I’m a self-proclaimed vegetable ninja and love using bits of leftover produce to create a meal without waste! This pumpkin curry is the perfect home for those vegetables as well as that partial can of pumpkin puree giving you side eye. It’s cozy and nourishing and comes together in about 45 minutes!

Soul Warming Pumpkin Coconut Curry

If you’ve been here for a while you’ll know that I’m not vegan. Nor am I a vegetarian, but sometimes I crave hearty meatless dishes. I was pleasantly surprised at how good this curry turned out. Steve loved it too and we happily ate the leftovers for the rest of the week. (It reheats well, too!)

This recipe is vegan as written, but if you simply need it to be meatless I added some recipe tweaks below for flexibility as well as some suggestion on vegetables to use.

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Curry Recipe

Again, hello… we love recipes that clean out the produce drawer! Besides being totally delicious, It’s hearty and filling, but won’t leave you feeling heavy. Just the thing we need to nourish ourselves during the busiest season of the year!

You can do some prep ahead to make this come together more quickly. I included them in the tips section below. It also reheats beautifully so it’s a great meal prep recipe.

Pumpkin Curry Ingredients

If this ingredient list looks daunting, know that almost half of the items are spices. That’s the nature of Indian-inspired recipes and what makes them so rich and delicious!

• Steamed rice or quinoa, for serving
• Ground coriander
• Garam masala: You can find this in most grocery stores or online, but if you’d like to make your own, it’s easy! I included a whole-spice and a pre-ground version in my Homemade Garam Masala Recipe.
• Sweet paprika: As opposed to hot or smoked paprika. This is just regular paprika.
• Ground turmeric
• Ground cumin
• Sea salt
• Coconut oil
• Dried minced onion: I use this in this recipe simply to save you some chopping time since you’ll be chopping a pile of vegetables already. Feel free to use a large diced onion instead. I included some notes about this in the recipe card.
• Fresh garlic
• Fresh ginger: I love buying frozen grated ginger cubes! They pop out easily and no prep required. I’ve seen them at a few grocery stores and find mine at Trader Joe’s.
• Tomato paste
• Pumpkin puree: Not pumpkin pie filling. I think we know this already, right?
• Vegetable broth
• Chopped vegetables: Use whatever you have on hand or what you think your kids will happily eat! I included some notes about this below.
• Garbanzo beans: Also known as chickpeas. They’re the same thing.
• Full-fat coconut milk

How to Make Pumpkin Curry

1. Make your grains (rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice if you’re avoiding grains).
2. Combine the spices and set them aside.
3. Saute the oil, garlic, and ginger briefly in the coconut oil.
4. Add the reserved bowl of spices. Stir and cook for another minute or so.
5. Add the tomato paste and pumpkin puree to the skillet and stir well, incorporating the spices well and forming a paste.
6. Pour in the chicken broth, and add the vegetables and garbanzo beans. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
7. Stir in the coconut milk and cook, uncovered, for another couple of minutes.
8. Sprinkle the remaining garam masala over the top of the curry and serve alongside your choice of grains.

Pumpkin Curry Recipe Variations

• Make it in an Instant Pot: Use the saute function for the first few steps. When you get to the simmer step, set it to high pressure for 1 minute. Stir in the coconut milk at the end.
• Change up the vegetables: Longer cooking vegetables (like squash, carrots, and potatoes) will need to be chopped smaller. I used 1/2 head of cauliflower, 6 oz fresh green beans, and 8 oz of butternut squash (1/2-inch cubes). You could also use carrots, sweet potatoes, or white potatoes. Quicker cooking vegetables like zucchini, yellow squash, peas, and broccoli can be added about 5 minutes before the simmer time is over to avoid them turning to mush.
• Un-veganize it: If you don’t need this recipe to be vegan, but simply meatless, use butter and chicken broth instead of coconut oil and vegetable broth.
• Change the protein: Again, if you don’t need this to be vegan/vegetarian, use the swaps above and add 12-16 oz of cubed, uncooked chicken/pork or a pound of uncooked shrimp in place of the garbanzo beans. If you’re using chicken or pork, add them at the same time as the vegetables. If you’re using shrimp, add them with the coconut milk and simmer for a couple extra minutes until they’re cooked through.
• Make it spicy: Add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes along with the rest of the spices. Or use some chili-crunch or Asian chili paste in your individual bowls.

