Thai Coconut Pumpkin Curry

Do you ever find yourself with too much fresh pumpkin on your hands? I sure do! I tend to get pretty excited in the fall and buy up an abundance of pumpkin (and other winter squash) without a plan. The thing about pumpkin in particular though, is that just one of them will give you more than you need for most recipes…so once you cut into it you need to figure out what to do with it! This curry is my new answer for using up a good amount of fresh pumpkin. It’s really easy to throw together, so it’s a great recipe to keep on hand this time of year.

What You’ll Need

Oil. The recipe calls for peanut oil, but any high-heat oil can be substituted, such as canola, avocado, or coconut oil.Onion.Garlic. Ginger.Red curry paste. Check the ingredients on this, as not all Thai curry paste is vegan. They also vary quite a bit in heat level. Thai Kitchen is a popular vegan brand to use if you prefer a milder curry, and Maesri is a good one that packs plenty of heat.Cinnamon.Coconut milk. This is the base for your Thai curry sauce. Preferably use full-fat coconut milk from a can. Light coconut milk can be subbed, but your curry won’t be nearly as rich and creamy. I don’t recommend using any other variety of non-dairy milk unless you absolutely hate coconut.Pumpkin. Don’t use just any pumpkin here! An ornamental jack-o-lantern style pumpkin will give you a bland and watery curry. Go for it’s sweeter and more flavorful relative, the sugar pumpkin, or another culinary variety. You could also use another type of winter squash, such as acorn or butternut squash, or even sweet potatoes!Brown sugar. Use organic sugar to keep the recipe vegan.Lime juice. Use freshly squeezed for the best flavor.Basil. If you can get your hands on it, I absolutely recommend using Thai basil — it adds a wonderful flavor to the dish! If not, no worries! Use Italian basil.Salt.Cashews. You can leave these out or substitute peanuts if they’re not your thing.Rice. I like to serve my curry over jasmine rice, but regular white rice, brown rice, or just about any variety will do!

How to Make Pumpkin Curry

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d prefer to skip right to the recipe!

Heat up some oil in a large pot, then add diced onion. Cook the diced onion for a few minutes until it starts to soften up, then add the garlic, ginger, curry paste, and cinnamon. The recipe gives you a range as far as how much curry paste to use — I recommend starting with less if you’re not sure, then taste-testing after adding the coconut milk and adding more paste if needed.Stir in diced pumpkin, coconut milk, and brown sugar. Bring the coconut milk up to a simmer, stirring the pot occasionally as it heats up.Lower the heat and place the lid on your pot. Let it simmer with the lid on for the first 5 minutes of cooking, then remove the lid and continue simmering until the sauce is thick and the pumpkin is tender.

Take the pot off of the burner and stir in some lime juice, fresh basil and salt. Adjust any other seasonings, such as brown sugar, to your taste.

Serve your curry over rice and topped with cashews. Dig in!