This fragrant Indian-inspired one-pot pumpkin curry is super creamy (using fresh or canned pumpkin purée) and loaded with veggies for a healthy, comforting, and satisfying vegetable curry! Even better, this recipe is naturally dairy-free (vegan), gluten-free, and can be cooked on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot!

Prep 13 minutes mins

Cook 12 minutes mins

Total 25 minutes mins

Ingredients

• ▢ ½ tbsp oil or water (if oil-free)
• ▢ 1 medium (110 g) onion chopped
• ▢ 1 cup (150 g) carrot chopped
• ▢ ¾ cup (80 g) bell pepper chopped
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 2- inch (5 cm) fresh ginger minced
• ▢ ½ tbsp curry powder
• ▢ ¾ tsp ground turmeric
• ▢ 1 tsp ground cumin
• ▢ ¾ tsp salt or less/more to taste
• ▢ ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ▢ ¼ tsp black pepper or less/more to taste
• ▢ ½ cup (125 g) passata or tomato sauce
• ▢ 2 cups (500 g) pumpkin puree (see notes)
• ▢ 1/2-1 cup (120-240 ml) vegetable broth see notes
• ▢ ¾ cup (180 ml) coconut milk canned (see notes)
• ▢ 6-8 leaves of fresh kale chopped (or use spinach)
• ▢ Fresh herbs to garnish e.g. parsley, cilantro
• ▢ Lime juice or lemon juice to drizzle
• ▢ Cooked rice to serve

Instructions

• You can watch the video in the post for visual instructions.Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté the onion, carrot, and bell pepper for about 4-5 minutes.

• Stir in garlic and fresh ginger and sauté for a further 1 minute.

• Add all spices, passata, pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, and coconut milk. Stir to combine.

• Bring the mixture to a simmer. Let simmer on low heat for about 5-8 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Optional: You can also add cooked chickpeas for additional protein.

• Finally, add the kale and let simmer for a further 1-2 minutes, then turn off the heat.

• Taste and adjust seasonings. Add more salt, pepper, and/or red pepper flakes (if you like it spicy), etc. to taste.

• Serve with rice or naan bread. Enjoy warm!

Notes

• Pumpkin puree: Use store-bought or homemade. For homemade, slice the pumpkin in quarters, scoop out the seeds, and peel the skin. Then rub with a little oil and bake at 400F/205C for 40-60 minutes, or until tender. If you want to make a chunky pumpkin curry, chop the pumpkin into wedges then 1-inch pieces before baking (and reduce baking time to around 30 minutes). When cooked, transfer the pumpkin to a blender/food processor to process until smooth (keep some chunks to one side for a chunky version).
• Vegetable broth: Depending on your pumpkin puree, you will need to add less vegetable broth (if the puree is runny). Mine was quite firm, so I added 1 cup (check the step-by-step photos and video in the post).
• Canned coconut milk: For a creamier, richer curry, you can add more coconut milk and reduce the vegetable broth accordingly. Use a dairy-free cream (like oat cream or soy cream) if you don't like the coconut taste.

Comments

1. Pamela

• 24. November, 2024 at 11:14

• Amazing! I made it last night, subbed powdered ginger as no fresh, green bell pepper and half coconut block. Best thing I’ve made and eaten for ages. Thanks so much!

• Carolyn

  22. January, 2024 at 07:44

  I made this last night for the first and not the last time! Delicious and healthy and surprisingly filling. Versatile as well – today I may add red pepper flakes or some hot sauce to rev up the heat on a freezing cold winter day.. Thanks for a great meal!

• Danita

  16. December, 2023 at 15:01

1. I stumbled upon this recipe as a when I searched for pumpkin curry. I wanted to use my last sugar pumpkin from Halloween. Wonderful recipe. I loved having some pumpkin chunks in the final dish. I did the instant pot method and it worked fine. I upped all of the spices a bit and added 1/2 t of Kashmiri red pepper as we like spicy food. I also added the optional chickpeas at the end to increase the protein. Used fresh baby spinach vs kale. Served with brown rice and some frozen aloo paratha’s I had purchased at our local Indian grocery store. I heated them on a small griddle. Great meal. thanks