Rice is the perfect side dish to our air fried kabocha squash with Thai curry sauce. Have a little fun with the upcoming Halloween holiday and serve ORANGE kabocha and serve Instant Pot BLACK Rice Pilaf on the side. In addition, jasmine long grain rice, coconut rice or your favorite type of rice is also a great pairing.
Start out your meal with a serving of Thai Hot and Sour Prawn Soup and a few Thai Firecracker Shrimps. Satisfy you sweet tooth with our Easy Mango Sticky Rice for dessert.
Garnishes
There is one garnish that is not optional. Fresh lime zest or thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves adds the 4th element (sour and brightness) to this royal Thai recipe. It can be very difficult to obtain kaffir lime leaves unless you live in Asia or a warm climate. Fresh lime zest is not a perfect match to the aromatic lime leaves, but it is a very close second.
Fresh chili peppers, cilantro and fresh lime wedges are additional garnishes that many enjoy.
Recipe Tips
- Choose a high-quality full fat coconut milk or coconut cream without any fillers for the best results.
- Microwave your kabocha squash on high for just 2 to 3 minutes max before carving. This makes the winter squash easier to cut and peel.
- Sharpen your knives and keep your fingers away from the blade when chopping. Consider using a peeler instead of a knife to peel the skin.
- You can leave the skin on the kabocha, if desired, as it is edible. However, personally we prefer the texture with it off. In addition, it takes a bit longer to roast with the skin on.
- Every air fryer has a different capacity and it may take a little more or less time depending on what model you are using. We used the Cosori toaster oven style air fryer for this recipe. Just like in our air fryer baked apples or banana spring rolls recipe, do NOT over crowd the air fryer. If your air fryer is small, cook in batches.
- Be patient while you are waiting for the coconut milk/cream to crack and stir continuously. The heat must be on medium, and the coconut milk must be slowly bubbling.
- Sometimes, even with the best efforts, the coconut milk does not crack - do not worry. The goal is for the curry sauce to thicken and for the flavors to mingle in the coconut milk.
Variations
Bake it! If you do not have an air fryer, you can bake Kabocha at 400 degrees f (204 degrees C) for 30 to 35 minutes or until fork tender.
Try other Winter Squash! Feel free to exchange with butternut squash, acorn squash, pie pumpkin or other sweet winter squash in your region.
Reheating and Storage
If you have any leftovers, they can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Reheat leftover kabocha that has the curried sauce on it in the microwave or stove top. If you have the sauce separate from the squash, you can reheat the kabocha in the air fryer at 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) for 5 minutes or until toasty warm or in a 400-degree F (204 degree C) oven for about 10 minutes. The curried sauce can be microwaved or heated up on stove top.
Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Kabocha squash should sound hallow when you tap it and the stem starts to shrivel a little bit.
Kabocha squash is nutty and sweet. It has a firmer texture compared to a butternut squash - more like a sweet potato.
You certainly can as it is edible. However, we like to remove it because we like our curries to be tender and creamy. In addition, it takes a little longer to cook with the skin on vs with it removed.
We like to pop the whole kabocha squash in the microwave and cook on full power for 2 to 3 minutes. This will make the kabocha easier to cut and peel. Make sure you use a sharpened butcher’s knife and keep your fingers away from the blade when cutting. It is safer to use a peeler instead of a knife for peeling the green skin off the squash.
More Delicious Curries
Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Curry
Did You Like Our Recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. Your feedback is always appreciated! Follow us for more delicious recipes on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for our email list for more free recipes.
