by Traci ·
5 from 25 votes
Total 30 minutes minutes
Jump To Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Thai pumpkin curry is a quick and easy one-pot meal made with canned pumpkin, vegetables, lentils, and chickpeas in a creamy Thai coconut curry sauce. It's so nutritious and perfect for busy weeknights.
The BEST pumpkin curry
Indulge in restaurant-quality comfort food right at home with this Thai pumpkin curry recipe. It's creamy, comforting like a stew, and mildly spicy with a robust curry flavor. Whether you prefer the pressure cooker or stove, it's an easy dinner you'll want in your collection.
This recipe alsoreduces waste because it calls for a wholecan of pumpkin puree, not a partial can. So, you won't ever need to store the puree or, even worse, end up throwing it away.
You'll also love that the ingredients are available at most grocery stores, includingcurry paste. I love this product because it conveniently packs so much flavor, and you can dial the heat level to your liking. Make this naturally vegan culinary delight ahead or at the last minute for the ultimate weeknight dinner!
Ingredient notes
- Coconut oil- Has a high heat capacity for sauteing and helps build the coconut flavor in the curry.
- Carrots, onions, garlic, and ginger- Theseeverydayvegetables are budget-friendly aromatics that add flavor and volume.
- Curry paste- I use canned paste because it's a convenient blend of Thai flavors. I love the red flavor and color, but green or yellow work great, too.
- Unsweetened canned pumpkin puree- So convenient right in the can!
- Tomatoes- I'm using fresh tomatoes, but canned tomatoes will work too.
- Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)- adds volume and protein. Use canned orpressure-cooked chickpeas.
- Lentils- I use dried brown lentils in this dish because they maintain shape and texture.
- Coconut milk- Canned coconut milk (or canned coconut cream) makes this pumpkin curry rich, but any milk variety will be delicious.
- Vegetable broth- use any cooking liquid in place of vegetable broth.
- Kale- use any loosely chopped kale or other leafy greens.
How to make pumpkin curry
This curry requires either a heavy soup pot or a pressure cooker. You'll find instructions for both in the printable recipe card below.
Here are the basic steps for the stove method. First, you'll want to sauté the onion, carrots, and garlic until tender. Then, add the Thai curry paste and sauté a bit longer to get those veggies to absorb all that rich, curry-flavored goodness.
Next, add the pumpkin puree, tomatoes, chickpeas, lentils, coconut milk, vegetable broth, salt, and kale. At this point, the curry resembles soup. However, once you boil and simmer these ingredients, your pumpkin curry will become a creamy, irresistible, comforting stew.
Note: You can cook the curry using the pressure cooker or stove as directed in the recipe card below. Both methods take about the same time, but the pressure cooker is more hands-off.
To serve, I like to drizzle coconut milk over the top, along with a few Thai basil leaves.
Recipe tips
- Grating tool:Use a Microplane fine grater tograte the ginger and garlictoensureno large chunks enter the dish.
- Spice level:I classify this entree as medium-level spicy. Green curry paste is spicy, red is medium, and yellow is mild. You can pick your curry based on your heat preference. You can make it hotter by increasing the curry paste or milder by decreasing it.
- Serving idea: I like to serve curry next to a bowl ofbrown rice,quinoa, or cauliflower rice. The grains help soak up the delicious sauce with every bite.
- Great leftovers: Pumpkin curry is as delicious on the second and third day because refrigeration and time allow the flavors to develop.
Ingredient substitutions
- Canned pumpkin- Substitute an equal amount of homemade pumpkin puree.
- Canned tomatoes- Use an equal amount of chopped, fresh tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes.
- Coconut milk- Any dairy or non-dairy milk can work for this recipe; it just won't be as thick as coconut milk.
- Lentilsorchickpeas- Substitute diced potatoes in equal amounts for either or both.
- Vegetable broth- Use any cooking liquid (water, stock, broth, etc.).
More Asian recipes
If you enjoy Asian-inspired cooking, you'll love my Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles, Thai Coconut Soup, and Thai Vegetable Coconut Curry.
📖 Recipe
Thai Pumpkin Curry Recipe
Thai pumpkin curry is a quick and easy one-pot meal made with canned pumpkin, vegetables, lentils, and chickpeas in a creamy Thai coconut curry sauce. It's so nutritious and perfect for busy weeknights.
Prep TimePrep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook TimeCook Time: 20 minutes mins
Total timeTotal Time: 30 minutes mins
Yield 8 Cups
Author Traci Antonovich
5 from 25 votes
Print Pin
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox.Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Kitchen Girl.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil or preferred oil
- 1 large Carrot diced
- ½ large Onion diced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 inch Ginger Root peeled and finely grated
- 2 tablespoons Canned Curry Paste red, yellow, or green
- 1 (15-ounce can) Unsweetened Pumpkin Puree
- 1 (15-ounce can) Crushed Tomatoes or 1.5 cups fresh tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups Cooked Chickpeas or 1 (15-ounce) can (drained)
- 1 cup Uncooked Brown Lentils
- 1 (13.5-ounce can) Coconut Milk reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish
- 1 ½ cups Vegetable Broth or any cooking liquid
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- 4 cups Kale loosely chopped
Equipment
4-quart soup pot or 6-quart pressure cooker
Instructions
Stove instructions (get pressure cooker method in footnotes)
Heat OIL in pot over medium-high heat.
Add CARROT, ONION, GARLIC, GINGER and sauté a few minutes until tender.
Add CURRY PASTE and sauté a few minutes, stirring as needed.
