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This pumpkin curry combines tender chunks of pumpkin, chickpeas, and spinach in a creamy tomato and coconut sauce. Onion, garlic, ginger, and warming spices give it plenty of flavor, while a squeeze of lime adds a fresh finish. It has the same cozy, creamy character as a chickpea curry, but with tender pumpkin and spinach added to the mix.
For this curry, I keep the pumpkin in fairly generous pieces and add the chickpeas toward the end of cooking. That way, the pumpkin becomes tender without being stirred into a mash. The spinach goes in last, just long enough to wilt, before everything is spooned over fluffy jasmine rice.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Pumpkin: Use a cooking pumpkin, such as a sugar or pie pumpkin, rather than a large carving pumpkin. Cooking varieties generally have more flavorful, less watery flesh. Peel it, remove the seeds and stringy center, and weigh the prepared flesh.
- Chickpeas: Use canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or chickpeas you have already cooked. This recipe does not use dried, uncooked chickpeas.
- Tomato passata: Look for passata or plain strained tomatoes. This is a smooth tomato purée with the skins and seeds removed, not tomato juice or concentrated tomato paste. For US readers, “passata (strained tomatoes)” is the clearest wording. (Mutti) Plain, unseasoned canned tomato sauce is an alternative here; avoid substituting a strongly seasoned pasta sauce.
- Coconut milk and vegetable stock: Use unsweetened, full-fat canned coconut milk and low-sodium vegetable stock. Choose canned coconut milk for this recipe rather than a coconut milk beverage.
- Olive oil and aromatics: Onion, fresh garlic, grated ginger, and finely chopped red chili form the base. For a gentler curry, use a mild chili and remove its seeds and white ribs.
- Spices: Mild curry powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, and sweet paprika, plus salt and black pepper.
- Spinach: Use fresh baby spinach, or roughly chop larger spinach leaves and remove any tough stems.
- To serve: Cooked jasmine rice and lime wedges. Serve the lime alongside so everyone can add a squeeze to their bowl.
See the recipe card below for the full ingredient quantities.
How to make pumpkin curry
Wash the pumpkin and place it on a stable cutting board. Cut it into manageable wedges, scoop out the seeds and stringy center, and carefully remove the skin. Cut the flesh into roughly 1-inch pieces, keeping them reasonably even. Weigh the pumpkin after peeling and removing the seeds.
Finely chop the onion and chili, mince the garlic, and grate the ginger. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent. It does not need to brown.
Add the chili, garlic, and ginger and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the curry powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Stir for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant, without letting the spices or garlic burn.
Pour in the passata, coconut milk, and vegetable stock. Stir well, scraping up anything sticking to the bottom of the pot, then bring the sauce just to a boil.
Add the pumpkin and stir gently to coat it in the sauce. Return to a simmer, then reduce the heat and partially cover the pot. Cook at a gentle simmer for approximately 20–30 minutes, stirring carefully from time to time. Start checking after 15 minutes. The pumpkin should be almost tender, with a little resistance remaining in the center. Add a small splash of stock if the sauce becomes too thick before the pumpkin is nearly cooked.
Gently fold in the drained chickpeas and simmer for about 5 minutes, until heated through and the pumpkin is fork-tender but still holds its shape. A fork should slide easily into a piece of pumpkin without the piece immediately falling apart.
Add the spinach in handfuls, folding it gently into the hot curry. Cook for 1–2 minutes, just until wilted, then turn off the heat. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
Spoon the curry over freshly cooked jasmine rice, with some of the sauce settling into the rice. Add a lime wedge to each bowl and squeeze it over just before eating.
Tips for keeping the pumpkin tender, not mushy
- Check the pumpkin rather than relying only on the timer. Begin testing a piece before the end of the suggested cooking time, and move on to the chickpeas as soon as the pumpkin is nearly tender.
- Keep the simmer gentle and stir carefully. Fold the ingredients together with a large spoon rather than stirring vigorously, especially toward the end.
