This warming Pumpkin Lentil Curry is just what you need for cold autumn days! Packed with healthy ingredients, high in protein, and absolutely delicious!
If youโre looking for a hearty pumpkin dish, this Pumpkin Lentil Curry is perfect! It’s high in protein, full of fiber, warming, and so flavorful! The aromatic spices combined with the nutty and slightly sweet butternut squash, spinach, and protein-rich red lentils make an unbeatable combination. Plus, the addition of coconut milk makes the curry wonderfully creamy.
I love serving this Butternut Squash Lentil Curry as a warming dinner when itโs cold and dreary outside. Itโs a meal that warms you up, nourishes you with good nutrients, and leaves you with a great feel-good effect! I like to serve it with jasmine or basmati rice, making it a satisfying main dish. Plus, it’s vegan, gluten-free, super easy to make, and perfect for meal prep!
Why Youโll Love This Pumpkin Curry
Ingredients
See recipe card for quantities.
- Pumpkin: I love using butternut squash because of its nutty flavor, but it also works well with red kuri squash.
- Red Lentils: These add protein and keep you full longer. You could also use yellow lentils.
- Spinach: Frozen spinach works great in curries and provides a good dose of iron.
- Tomato: I prefer using a fresh, ripe tomato.
- Onion, Garlic, Fresh Ginger, Olive Oil
- Lemon: Grated zest and fresh lemon juice give the curry a lovely freshness and citrusy note.
- Ground Turmeric, Cumin, Coriander, Curry Powder, Red Curry Paste, Tomato Paste: These spices give your curry its unforgettable flavor. The red curry paste adds a mild heat – feel free to add more if you like it spicier!
- Coconut Milk & Vegetable Broth: This is the base for cooking the curry and adds wonderful creaminess.
- Peanut Butter, Soy Sauce, Sugar: For seasoning and balance.
- Rice & Cilantro: Serve your curry with basmati or jasmine rice, and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Visual Step-by-Step Instructions
This visual step-by-step instruction will help you along the way โ definitely recommended if youโre a cooking beginner!
- Heat a large skillet or large pot with olive oil. Add the minced onion, garlic, and ginger, sautรฉ over medium heat for 3 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, curry paste, and spices, and sautรฉ for 2 more minutes while stirring constantly.
- Peel the pumpkin, scrape out the seeds, and dice it. Add the diced pumpkin, tomato, and lentils to the pan, and sautรฉ for another 5 minutes.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and coconut milk, cover with a lid, and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.Season to taste with lemon zest and juice, peanut butter, soy sauce, and sugar.
- Serve the Pumpkin Lentil Curry with rice and sprinkle with chopped cilantro!
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Storage & Freezing Instructions
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. When reheating in the microwave or in a pot, add a few splashes of water or vegetable broth to loosen it up, as it will thicken quite a bit in the refrigerator.
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You can also freeze this curry. Store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw it straight from frozen in a pot over medium heat.
Variations
- Tomato: Instead of a fresh tomato, you can use a can (14 oz) of diced tomatoes.
- Curry Paste: This curry works well with either red or yellow Thai curry paste. If you donโt have any on hand, you can skip it and add a pinch of cayenne pepper instead.
- Spinach: Feel free to use 3.5 oz of fresh baby spinach instead of frozen spinach. Another option is to swap the spinach for kale.
- Serve the curry with naan bread or pita bread instead of rice.
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๐ Recipe
Pumpkin Lentil Curry
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Ingredients
- ยพ cup jasmine rice or basmati rice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ยฝ inch piece ginger minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp red curry paste
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 7 oz butternut squash diced, or red kuri squash (about 3 cups diced)
- 1 large tomato cubed (approx. 2 cups)
- ยฝ cup red lentils
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 3.5 oz frozen spinach
- ยฝ lemon grated zest & juice
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- ยฝ tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- ยฝ bunch cilantro to garnish
Instructions
- Cookย riceย according to package instructions. โย I always use a rice cooker for jasmine rice.
- Heat a large skillet withย olive oil. Add the mincedย onion, garlic, and ginger,ย sautรฉ over medium heat for 3 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, curry paste, and spices, and sautรฉ for 2 more minutes while stirring constantly.
- Peel the pumpkin, scrape out the seeds, and dice it. Add the diced pumpkin, tomato, and lentils to the pan, and sautรฉ for another 5 minutes.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and coconut milk, cover with a lid, and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Season with lemon zest and juice, peanut butter, soy sauce, and sugar.
- Serve the Pumpkin Lentil Curry with rice and garnish with chopped cilantro!
Notes
- Curry Paste: This curry works well with either red or yellow Thai curry paste. If you donโt have any on hand, you can skip it and add a pinch of cayenne pepper instead.
- Tomato: Instead of a fresh tomato, you can use a can (14 oz) of diced tomatoes.
- Spinach: Feel free to use 3.5 oz of fresh baby spinach instead of frozen spinach.
- Store: Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in a pan on the stove with a little splash of water to loosen it up.
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