Stir in PUMPKIN PUREE, TOMATOES, CHICKPEAS, LENTILS, COCONUT MILK, VEGETABLE BROTH, SALT, and KALE.
Increase heat and bring just to a boil, stirring as needed.
Cover loosely and simmer 20 minutes or until lentils are cooked through, stirring as needed.
Note: To thicken the curry, continue simmering to reduce the liquid amount to your liking, stirring as needed. For a thinner consistency, add a few splashes of water or broth as needed.
Serving and storage
Serve warm garnished with Thai basil or cilantro and a drizzle of the reserved coconut milk.
To store, cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days or 30 days in the freezer (or longer if vacuum sealed). To thaw, transfer container to the refrigerator for an overnight stay and it will be ready to heat and serve.
Final step
Click stars to vote. Please visit 'Comments' below for reviews.
5 from 25 votes
Recipe Notes
Pressure Cooker Instructions
- Select "Sauté" on the cooker and add OIL. When the display reads "Hot", add CARROTS, ONIONS, GINGER, and GARLIC. Sauté until tender, stirring as needed.
Add CURRY PASTE and sauté a few minutes, stirring as needed.
- Press "Cancel". Then stir in PUMPKIN PUREE, TOMATOES, CHICKPEAS, LENTILS, COCONUT MILK, VEGETABLE BROTH, SALT, and KALE.
- Secure lid, turn pressure valve to "Sealing" position. Select "Manual" or "Pressure Cook” 6 minutes on HIGH pressure. When cook cycle is done, allow pot to sit undisturbed for a 10-minute (NPR) natural pressure release. Carefully turn pressure valve to "Venting" position to release any remaining steam.
- Remove lid, stir, and serve warm.
Did you make this recipe? I'd love to see it!Follow @thekitchengirl on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag #thekitchengirl. This always makes my day!
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 343mg | Potassium: 445mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 5564IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 2mg
Course Dinner, entree, Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan
Easy FREE recipes to your inbox weeklyJoin The Kitchen Girl community!
Reader Interactions
We love recipe feedback...
Comments
Jaybee says
Wow! I was a pumpkin curry skeptic until I had this! It really is super easy and hits the spot for Thai cravings. I love that it uses a whole can of pumpkin puree too and that it's not too pumpkin-ey, it's just right. Great recipe. thanks!Reply
Traci says
Yay!! I'm so glad you went for it and love it as much as I do! Thanks for sharing your experience and happy pumpkin season. Enjoy!!
EC says
See AlsoChicken Egg Foo Young RecipeThis recipe seems amazing but I keep getting the BURN notice in my pressure cooker. Tried adding more broth/water and still having issues.
Reply
Traci says
Hiya! This sounds like your pot isn't coming to pressure, so adding liquid doesn't solve the problem, per se. When the notice happens, it's signaling you that the cooker isn't operating as it should, often because the sealing ring isn't seated properly, but other things can cause it too.
Girlfriend says
Girlfriend, this curry is simply marvelous!! I love curries and am so glad you came up with this recipe. The use of pumpkin is genius. I followed the recipe as written but did use more carrots and a whole onion. Came out fantastic. It tastes so rich but is actually very healthy. I will be making this often this winter season. Thank you Kitchen Girl for this outstanding curry recipe.Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayyyy girlfriend!!! I'm soooo glad you're loving the pumpkin curry. I'm down with more more carrots and onions always LOL. I'm just so happy to inspire another dish for you. Woot woot!
Beth Sachs says
Such a hearty and filling curry recipe. I love how pumpkin can take on all these wonderful spices.Reply
Carrie Robinson says
I just love curry! I can't wait to try this fall flavor twist. 🙂Reply
Sara Welch says
Served this for dinner last night and it does not disappoint! So rich and creamy, and just in time for fall! Looking forward to enjoying this all season long!Reply
Pat says
This was so good! we love pumpkin and curries. It will be a repeat meal for us all fall and winter. I did bump up the spice for us
Jessica Formicola says
I love pumpkin this time of year, but especially love when it's made into savory dishes! My family loved this and I can't wait to make it again!Reply
Tara says
Such an amazing one pot seasonal meal! Love the use of pumpkin. All those flavors sound incredible.Reply
Aimee Robinson says
Recipe looks good! Can I add chicken? If so, would the cooking time change?
Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Aimee, yes you can always add cooked chicken after the curry has cooked. But you can also drop any boneless chicken piece(s) in there and it'll cook perfectly in the given amount of time. Let me know if you have more questions...I'm here for it 🙂
Maria says
I'm a huge fan of curry! But I never heard of mixing pumpkin with it. I should try this tonight.Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Oh yes! If you love curry, you'll love this fall recipe. Enjoy!
Beth says
This Thai pumpkin curry sounds wonderful and so flavorful! My husband and I love curry, and we can't wait to try this one for fall! Such a filling and very tasty recipe!Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! Hope you enjoy, Beth!
Pam says
We loved this curry and we made ours quite spicy! Thanks for sharing this recipe.Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome! I'm no stranger to the spicy also LOL. Thanks for the review!
Alison says
This is a such a flavorful and nutritious dish packed with veggies! It's a feel good from the inside out kind of recipe!Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! So glad you like it 🙂 Thanks so much
Rika says
This is my favorite type of curry to make on a cold day! It's so easy to make and very filling.Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Yes! Cue up the cool weather curries 🙂 Thanks!
Carrie says
I am such a huge fan of curry! I am loving this pumpkin twist. 🙂Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Yesss! So glad you're enjoying it...thanks! 🙂 It's my fav during the fall (but I'll eat it anytime of the year LOL)