- Adjust the sauce before adding the spinach. Add a splash of stock to loosen it. To thicken it, simmer briefly with the lid off. If the pumpkin is already fully tender, lift the pieces out temporarily while reducing the sauce, then gently return them to the pot.
Storage
If you have leftovers, let the curry cool slightly, then transfer it to shallow, airtight containers and refrigerate it within two hours. It will keep well in the fridge for 3–4 days. I recommend storing the curry separately from the rice so the rice doesn’t soak up too much of the sauce.
To freeze: The curry also freezes well. Divide it into individual portions and freeze for up to 3 months for the best quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
To reheat: Warm the curry gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat, adding a small splash of water or vegetable stock if the sauce has thickened in the fridge. Stir occasionally until heated through. For food safety, leftovers should reach 165°F throughout before serving.
More cozy recipes to try
If you are looking for more comforting, plant-based recipes, here are a few flavorful favorites to make next.
I’d love to hear how your pumpkin chickpea curry turns out! Please leave a star rating and a comment below. Your feedback means so much and helps other readers find this recipe too.
Pumpkin Curry
Ingredients
For the curry
- 2 pounds pumpkin peeled, seeded, and cut into roughly 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger freshly grated
- 1 small red chili finely chopped
- 2 cups tomato passata (strained tomatoes)
- 1 can (13.5 ounces) full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock plus more as needed
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon mild curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
To serve
- cooked jasmine rice
- 1 lime cut into wedges
Instructions
- Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds and stringy center, and cut the flesh into roughly 1-inch pieces. Weigh out the prepared pumpkin. Chop the onion and chili, mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and drain and rinse the chickpeas.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent. It does not need to brown.
- Add the chili, garlic, and ginger and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the curry powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Stir for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant, without letting the spices or garlic burn.
- Pour in the passata, coconut milk, and vegetable stock. Stir well, scraping up anything sticking to the bottom of the pot. Bring the sauce just to a boil.
- Add the pumpkin and stir gently to coat it in the sauce. Return to a simmer, then reduce the heat and partially cover the pot. Cook at a gentle simmer for approximately 20–30 minutes, stirring carefully from time to time. Start checking after 15 minutes. The pumpkin should be almost tender, with a little resistance remaining in the center. Add a small splash of stock if the sauce becomes too thick.
- Gently fold in the drained chickpeas and simmer for about 5 minutes, until heated through and the pumpkin is fork-tender but still holds its shape.
- Add the spinach in handfuls, folding it gently into the hot curry. Cook for 1–2 minutes, just until wilted, then turn off the heat. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
- Spoon the curry over cooked jasmine rice and serve with lime wedges for squeezing over individual portions.
Notes
- Pumpkin: The recipe calls for 2 pounds of prepared pumpkin, after peeling and removing the seeds. Sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin works well. Cut the pumpkin into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- Cooking time: The cooking time can vary depending on the pumpkin and the size of the pieces. Start checking around 15 minutes and cook until the pumpkin is fork-tender but still holds its shape.
- Chickpeas: Canned chickpeas are used for convenience. Drain and rinse them before adding them toward the end of cooking so they warm through without becoming too soft.
- Sauce consistency: The curry should be creamy and saucy enough to spoon over rice. If it becomes too thick, add a splash of vegetable stock. If it is too thin, simmer uncovered for a few minutes.
- Tomato passata: Plain, unseasoned canned tomato sauce can be used instead of passata. Avoid tomato paste or tomato juice, as they will change the consistency of the curry.
- Spice level: Use a mild red chili for gentle heat, or remove the seeds and white ribs for an even milder curry. For more heat, leave some of the seeds in or use a hotter chili.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in shallow, airtight containers within two hours and use within 3–4 days. The curry can also be frozen for up to 3 months for the best quality. Store it separately from the rice.
- Serving: Serve the curry over jasmine rice with lime wedges. A squeeze of fresh lime just before eating brightens the creamy sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
