Thai Pumpkin Curry

Thai Pumpkin Curry is a delicious and satisfying meal that takes just 25 minutes to make. This version is vegan (as long as you use vegan fish sauce, but you can use regular fish sauce if you prefer) and includes chickpeas, but you can add tofu, chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp if you like.

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What is Thai Pumpkin Curry?

Thai Pumpkin Curry is a spicy curry made with sweet cubed pumpkin and Thai curry paste. It has a rich coconut milk base, which mellows out the spicy kick of the curry paste a bit. It is one of the best savory pumpkin recipes I know.

I use fresh pumpkin in this delicious Thai Pumpkin Curry rather than puree because I like to puree only part of it, giving it a thick texture with some tender chunks of pumpkin. You could add a cup of pumpkin puree if you want to skip the part of the recipe where you pull out some of the pumpkin to blend it.

This recipe includes chickpeas for some protein, making it a satisfying one-pot meal. But you can substitute tofu for the chickpeas if you like. If you’re not vegetarian, feel free to add chicken, pork, or beef.

You can add other vegetables, too, like carrots, broccoli, green beans, zucchini, or eggplant. More vegetables will only make this dish even more satisfying and nutritious.

What kind of pumpkin should you use?

The best pumpkin to use for Thai Pumpkin Curry is any good eating pumpkin. I like sugar pumpkins, Japanese pumpkins, and other types of squash in the same family, like kabocha squash, acorn squash, or butternut squash.

What is the best brand of Thai curry paste?

Thai red curry paste is a condiment that combines garlic, red chiles, lemongrass, shallots, galangal, shrimp paste, makrut lime zest, and other seasonings into one spicy, flavorful paste.

There are several brands available in the US, which vary in terms of flavor and heat level. Which you like best will depend on your personal preference for spice level and flavor.

I love a spicy kick and Mae Ploy brand curry paste delivers that. You can buy it in any Thai or Asian grocery store or online.

Thai Kitchen brand curry paste is milder and also may be more widely available where you live. You can find Thai Kitchen brand in most supermarkets or online.

I love using Thai curry paste in recipes because it provides layers of complex flavor without requiring a long list of ingredients.

What ingredients do you need to make Thai pumpkin curry?

The list of ingredients for this Thai curry may seem a little long, but most are common pantry items or ingredients that are easy to find at any supermarket (note that the complete recipe, including ingredient measurements and detailed step-by-step instructions, is included in the recipe card at the bottom of this post).

• Cooking oil (olive oil, coconut oil, or vegetable oil)
• Bell peppers (red, orange, yellow or a combination)
• 1 red chile pepper (serrano or jalapeno pepper), seeded and chopped
• Onion
• Garlic
• Thai red curry paste
• Diced fresh pumpkin
• Ground turmeric
• Ground cumin
• Salt and pepper
• Ginger
• Makrut lime leaves (also called kaffir lime leaves, or use bay leaves)
• Fish sauce or vegetarian fish sauce
• Lime juice
• Palm sugar or brown sugar (optional)
• Vegetable broth or chicken broth
• Full fat coconut milk (you can substitute light coconut milk if you prefer)
• Canned chickpeas
• Spinach
• Fresh cilantro (or substitute Thai basil)

How do you make it?

This Thai Pumpkin Curry recipe is easy to make and takes just about 25 minutes from start to finish (note that the complete recipe, including ingredient measurements and detailed step-by-step instructions, is included in the recipe card at the bottom of this post).

1. Saute peppers in a skillet to soften them.
2. In a Dutch oven or stockpot, saute onions to soften, then add garlic, curry paste,
3. turmeric, and cumin.
4. Add the pumpkin, salt and pepper, and cook until the pumpkin begins to soften.
5. Add the softened peppers to the pot along with the ginger, lime leaves, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, if using, broth, and coconut milk. Simmer until the pumpkin is tender.
6. Remove about 1 cup of the pumpkin pieces and put them in a blender (or use an immersion blender to partially puree the soup). Process until smooth and then return to the pot.
7. Add the chickpeas and let them heat through, then stir in the spinach and cilantro and cook a minute or two until the spinach wilts.
8. Serve hot over steamed rice or Coconut Rice.

What to serve with Thai Pumpkin Curry

Serve this Thai Pumpkin Curry with white rice (like jasmine rice), brown rice, Instant Pot Coconut Rice, or Thai Fried Rice with Pineapple and other Thai dishes like Thai Curry Puffs, Tod Mun Pla (Thai Fish Cakes), Pad Kee Mao or Drunken Noodles, Noodles with Peanut Sauce, Thai Larb, and Chicken Satay.

If you’re looking for more ways to use pumpkin, try this Indian-style Pumpkin Chickpea Curry, Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake, or Pumpkin Ice Cream with cinnamon.

More vegetarian recipes you’ll love

• Vegetarian Dan Dan Noodles
• Sweet and Sour Tofu
• TikTok’s Crazy Good Baked Feta Pasta
• Crispy Tofu
• Burmese Garlic Noodles
• Palak Paneer
• Instant Pot Mulligatawny
• Instant Pot Falafel
• Instant Pot Hummus
• Bombay Sandwiches
• Instant Pot Turmeric Congee

Thai Pumpkin Curry

Robin Donovan

Thai Pumpkin Curry is a delicious and satisfying meal that takes just 25 minutes to make. This version is vegan (as long as you use vegan fish sauce, but you can use regular if you prefer) and includes chickpeas, but you can add tofu, chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp if you like.

4.77 from 56 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Dish Recipes

Cuisine Thai

Servings 4 servings

Calories 550 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 tablespoon cooking oil divided
• 1 red bell pepper seeded and sliced
• 1 small orange or yellow bell pepper seeded and sliced
• 1 red chile pepper serrano or jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 onion sliced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 to 4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 ½ cups diced pumpkin
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 slices fresh ginger
• 2 makrut lime leaves leaves or use bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce or use vegetarian fish sauce or soy sauce for vegan version
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar or brown sugar
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
• 3 ½ cups spinach leaves
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

 

• In a medium skillet on the stove top, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chile pepper and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute more. Remove from the heat.
• In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat. When the oil begins to
  shimmer, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, curry paste, turmeric, and cumin and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute more more.
• Add the pumpkin, season with salt and pepper, and continue to cook, stirring to mix the ingredients well, until the pumpkin begins to soften, about 5 minutes more. Add the reserved peppers along with the ginger, lime leaves, fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar, if using. Stir in the broth and coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the pumpkin is tender, about 5 minutes more.
• Once softened, take out about 1 cup of pumpkin and put it in a blender. Process until smooth and then return to the
  pot.
• Add the chickpeas and bring the soup back to a simmer over medium heat. Cook briefly, until the chickpeas are heated and then stir in the spinach and cilantro and cook a minute or two until the spinach wilts. Remove from the heat.
• Serve hot.
  
  

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 550kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 18gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 1179mgFiber: 18gSugar: 22g

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