I am so excited to add this vegetarian pumpkin curry full of Thai flavors to my regular rotation! Simple, flavorful, healthy, easy to make – this curry is a wonderful weeknight meal that I can quickly and easily make right after I come home from work.
I can’t even begin to describe how good this is! When I made this pumpkin curry I was just curious to see if the Thai flavors worked well with the pumpkin. Well, here I am, making this curry for the second time, and, yes, the pumpkin-Thai combination works amazingly well! This curry has a touch of coconut milk, red curry paste, a little bit of honey – all the basic ingredients you need to make a simple and flavorful Thai curry. Not only is it amazingly tasty, it is also vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, very low in fat and calories! And full of nutrients, thanks to pumpkin! I’d say it’s a pretty good recipe to have in your repertoire!
MY OTHER VIDEOSTo make it even healthier, I am serving this curry over quinoa, which is gluten free and high in protein!
Keep in mind, that different brands of red curry paste have different levels of spiciness, so start with only 1 tablespoon of red curry paste to see if it’s too spicy for you. Then add 1 more if you like. Also, please note that this is a SAVORY recipe, and the honey here is used to balance the flavors and not to sweeten the curry. That’s why I add the honey only in the very end, after seasoning the curry with salt. That way you use honey to balance the flavors in the same way you use a touch of sugar to balance the acidity of tomatoes in a homemade tomato sauce. So, start only with 1 tablespoon of honey (after seasoning the curry with salt), and then add another one (or 2) if you like. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (from the can or homemade)
- 1 cup canned tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable stock or water
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 can black beans (15 oz, 425 g), rinsed and drained
- 1/2 can garbanzo beans (7.5 oz, 212 g) or white beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 or 2 tablespoons red curry paste (use less or more of the paste, depending on how spicy it is, and then add more, to taste)
- 2 or 3 tablespoons honey (or, use agave nectar or maple syrup for vegan version)
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
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, black beans, and garbanzo beans (both beans should be rinsed and drained). Add 1 tablespoon of red curry paste, stir everything well, and season with salt and pepper. Taste your curry, season with more salt if needed. Add another tablespoon of red curry paste, if desired. (Note: 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).
- I find it important that you start adding honey only after you’ve seasoned the curry with salt, because we’re using honey here not to really sweeten the curry but to balance the flavors. Add 1 tablespoon of honey (after seasoning with salt), taste your curry. Add another tablespoon (or 2) of honey if it suits your taste.
- 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.
If you like PUMPKIN, I have a wonderful board on Pinterest for you:
Your recipe is delicious. I’ve tried it many times and it was amazing. I have one question though, now it’s not the season for pumpkin, and I can’t find canned pumpkin were I live, canI substitute pumpkin puree with sweet potato puree? I think it’s the same consistency. Thank you
Hi Raluca,
Yes, I think you can use sweet potato puree instead of pumpkin. The flavor after all spices are added in should be pretty similar.