Air Fryer Kabocha Squash with Curried Sauce
Equipment
- air fryer or oven
Ingredients
Air Fried Kabocha Squash
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
or oil of choice (melted coconut oil) - 1.5 pounds kabocha squash
2 inch thick slices- (about ½ of a whole kabocha. Seeds removed and skin removed- can exchange with butternut or acorn squash - ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
Curried Sauce
- 13.66 ounces coconut milk 1 can full fat (or ½ can coconut cream and ½ can of coconut milk) ~400 ml
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste adjust to desired spiciness level
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce or to taste (if you cannot find fish sauce then add salt to taste)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or sugar alternative of choice
- 1 teaspoon turmeric dried ground or 1 tablespoon freshly grated
Garnishes
- kaffir lime leaves or lime zest and lime wedges for serving
- cilantro optional as desired
- Red Thai Chili peppers optional as desired
Instructions
Prepare Kabocha Squash
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Microwave whole kabocha squash for 2 minutes on high to make it easier to cut and peel. Slice kabocha squash in half. Remove the seeds and peel. Then, slice the winter squash into about 2 inch slices. We ended up 8 slices. This is dependent on the size of your kabocha squash. (No air fryer, no problem! Oven direction in the notes below)
- Brush kabocha squash with melted coconut oil (or oil of choice) and sprinkle with garlic salt on both sides. Air fry for about 12 to 16 minutes or just until fork tender. Do not overcook as you still want it to have some texture.
Prepare the Thai Curry Sauce
- While your kabocha squash is in the air fryer, add the FULL FAT coconut milk to a wok or pan and bring to a slight boil. Stir constantly until the liquid has evaporated back off and the coconut cream coats the back of a spoon and . You have to work fast and keep moving your ladle in the wok to press the coconut cream up the sides of the wok and then turn over. You cannot be distracted for these 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add your red curry paste. If you like it really mild (like me) then just add a teaspoon at a time until you get it to right heat level - taste along the way. However, If you like it extra spicy, add 2 tablespoons. Keep stirring your wok on a medium simmer (the curry mixture should be bubbling) until the coconut cream cracks (this is where the oil separates from the coconut milk). (Do not worry if your coconut milk does not crack. The goal is to reduce the milk into a thick curry sauce and allow the flavors of the spices to permeate the sauce.) Simmering your coconut "cream" with your aromatic Thai curry spices forces the oils to come out and that is what they mean by "cracking" of the coconut cream.)
- Add your fish sauce and palm sugar or sugar alternative of choice. Keep stirring the Thai curried sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. (Just as an FYI- there are also gluten-free and vegan fish sauces on the market) Set aside.
- Arrange your roasted kabocha squash on a serving platter along with your forbidden black rice or Thai Jasmine white rice. Pour the prepared Thai curry sauce over the kabocha squash. Garnish with kaffir lime leaves (or lime zest) red chilies and cilantro. enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Choose a high-quality full fat coconut milk without any fillers for the best results. Traditionally, this recipe is made with both coconut cream and milk. However, we know that coconut cream is sometimes difficult to find and more expensive. Therefore, we have adjusted the recipe using just full fat coconut milk.
- Microwave your kabocha squash on high for just 2 to 3 minutes max before carving. This makes the winter squash easier to cut and peel.
- Sharpen your knives and keep your fingers away from the blade when chopping.
Consider using a peeler instead of a knife to peel the skin. - You can leave the skin on the kabocha, if desired, as it is edible. However, personally we prefer the texture with it off. In addition, it takes a bit longer to roast with the skin on.
- Be patient while you are waiting for the coconut milk/cream to crack and stir
continuously. The heat must be on medium, and the coconut milk must be slowly
bubbling. - Sometimes, even with the best efforts, the coconut milk does not crack - do not worry.
- The goal is for the curry sauce to thicken and for the flavors to mingle in the coconut milk.
If you have any leftovers, they can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Oven Baked Kabocha Directions Preheat oven to 190 degrees C (374 F). On a greased or parchment lined baking tray, lay out your 6 slices of kabocha squash and brush with coconut oil and sprinkle with garlic salt on both sides. Bake for about 25 to 35 minutes or just until fork tender. Do not overcook as you still want it to have some texture.
