Name: Thai Pumpkin Curry Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil (or preferred oil); 1 large Carrot (diced); 1/2 large Onion (diced); 3 cloves Garlic (minced); 1 inch Ginger Root (peeled and finely grated); 2 tablespoons Red Curry Paste (or yellow or green) (*see footnote about spice level); 1 (15 ounce can) Unsweetened Pumpkin Puree; 1 (15 ounce can) Crushed Tomatoes (or 1.5 cups fresh tomatoes); 1 1/2 cups Cooked Chickpeas (or 15 ounce can (drained)); 1 cup Dried Brown Lentils; 1 (13.5 ounce can) Coconut Milk (reserve 1 Tbsp. for garnish); 1 1/2 cups Vegetable Broth (or any cooking liquid); 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt; 4 cups Kale (loosely chopped)

Jump To Recipe

5 from 17 votes

30 minutes

Quick and easy Thai Pumpkin Curry is a delicious, one-pot meal with pumpkin, vegetables, lentils, and chickpeas in a mild coconut curry sauce. This dollar-stretching, plant based dinner is loaded with flavor and nutrients.

This Thai pumpkin curry recipe is an easy meal you can add to your skip-the-takeout list of dinners to make at home. It's restaurant-quality comfort food that's truly simple to make and delicious to devour.

Even better, this pumpkin curry recipe includes instructions for the Instant Pot or stove. You pick!

If you enjoy Asian-inspired cooking, you'll love my Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles, Thai Coconut Soup, Vegetable Lo Mein, and Thai Vegetable Coconut Curry. Grab my whole collection of Asian recipes while you're at it.

Table of Contents hide

1) Why we love this recipe

2) Key ingredients

3) How to make pumpkin curry

4) Which curry paste makes the best pumpkin curry?

5) Ingredient substitutions

6) Thai Pumpkin curry recipe tips

7) Serving tips

8) How to store leftover curry

9) Can I freeze this recipe?

10) More one-pot dinner recipes

11) Thai Pumpkin Curry Recipe

Why we love this recipe

This pumpkin Thai curry recipe uses one whole can of pumpkin – instead of a partial can – which reduces waste.
It's made with simple pantry ingredients and a few international products (ginger, curry paste, coconut milk) which are available at most grocers.
This pumpkin curry uses canned curry paste which is great if you have a minimal spice rack because homemade curry requires multiple seasonings.
You can adjust the spice (heat) by using more or less curry paste – simple!
It's a pumpkin recipe you can enjoy any season of the year.
Great make ahead meal – it's quick, easy, travels nicely, and the flavor 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.
unsweetened 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.

pumpkin curry ingredients in glass bowls with text overlay

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.

Sauté the vegetables in coconut oil until tender. Add curry paste and sauté a bit longer to incorporate the flavors.

wood spoon stirring pumpkin curry ingredients in the Instant Pot

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

pumpkin curry ingredients in the Instant Pot

Cook the curry (Instant Pot or stove) as directed in the recipe card below Both methods take about the same time, but the instant pot is more hands-off.

Add kale (or other leafy greens) to the pumpkin curry and allow to rest until the greens wilt. Serve warm.

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)