Recipe Rundown: Lentil Pumpkin Curry

• Texture: a fairly thin curry, you’ll probably want some bread or grains to serve alongside, unless you’re looking for something more soup-like. The pumpkin is soft and the lentils should still have a bit of bite.
• Flavour: turmeric is the leading spice here but there is quite a bit of warmth from the ginger and hot pepper flakes – omit the latter if you’re sensitive – plus sweetness from pumpkin and coconut milk.
• Difficulty: pretty easy. As long as you give the onions enough time to cook you’ll be fine.

Ingredients

• Pumpkin: I prefer a thin-skinned slightly starchy winter squash like hokkaido (red kuri). You can use any winter squash but try to choose something with some sweetness and avoid stringy varieties like spaghetti squash.
• Spices: this is a blend of spices but you can use your favourite curry powder if preferred.
• Greens: frozen are cheaper and easier to that’s what I usually go for, unless I have my own garden space. Spinach is excellent but chard, kale, and rucola (rocket/arugula) are all good if you don’t mind a little more flavour in your hardy greens.
• Lentils: brown lentils are great here. Any dried lentils will work, even red – note that red lentils will change the texture – but this recipe isn’t meant for canned lentils. They need to soak up some of the liquid from the coconut milk or the curry will be far too thin.
• Coconut milk: I’ve only tested this with full-fat coconut milk. Light should be fine, but the curry will be a little thinner and less flavourful.

For more winter squash main dishes, try my vegan butternut squash mac and cheese, chickpea pumpkin curry, and pumpkin cauliflower tray bake.

Step by Step Photos

Step 1: dice and cook the onions in oil until translucent.

Step 2: cook the pumpkin, garlic, and ginger for another five minutes.

Step 3: briefly toast the spices, stirring to coat the pumpkin.

Step 4: add the coconut milk, water, and salt and bring to a low boil.

Step 5: stir in the lentils and cook for about 20 minutes.

Step 6: add the greens and thaw before serving.

Expert Tips

• Use whole spices: if you can get them, whole cumin and coriander have a stronger, punchier flavour than pre-ground. If you don’t like crunching down on the spice, grind them yourself before adding. This isn’t mandatory but does boost flavour (if you find that your curries seem bland, it’s probably due to old spices).
• Season to taste: this is for anything you’re cooking. I can give you a rough guide for how much salt to add but everyone has an individual preference for salt and you should taste as you cook to make sure it suits you. Note that lentils will soak up quite a bit of that seasoning and you might need to add more than you think.
• Add a splash of vinegar: acid is also part of seasoning, and sometimes if a rich meal like this tastes flat it needs a little acid. Just a teaspoon or so of apple cider vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice can be added if the curry is salty enough but still tastes a little bland to you.

Serve with Pumpkin Curry

This is a thinner, more soup-like dish that benefits from some added rice, other grains, or bread. Pictured is my spelt flatbread and if you prefer not to use yeast you could also try this sweet potato flatbread. If you have the time and want to put a little extra effort in, you could do spelt naan.

A quick light and bright side dish can help cut through the richness here. Try serving alongside crunchy mango kohlrabi salad or an adaptable Swiss chard salad. If cucumber is still in season when you’re eating pumpkin, during that crossover period, you could try vegan cucumber salad.

More Curry Inspired Mains

This type of meal is something we make all year round, using seasonal ingredients and a variety of legumes. It’s so simple, filling, and comforting, especially during the colder times of year.

• One my go-to recipes when I don’t have a lot of veg in the house, this red lentil curry is made with only onions and carrots, but it’s fantastic. A long cooking time brings out sweetness in the vegetables and sliced onions add a different texture.
• A more summery option, cauliflower tikka masala is a vegetarian alternative and so satisfying. This version adds chickpeas for extra protein.
• Another brown lentil recipe, my lentil mushroom curry is meaty thanks to well-seared mushrooms, and yogurt adds a bit of creaminess instead of coconut milk.
• If you want to try something with more winter squash, my butternut squash and chickpea curry is similar to this recipe but with chickpeas in place of lentils and added tomatoes.