Pumpkin, coconut milk and peanut butter curry served over quinoa - delicious Asian-inspired recipe.
This recipe combines a lot of my favorite flavors together: Thai spices + pumpkin + peanut butter + black beans + some honey + just a little bit of coconut milk (only ¼ cup for a whole recipe). The resulting dish is a hearty, Asian-inspired curry with just the right amount of heat, spice, sweetness and creaminess.
Peanut butter does wonders in this recipe adding silky creaminess and an amazing flavor. Use creamy variety, such as JiF brand of peanut butter. This curry is really great when served over quinoa.
Not only is this coconut peanut curry delicious, it is also quite healthy, full of nutrients and veggies. It's vegetarian, low-calorie, low-fat, and gluten-free. And, it looks pretty, too (hopefully, the photos show it - I was in a big hurry, so I just took a few simple photos). What's not to like?
Recipe notes
- This recipes makes 4 moderate size servings. You can easily double the recipe if you want bigger portions or if serving more than 4 people.
- Various brands of red curry paste have different degrees of spiciness. Be careful not to add too much of red curry paste if it is of a spicier variety. Note that Thai Kitchen brand makes red curry paste of moderate spiciness, their paste is not overly spicy.
- Serve over quinoa. Cook 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water and ¼ teaspoon salt. This will make about 3 cups of cooked quinoa.

Pumpkin, Coconut and Peanut Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion , chopped
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 cup pumpkin puree , from the can or homemade
- 1 cup tomatoes , from the can
- 1 cup vegetable stock or water
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste (use less or more of the paste, depending on how spicy it is, and then add more, to taste)
- 4 tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 15 oz black beans from the can, rinsed and drained
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot or skillet, cook chopped onion and minced garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes on medium heat until soft.
- Add pumpkin, canned tomatoes (chop them up into smaller chunks), vegetable stock (or water), coconut milk, 1 tablespoon of red curry paste, 3 tablespoons of honey, and creamy peanut butter. Stir everything well, and season with salt and pepper.
- Add black beans and stir. Taste your curry, season with more salt if needed. Adding enough salt (not too little) to the curry is very important to its flavor.
- Add more honey if desired. Add another tablespoon of red curry paste, if desired. Add more peanut butter, if desired.
- Bring to boil, make sure to stir all ingredients well together to combine flavors and spices. Reduce to simmer and cook for 15 minutes on very low simmer.
- Serve with quinoa, garnished with chopped green onion.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
What a lovely healthy meal! I love the sound of curry and quinoa together, and it definitely looks like a pretty dish! I adore your pictures : )
I love everything about this! Pumpkin, coconut milk, curry paste, and quinoa are some of my favorite things. 🙂
I've made curry with pumpkin before - but using peanut butter and coconut milk and pumpkin is just BRILLIANT!
Shashi, this is my most favorite pumpkin curry to-date! I love all pumpkin curries, but peanut butter just makes it so delicious!
I would love to try this...the combination of flavors is very intriguing. Looks delicious and nutritious! 🙂 ela
You had me at peanut butter and coconut! Yum, this sounds divine... an easy, nutritious and delicious curry that I know I'll be making regularly for after-work dinners 🙂 Thanks Julia. Gorgeous pics, too xx
Thank you, Laura! 🙂 This makes a great after-work dinner for sure! 🙂
Wow, the curry looks so yummy. Love the flavors and thai is one of my favorite cuisine.
I don't make curry nearly enough, but based on this dish I should be making it all the time! Yum!
That looks like a good healthy meal. It's not easy to make a dish like that look good but your photos are great.
You're right! I also did not have the right bowl - this would've looked better in a bowl vs. spread out on the plate. 🙂
I've been using quinoa (or barley) more and more in places where I'd normally use rice. It works so well! It must be wonderful with this great looking curry. I always have peanut butter in the house (and canned pumpkin, too) so this is an easy dish for me to make. Terrific recipe - thanks.
You know, it hits December and I totally forget about pumpkin! But I really shouldn't! This sounds awesome - especially with the peanut butter and little bit of coconut milk!
I still have a huge can of canned pumpkin that reminds me that I have to make pumpkin recipes even though it's not November anymore! 🙂