Tips For Making Pumpkin Puree Curry

• Prep your ingredients before you start cooking. Treat this like a stir-fry. Ingredients go into the pan quickly, and you’ll need to have them ready so nothing burns. Have your veg already chopped, your spices measured out, and your aluminum cans open. (And your chicken broth thawed. I’m not the only one who scrambles with half-frozen broth, right?)
• Adding ingredients gradually allows the spices to “fry” in the oil for a bit. This enhances their flavor. You’ll get the best flavor if you follow the instructions as written instead of dumping everything in at once.
• Use vegetables that cook at the same rate. You don’t want some half-cooked and others turned to mush. There are suggestions about this in the recipe notes below.

Curry Pumpkin Serving Suggestions

Serve this curry with freshly steamed rice, quinoa, or any other grain you prefer!

If you’re avoiding grains, try serving it with How to Cook Cauliflower Rice (Roasted!) or Curry Roasted Cauliflower. I’ve eaten curry with both of those and they’re totally delicious options.

Additional Add-Ins

If you’re looking for toppings, try adding an extra sprinkle of garam masala, some spicy condiment, a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, or a dollop of plain Greek yogurt.

Storing Leftover Pumpkin Coconut Curry

Store leftover pumpkin curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. I recommend reheating it in a skillet or saucepan for best flavor.

Can Pumpkin Puree Curry be frozen?

Yes. Maybe. If you used delicate vegetables (like zucchini, asparagus, etc.) they’ll be mushy after reheating. Sturdier vegetables should be fine as long as you didn’t overcook them while making the recipe.

More Easy Indian Recipes on Perry’s Plate

If you liked this recipe, try another one of my Indian-inspired recipes!

Lentil Curry: Another vegetarian recipe easily made vegan.

Recipe for Making Egg Curry: Another meatless curry we love.

Chicken and Saag: Love this spinach curry! You can also use paneer (Indian cheese) instead of chicken to make this meatless.

Instant Pot Chicken Curry Recipe: My favorite chicken curry and always devoured by my family.

Indian Beef: A slow cooker gem that makes your house smell totally delicious.

If you make one of my recipes, be sure to post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Continue to Content

Pumpkin Puree Curry

Yield: Serves 6

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

This pumpkin curry is the perfect home for bits of leftover vegetables as well as that partial can of pumpkin puree giving you side eye. It's cozy and nourishing and comes together in about 45 minutes!

Print

Ingredients

• Steamed rice or quinoa, for serving
• 1 Tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 Tablespoon garam masala, divided
• 1 Tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 Tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 Tablespoons dried minced onion
• 1 Tablespoon minced/grated fresh garlic
• 1 Tablespoon minced/grated fresh ginger
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 pounds chopped vegetables (see note)
• 1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk

Instructions

1. If you're serving this with rice or quinoa, get those started first.
2. Combine the coriander, 2 teaspoons garam masala, paprika, turmeric, cumin, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Melt the coconut oil in a large, deep skillet (fitted with a lid) over medium high heat.
4. Add the dried onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook for about 30 seconds and then add the reserved bowl of spices. Stir and cook for another minute or so.
5. Add the tomato paste and pumpkin puree to the skillet and stir well, incorporating the spices well and forming a paste. Cook for another minute.
6. Pour in the chicken broth, and add the vegetables and garbanzo beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it gently simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
7. Stir in the coconut milk and cook, uncovered, for another couple of minutes.
8. Sprinkle the remaining garam masala over the top of the curry and serve alongside your choice of grains.

Notes

• Feel free to use a large chopped onion in place of the dried minced onion. Since this recipe has a lot of chopped veg, I wanted to save you some time by using dried. If you use a fresh onion, add it to the skillet first and let it cook alone for about 10 minutes before continuing with the rest of the ingredients.
• When choosing vegetables for this recipe, make sure they'll cook in roughly the same amount of time. Longer cooking vegetables (like squash, carrots, and potatoes) will need to be chopped smaller. I used 1/2 head of cauliflower, 6 oz fresh green beans, and 8 oz of butternut squash (1/2-inch cubes). You could also use carrots, sweet potatoes, or white potatoes. Quicker cooking vegetables like zucchini, yellow squash, peas, and broccoli can be added about 5 minutes before the simmer time is over to avoid them turning to mush.
• Garam Masala is a common Indian spice blend that can be found in most grocery stores in the spice section. Or online. Or I have a Homemade Garam Masala recipe if you'd like to try it!
• If you're not concerned with this recipe being strictly vegan/vegetarian try swapping out the coconut oil and vegetable broth for butter and chicken broth for a richer flavor.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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  Eat Well Premium Foods - Garam Masala Spice Blend 4 oz, Salt Free, Authentic Indian Food Spices, Gluten Free
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Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size 1 1/2 cups
Amount Per Serving Calories 383Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 0mgSodium 977mgCarbohydrates 51gFiber 13gSugar 9gProtein 12g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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