Chickpea Pumpkin Curry

This is a really comforting pumpkin chickpea curry without tomatoes, exactly what’s needed on chilly evenings. It’s not a traditional curry by any means as far as I can tell – rather kind of a mix between a Thai and Indian curry, with a thinner base made with coconut milk, but a dry spice mix adding lots of savoury flavour.

Serve with brown rice for a healthier meal or go for vegan naan if you want maximum comfort food. Rice is definitely lower effort and just as good, but you’ll want some kind of grain/carb to soak things up here. Quinoa, roti, whatever you like.

Pumpkins, if cured and stored correctly, will keep well into the winter months. With chard or kale, this is seasonally appropriate right through until spring using stored pumpkins.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

With pumpkin, chickpeas, greens, and a good spice mix, this is exactly what I want most autumn and winter days. Pumpkins are great at this time of year. They’ve been harvested now and are readily available, cheap, and delicious.

• Easy ingredients: while it looks like a long ingredient list, much of that is made up from dry spices that are common in most spice cabinets. Otherwise the ingredients are either pantry friendly or long-lasting vegetables.
• It’s vegan and gluten-free: with no changes to the recipe, it’s already free from dairy, eggs, and gluten. While this is a common weeknight dinner for us, I also like to make it for guests with allergies.
• It’s ready quickly: with just a half hour cooking time, this is ready in 40 minutes from start to finish. You can have dinner on the table in no time.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Greens: the type of greens used can be altered depending on what you have on hand. Chard, kale, spinach, and rucola can all be added interchangeably – though you may want to cook the kale for a minute or two rather than adding it at the end to wilt. Frozen greens can be used too.
• Spices: Fresh turmeric can be used in place of dried (I list dried as it’s more readily available). Mince it and add alongside the ginger and garlic. You’ll need a pinkie-sized piece, or a generous teaspoon minced.
• Chickpeas: either cooked or canned, but be sure to drain and rinse canned chickpeas very well before adding them.
• Coconut milk: I’ve tried this recipe with the coconut cream that comes in a block, and it doesn’t work very well. Stick to canned for the best results.

Step by Step

1. Make the base: cook the onions, garlic, and ginger, and heat the spice mixture.
2. Add pumpkin: stir in the pumpkin pieces to coat in the spices.

3. Add liquids: stir in the coconut milk and water and bring to a low boil.
4. Cook: reduce to a simmer and cook until the pumpkin is soft, then stir in the greens and serve.

If you can’t see the recipe video, please watch it here on YouTube instead.

Recipe Notes

Use a type of pumpkin (winter squash) that doesn’t need to be peeled if you can. Hokkaido pumpkin is pictured and it’s great – no peeling and a delicious, firm orange flesh. This might be called red kuri where you are.

Try to be mindful of the rate at which the curry is boiling, and keep it to a low boil and immediately reduce the heat to simmer. Coconut milk has a tendency to separate when boiled, and it likely will here if boiled too long. A gentle heat is key.

How to Store

Storage: refrigerate cooled curry in a sealed container for 2-3 days. Reheat as usual before serving.

Freezing: freeze any leftovers in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating as usual.

What to Serve with this Curry

Pumpkin curry is best served with flatbread or rice. Use cooked brown rice or another grain, or make a batch of vegan naan as pictured. For a faster option, you can make sweet potato flatbread instead, which doesn’t need yeast.

For a refreshing side to cut through the richness, serve with a vegetable salad. A vegan cucumber salad is reminiscent of raita and a nice fresh option to have, or go for a warm pumpkin salad if you prefer pure comfort food.

Expert Tips

• Deglaze the pot: don’t worry if you have some spices or little pieces of ginger sticking slightly to the pot during cooking. The apple cider vinegar lifts any of these stubborn bits and they just add flavour!
• Be flexible about pumpkin type: can’t get a hokkaido pumpkin? Butternut is great instead! It needs to be peeled, of course, and is slightly sweeter, but works well. Any kind of winter squash can be used if you have access to less common varieties, too.
• Thicken if you’d like: this curry is definitely on the broth-y side of things, definitely a bit soupy. If you prefer more heft, reduce the amount of water by half or add more vegetables.
• Cook rice simultaneously: conveniently, brown rice also takes 40 minutes to cook. Start the rice before you start the curry and they’ll be ready at the same time.

More Seasonal Curries and Stews

Cauliflower, Sweet Potato, and Chickpea Curry
Yellow Curry Noodle Bowls
Moroccan Chickpea, Sweet Potato, and Kale Stew
Cauliflower Tikka Masala

If you make this Pumpkin Chickpea Curry or any other vegetarian main dishes on Occasionally Eggs, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more OE, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, purchase the Occasionally Eggs cookbook, or subscribe for new posts via email.

This post was originally published in November 2016. It has been updated most recently as of October 2022.