Pumpkin Curry Recipe

This Pumpkin Curry is simply the best with full flavors and deliciousness! An easy one-pot dish layered with so many fabulous flavors from pumpkin, spices, onions, tomatoes, herbs, coconut or almonds (optional). This Homestyle Pumpkin Curry is healthy, comforting and a go-to meat-free dish. It goes well over hot steamed rice, quinoa, and millets. Pumpkin curry can also be eaten with Poori, Chapati/ roti, Paratha, Butter Naan or other kinds of flatbreads or even with Dosas & bread. It is Vegan & Gluten-free!

About Pumpkin Curry

This Pumpkin Curry is made in Indian style, where diced pumpkin is simmered in a curry base made with chopped onions, tomatoes, garam masala, cumin and other pantry staples. Various whole and ground spices compliment the earthy sweet flavor of pumpkin.

Coconut milk or almond milk is optionally used to enhance the nutty flavor and sweet notes of the dish.

This is a South & North Indian fusion recipe, so you will find ingredients from both South & North Indian cuisines. The original recipe from my Mom has been tweaked, resulting in an extremely flavorful and delicious curry.

Originally Black Chickpeas also known as Kala Chana were added to this pumpkin kurma curry, which imparts a nutty and earthy flavor to the dish. However you may add some marinated and pan-fried tofu or Black eyed peas or white chickpeas just like the way I did.

You can refer to this Tofu Curry recipe to marinate & pan-fry the tofu first. Add the tofu cubes towards the end, before finishing the dish.

Fresh coconut paste is another ingredient that went into this traditional dish, which can be replaced with coconut milk or almond milk. You may simply leave out as well. But I prefer to use almond milk which I make by grinding almond flour (or almonds) with little water. If canned coconut milk fits into your diet, you may use that as well.

The combination of spices is what makes this pumpkin curry taste so good, so I would suggest using all the spices if possible, including the whole spices. I have more details in the pro tips section below.

More Pumpkin & Butternut Squash Recipes
Butternut Squash Curry
Kaddu ki Sabzi
Pumpkin pulusu
Dal Pumpkin
Pumkin halwa
Pumpkin kheer

Photo Guide

How to Make Pumpkin Curry (Stepwise Photos)

Preparation

1. For this recipe, you will need about 350 grams pumpkin (12 ounces), about 2 ½ to 3 cups. A little more or less is just fine. I use precut diced pumpkin from the stores for convenience. I have also used 1 cup prepared chickpeas (soaked overnight & boiled until tender). You may use canned chickpeas, drain the liquid and rinse them well. You can also leave out the chickpeas if you want.

2. You will need

• 1 ¼ cup fine chopped onions (1 large or 2 medium onions)
• 1 ¼ cup deseeded and chopped tomatoes (or 1 cup puree)
• 1 green chilli (chopped, deseed for low heat, optional)
• ½ tablespoon grated ginger or paste (½ inch peeled)
• ½ tablespoon grated garlic (or paste, 4 to 5 cloves)

3. Spices you need: Feel free to leave out the whole spices if you don’t have

• 1 bay leaf or 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 inch cinnamon piece (or ½ inch cassia)
• 1 star anise

4. Measure the ground spices and keep aside as you won’t have much time to do that while you cook.

• 1 to 2 teaspoons Kashmiri Red chilli powder (adjust to taste, I use 2 tsps)
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons coriander powder
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon fennel powder (leave it, if you don’t have)
• ½ teaspoon salt

Make Pumpkin Curry

5. Pour 3 tablespoons oil to a pan and heat it. Add the bay leaf, cinnamon and star anise.

6. When they begin to sizzle, add the chopped onions and green chilies. Rise the heat to medium high and stir fry until deep golden. If required switch between low & medium flame/heat. This step takes about 6 to 7 mins.

