Thai Pumpkin Curry
The ultimate comfort food, Thai Pumpkin Curry is a creamy and rich dish perfect for cooler months. With a delightful blend of spices and the sweetness of pumpkin, this easy weeknight dinner will satisfy your cravings. Make it tonight for a nourishing meal that brings warmth and joy to your table!
Equipment
- Large high-sided skillet
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 tablespoons Coconut oil
- 1 medium Sweet Vidalia or yellow onion diced small
- 1 small Red bell pepper seeded and diced into thin strips
- 1 small Yellow or orange bell pepper seeded and diced into thin strips
- 1 small Red chile pepper seeded and diced finely with seeds removed; optional
- 3 to 4 cloves Garlic finely minced or pressed
- 2 to 3 teaspoons Ground ginger or 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons Ground coriander
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Ground cumin
- 1 medium Sugar pumpkin peeled, seeded, and diced into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 to 4 1/2 cups total)
- 2 to 6 tablespoons Thai red curry paste to taste
- 2 cups Slow-sodium broth vegetable or chicken or water (I used water)
- 1 14-ounce can Coconut milk full-fat will deliver a richer/thicker result, lite is ok
- 2 or 3 Bay or kaffir lime leaves optional
- 1 15-ounce can Chickpeas drained and rinsed (I used no-salt added)
- about 3 cups Fresh spinach leaves heaping handful
- 1 tablespoon Lime juice
- 1 tablespoon Soy or fish sauce optional and to taste
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper or to taste
- 1 tablespoon Brown sugar optional and to taste
- 1/4 cup Fresh cilantro finely chopped for garnishing (basil may be substituted)
- Nuts cashews, peanuts, etc., optional for garnishing
Instructions
- To a large high-sided skillet, add the coconut oil, onion, and sauté over medium-high heat until the onion begins to soften and turn a bit translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes; stir intermittently.
- Add the bell peppers, optional chile, and continue sautéing for about 7 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender; stir intermittently.
- Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir almost constantly.
- Add the pumpkin, and stir to coat it with the spices.
- Add the Thai red curry paste, broth, coconut milk, bay or lime leaves, turn the heat to medium-low, and bring to a gentle simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender and cooked through. Tip– Make sure to keep your pumpkin chunks in the 1/2-inch size range or it will take much longer for them to cook through.
- Optionally and if you prefer a smoother curry, remove about 1 cup of the softened pumpkin, peppers, and onion mixture (make sure not to grab a bay or lime leaf), add it to a blender, puree, and add the puree back into the curry. Alternatively, you can do this with a handheld immersion blender in the skillet if desired. I don’t tend to puree at all because I like the texture, but do as you prefer.
- Remove the bay or lime leaves from the skillet if you added them.
- Add the chickpeas, spinach, lime juice, optional soy or fish sauce, salt and pepper, stir to incorporate, and allow the spinach leaves to wilt, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Taste the curry and optionally add the brown sugar (recommended because it helps balance the acidity and adds overall depth of flavor). If desired, add additional curry paste, salt, pepper, etc. to taste.
- Add the cilantro, stir to combine, optional nuts, and serve with rice, naan bread, etc.
Notes
- Choosing the pumpkin: You want to use sugar pumpkins, which may also be called pie pumpkin or sweet pumpkins. They are small and round.
- Pumpkin substitute: If you can’t get your hands on pumpkin, use sweet potato or squash such as butternut or acorn instead.
- Curry paste: As with all curry pastes and powders, they vary in intensity and everyone’s preferences for spice and heat vary, so adjust to taste.