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+ servings
Thai pumpkin curry in a whole roasted pumpkin.
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4.93 from 13 votes

Thai Pumpkin Curry

Try our vegan Thai Pumpkin Curry with chickpeas for a quick and easy meal.  For extra fun, serve it inside a little roasted whole pumpkin bowl for a festive fall dinner.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Thai
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 4
Calories: 417kcal
Author: HWC Magazine

Equipment

  • wok or pan
  • oven if baking a whole roasted pumpkin

Ingredients

Whole Roasted Pumpkin (or Squash) Bowl - OPTIONAL

  • 2 small pie pumpkins or 2 small acorn squash or small pumpkin or squash of choice (ours pie (sugar pumpkins) Ours were 2.0 pounds (0.9 kg a piece).
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • salt to taste

Thai Pumpkin Curry

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • ½ onion or about ½ cup peeled and chopped
  • 1 inch knob fresh ginger peeled and grated
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
  • 1 tablespoon red curry paste or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder we used Ziyad brand as that is what we had on hand. Adjust amount to your desired heat level.
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar or sugar alternative of choice
  • 13 ounces coconut milk
    or 1 can (403 ml) (light or regular)
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari to keep gluten free
  • 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter or nut butter of choice. We used an all natural peanut butter.
  • 2 cups pumpkin or squash If you are serving your Thai Pumpkin curry in a pumpkin bowl, additional pumpkin is not needed. Pumpkin is only required if you are making our quick and easy version with a side of rice. We used frozen cubed prepared pumpkin to save time. However, you can also use pumpkin or winter squash peeled and cut into 1 inch x 1 inch chunks.
  • ⅓ to ½ cup water to thin out curry to allow the pumpkin to cook
  • 15 ounces chickpeas canned , drained and rinsed well (also known as garbanzo beans)
  • 2 cups spinach or fresh greens of choice like sweet potato greens or quick cooking veggies like baby bok choy, chopped- optional
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice or juice from one lime
  • 2 cups steamed rice optional or can use cauliflower rice. Only needed if not serving inside a roasted pumpkin bowl.

Garnishes - optional

Instructions

Whole Roasted Pumpkin Bowls (OPTIONAL)

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C)
  • Cut small pie (sugar) pumpkins or (acorn, small kabocha or other squash) in half and remove the seeds and string. Cut from the top to the bottom and you can remove the stem if desired.
    If you have really big eaters and very small pumpkins, just cut the lid off of the pumpkin wide enough that you can ladle the curry into the pumpkin bowl and leave the stem on. This is such a cute presentation and so festive.
  • Rub the inner cavity of the pumpkins with olive oil and salt to taste. If keeping the stem of the pumpkin on, wrap with a little piece of aluminum foil to prevent burning.
  • Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the knife pierces the flesh of the pumpkin easily. For every pound of pie pumpkin, it yields about 1 cup of cooked mashed pumpkin.

Thai Pumpkin Curry

  • In a wok or pan, add in oil and bring up to a medium heat. Add in chopped onions, grated ginger, minced garlic, red curry paste, curry powder, turmeric powder and brown sugar or sugar alternative of choice. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes until it becomes aromatic.
  • Add in the coconut milk and bring the heat up to a medium high heat an stir until you start to see the oil separate from the coconut milk about 5 minutes. This is known as "cracking" the curry. Sometimes, if using a light coconut milk, this does not happen but it will still be delicious.
  • Next, add in the soy sauce, peanut butter or nut butter of choice and stir until well incorporated.
  • If you are serving the Thai curry inside a roasted pumpkin, you can SKIP THIS STEP.
    On the other hand, if you do not plan on serving your curry inside a roasted pumpkin, add the cubed pumpkin or squash and about ⅓ to ½ cup of water.
    If you are adding frozen cubed pumpkin or squash, you will only need about ⅓ cup water and it is going to cook thaw fast in the curry- about 5 minutes. On the other hand, if you are adding raw diced pumpkin or squash, add ½ cup water and it will take approximately 15-20 minutes to cook or until the pumpkin cubes are fork tender.
  • Add canned chickpeas and favorite quick cooking greens of choice. (fresh spinach, etc.) and stir until the greens start to wilt. Add a lime juice and stir.

Serving up the Curry

  • Ladle a scoop of coconut chickpea curry into one of your roasted pumpkin bowls.
    Garnish with roasted pumpkin seeds, roasted pepitas, cilantro and chilis as desired.
    If serving up our fast and easy Thai pumpkin curry, enjoy with a side of rice.
    Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Nutrition facts are based on the fast and easy version of our Thai Pumpkin Curry NOT served inside of a roasted pumpkin bowl.  The reason being is each size, type and amount of pumpkin will be different. 
For each cup of cooked pumpkin, here are the nutrition facts
  • Calories: 49
  • Fat: 0.17g
  • Sodium: 390mg
  • Carbohydrates: 12g
  • Fiber: 2.7g
  • Sugars: 5g
  • Protein: 1.8g
Shortcuts
  • Use frozen pumpkin or squash for the quick and easy version.
Storage
You can store this curry and the pumpkin bowls in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
Pumpkin curry freezes well for up to 2 months in a sealable container. You can reheat in the microwave or cook on the stove top until hot and toasty. However, leftover rice does not freeze well.
Cooking tips
  • If you are peeling and dicing up your own pumpkin, BE CAREFUL!. Use a sharp knife and always cut downward and away from you. Please be very careful as you are going to need all your fingers during this upcoming holiday season.
  • When roasting whole pie pumpkins, you can cut them in half if larger or just cut the tops off, if small. We like to make sure the whole is large enough so that it is easy to ladle in the curry.
  • Learning how to “CRACK” a curry is the process whereby you cook the aromatics, oil, curry paste and coconut milk until the oil separates from the coconut cream. When the moisture evaporates, the coconut cream becomes thick, rich, and delicious. Cracking a curry is an important step in making a good Thai curry.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 403mg | Potassium: 717mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 6973IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 5mg