Thai Pumpkin Curry

Thai Pumpkin Curry is a quick, comforting, one-pot meal combining pumpkin, lentils, and chickpeas in a mild coconut curry sauce. Everyday vegetables add even more flavor, nutrients, and dollar-stretching to this delicious, plant-based dinner.

Here's an easy dinner recipe you can add to your skip-the-takeout list of meals to make at home. It's easy, delicious, and it satisfies cravings for Thai flavors. If you like the sound of this, you'll love my Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles, Coconut Soup, and Vegetable Lo Mein.

Why we love this recipe

• It uses a whole can of pumpkin instead of a partial can which is great because it reduces potential for waste.
• There's no long list of specialty ingredients. Just simple pantry items and a few international products found at most grocers.
• This pumpkin curry uses canned red curry paste (or any color curry paste), which is great for anyone with a minimal spice rack because homemade curry requires multiple seasonings.
• You can adjust the spice (heat) to your liking by using more or less curry paste...it's that simple!
• This pumpkin curry recipe is made for Instant Pot or stove, just like my Thai Vegetable Curry. Check out my Vegetarian Instant Pot Recipes while you're at it!
• Everyone needs easy pumpkin recipes for the fall season. This one's also available any time of the year.
• Thai pumpkin curry is perfect for meal prep because it's quick and easy, and it travels and reheats nicely. Also, the flavor develops over time, so it gets better by the day.
• It's naturally vegan and gluten free!

Key ingredients

• coconut oil - this has a high heat capacity to saute the vegetables without burning and helps build the coconut flavor for the curry.
• carrots, onions, garlic, and ginger - these everyday vegetables are budget-friendly aromatics that help build the flavor and texture.
• curry paste - I use canned red curry paste because it creates signature Thai flavors in a convenient blend. You can use any color and it's located in your grocer's international section.
• canned pumpkin puree - this recipe uses a whole can of pumpkin puree because it's convenient and reduces waste.
• tomatoes - you can use canned tomatoes (diced, crushed, etc) or fresh tomatoes.
• chickpeas (garbanzo beans) - adds volume and protein. Use canned or pressure-cooked chickpeas.
• lentils - I use dried brown lentils for this recipe because they maintain their shape, whereas red or yellow lentils cook down to a sauce.
• coconut milk - Canned coconut milk (not coconut cream) adds richness to this pumpkin curry, but any dairy milk or plant based milk will work.
• vegetable broth - use any cooking liquid in place of vegetable broth.
• kale - use any variety of loosely chopped kale or other leafy greens.

How to make pumpkin curry

Full cooking instructions for the Instant Pot or stove are in the recipe card below! Here are the basic steps to take with either method.

1. Sauté the vegetables in coconut oil until tender.

2. Add curry paste and sauté a bit longer to incorporate the flavors.

3. Stir in canned pumpkin puree, tomatoes, drained chickpeas, lentils, coconut milk, vegetable broth, and salt.

4. Cook in the instant pot or the stove top as directed in the recipe card below. Both methods take about the same time, but the instant pot is less hands-on.

5. Then add kale (or other leafy greens) to the pumpkin curry and allow everything to rest until it wilts.

Which curry paste makes the best pumpkin curry?

Curry pastes are totally interchangeable and really depend on your taste preferences. The colors are based on the types of peppers used. I like both the color and spice that red curry brings to curry recipes, but feel free to experiment with the other colors as well as with different brands.

• green curry paste - spicy
• red curry paste - medium to mild
• yellow curry paste - mild

Ingredient substitutions

• canned pumpkin - Substitute equal amount of homemade pumpkin puree.
• curry paste - I prefer red curry paste for its color and medium spice level, especially for pumpkin curry. You can use any color of Thai curry paste (red, green, or yellow).
• canned tomatoes - use chopped, fresh tomatoes in place of canned tomatoes in equal amounts.
• coconut milk - any dairy or non-dairy milk can work for this recipe, it just won't be as thick as coconut milk.
• lentils or chickpeas - substitute diced potatoes in equal amounts
• vegetable broth - you can use any cooking liquid (water, stock, broth, etc)

Thai Pumpkin curry recipe tips

• Reduce waste of leftover pumpkin puree by buying the 15oz can instead of the 28 oz can for this pumpkin curry recipe. It uses exactly 1 whole 15 oz can.
• This recipes uses unsweetened canned pumpkin. You can always sweeten the recipe later, if desired.
• Increase or decrease the spice level of your curry by simply adjusting the amount of curry you add to the recipe.
• Prep-ahead your aromatics (carrots, onions, garlic, and ginger) to save time when you go to make pumpkin curry.
• Use a microplane fine grater to grate the ginger and garlic to prevent large chunks from entering the dish.

• I like to serve curry next to a bowl of rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice. The grains compliment the pumpkin curry because they offer a starchy vehicle to help soak up that delicious sauce and the flavor.
• Level up your presentation by serving Thai Pumpkin Curry with a drizzle of coconut milk and fresh Thai basil or cilantro. The garnishes are optional, but beautiful for presentation.
• If you detects any bitterness or if you accidentally over-spice this dish (or any curry), you can always stir in small amounts of any liquid sweetener to help balance the flavors.

How to store leftover curry

To store, allow curry to cool completely and refrigerate in an air tight container for up to 5 days. This curry reheats perfectly in the microwave or in a small pan on the stove. Curries make wonderful leftovers because the flavors develop and get stronger as it sits in the fridge. Try using this recipe for meal prep!

Grab these one pot recipes for your next family dinner

• Pumpkin Pasta
• Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
• Taco Pasta
• Instant Pot Tuna Casserole
• Ham Alfredo Pasta [Instant Pot or stove]