Thai Pumpkin Curry

4.75 from 75 votes

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.

Course Main Dish Recipes

Cuisine Thai

Keyword pumpkin curry, thai curry, thai pumpkin curry

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 550kcal

Author Robin Donovan

Ingredients

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.

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