Karen Johnson says
Loved this! I only used one Tbsp of curry sauce, and honestly forgot the turmeric, but it was still delicious! I did not peel my squash, just cut off the gnarly ends. Will definitely make this again before the cool squash disappear. I don’t think my sauce “cracked” but it was pretty thick.
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Karen, we are delighted to hear that you enjoyed our air fryer kabocha squash with the curry sauce. We are also on mission to enjoy all the squash and pumpkins before the season ends. Leaving the peel on is a great time saver. Wishing you a super week ahead.
Balvinder says
Hi Bobby,
I love how colorful and healthy this recipe is and very timely for me. I had squash in thai curry sauce with lentils and sticky rice last weekend at Yosemite and immediately planned in my head to make it when I come back as it was so tasty. Now I'm looking at your recipe and can't wait to try.
HWC Magazine says
Thank you dear! Mmmmm that squash curry sounds delicious especially served with the sticky rice. When the change of seasons in in process we crave the warming and nourishing flavors of squash. Ee can not seem to get enough of it.
Liz says
What an elegant way to prepare squash! That coconut cream crack is phenomenal!!
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Liz. If it is elegant enough to serve to the Royal family- it is certainly going to be a hit with the family - right? So glad you like the Thai coconut red curry sauce, we could seriously slather it on everything.
Heidi | The Frugal Girls says
Mmm... your amazing red curried sauce really brings so much fun flavor to this fabulous Fall air fryer dish.
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Heidi! We just love this thick curry sauce.- want to slather it on everything.
Hannah says
Kabocha is the best! I'm so glad it's getting easier to find since it used to be a rare specialty in most places. The easy air fryer prep and curry sauce make this recipe a clear winner. Yum!
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Hannah! We used kabocha squash for this recipe as that is how it is traditionally prepared. We have also tested it with pie pumpkin, butternut and acorn squash and it is just as delicious. It just needs a sweet winter squash and you are good to go.
Judee says
I love this recipe. It looks so delicious and uses one of my favorite squashes. It works for me ( vegan) if I leave out the fish sauce. Visiting from Gluten Free A-z Blog
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Judee. We love kabocha recipes too. Did you know there are many vegan fish sauces on the market? We have tried a few and they are not too bad. They get their umami flavor from the mushrooms. Take Care
John / Kitchen Riffs says
This looks terrific! I've been using commercial curry pastes a lot lately -- just easier. And there are some good ones out there. This is a wonderful dish for fall -- thanks.
HWC Magazine says
Thank you John. Yes, the Thai commercial pastes are really good. If you can't find galangal or kaffir lime leaves where you live- it is a really great solution to get all those delicious flavors into the Thai curry sauce.
Ken says
Always love creative squash recipes -- so tired of just baking it.
HWC Magazine says
Thank you. You are going to love that curry sauce. Take Care
gourmetgetaway says
WOW~ What a delicious looking dish! These are my favourite foods, roasted squash and black rice YUM!!
Thanks so much for sharing
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Julie. I think these are my Asian comfort foods too.
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
I absolutely love anything Thai, Bam. This is visually stunnning together with that black rice - I'd love to try it! I especially like how you explain the sauce: "So why do you add water and then evaporate it out again? Heck, I don't know." Hahaha ... I love it!
Healthy World Cuisine says
I am also completely in love with Thai flavors too Helen. I know how strange...add water and take it back out, but really it works and I don't know why.
The Foodie Affair says
I can give up a lot, but wine?? You are a brave healthy lady!! This whole meal is just beautiful and I just want to stick my finger in that sauce for a taste!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Sandra. I have to tell you a day without wine is a like a day without sunshine but we have not had sun here in HK for at least a month so a good time to do a candida cleanse.
Bhavna's Food Journey says
Beautiful presentation, I am a big fan of Thai food 😛
Amira says
Bam, this looks divine. your Choochee Fak Thawg Yaang is out of this world.. although this kind of squash is not my favorite but I need to try this.