7. Lower the heat and stir in the ginger garlic. Mix and saute for a minute or so without burning.

8. Quickly add all the ground spices and salt.

9. Mix well.

10. Add the pumpkin and then the tomatoes.

11. Stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes on a medium heat.

12. Cover and cook on a medium to low heat until the tomatoes break down. This step takes about 5 to 6 mins. Meanwhile bring 1 cup water to a boil in another small pot.

13. Pour 1 cup hot water and add boiled chickpeas (if using). Pour ¾ cup Coconut or almond milk. To make the almond milk, I grind 4 tablespoons almond flour with ¼ cup water until smooth. Then add ¼ cup more water and then grind again.

14. Increase the flame/heat and bring the curry to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat and cover. Cook until the pumpkin is fork tender and about to get mushy. As you cook, if required add more boiling hot water. This depends on the kind of your pumpkin. I had to add another ½ cup hot water.

15. Stir well and taste test. Add the following ingredients according to your taste:

• ½ teaspoon garam masala (more if you want)
• 1 tablespoon kasuri methi
• ½ to 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon jaggery (or brown sugar)
• 1 teaspoon amchur (or tamarind paste). Crush the kasuri methi before adding to the curry.

16. Mix well. Curry should be thick, yet of pouring consistency. It will thicken further after cooling. If your curry is runny, cook uncovered on a high heat for a few minutes so some of the liquid evaporates.

17. Turn off the heat. If you want you may add a teaspoon/ tablespoon of ghee. Garnish pumpkin curry with fresh chopped coriander leaves. If you want you may squeeze in some lemon juice while serving.

Serve Pumpkin Curry with hot steamed rice, quinoa, millets, roti or Paratha.

Pro Tips

Tomatoes: You can use fresh tomatoes or tomato puree (passata). If using canned tomatoes that has citric acid added to it, your pumpkin will take longer to cook down or may take forever. So it is good to add it later once the pumpkin is nearly tender.

Onions: If you do not prefer onions, you may leave out from the recipe. But if using, make sure you saute them well until deep golden as this not only enhances the flavor of the dish, but the onions will also dissolve in the curry giving a better texture to the dish.

Coconut: If you have access to fresh coconut, you may grind 1/3 cup fresh coconut with 1/3 cup water until very smooth, adding more water as required. Do not use desiccated coconut. Too much coconut milk is going to dilute the flavor of spices and your dish will only taste like coconut milk.

Ingredients

Bay Leaf: Please avoid using very old bay leaf as sometimes it gives a bitter taste to the dish. You may skip it if you do not have fresh stock. You can also use curry leaves if you have.

Star Anise: is a very fragrant spice & is also known as Biryani flower. It adds a natural sweet-liquorice peppery flavour. It imparts a floral aroma which is not very overpowering but some people can’t get over this scent. Feel free to leave out if you do not like. But I feel star anise together with cinnamon infuses great flavors to the diced pumpkin.

Amchur or Tamarind Paste: Amchur is dried mango powder. It has a fruity and tangy flavor. If it is not available, you may use Indian tamarind or tamarind paste. This is sour in taste and not sweet like the Thai tamarind. If you don’t have both, simply, leave out and squeeze lemon juice while serving.

Red Chilli Powder is pure chilli powder. For this recipe I use Kashmiri chilli powder (Labelled as Kashmirilal). If using any other chilli powder, start with lesser quantity (about ¾ tsp) as the strength/heat varies.

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

Photo Guide

Pumpkin Kootu Curry (Recipe 2, No onion & garlic)

Pumpkin curry made with ground spices and coconut in a kootu style. No onion and garlic are used. Makes a good side dish to accompany rice, chapathi, phulka or poori

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings 3

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

To roast and grind
1 tablespoon coriander seeds (daniyalu)
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon chana dal (bengal gram)
1 tablespoon urad dal (skinned black gram, optional)
¼ cup fresh coconut (or thick coconut milk, refer notes)
3 to 4 dried red chilies
1 inch cinnamon piece (ceylon cinnamon or ¼ inch cassia)
To temper/ tadka
1 pinch hing /asafoetida
1 red chili broken
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
1½ tablespoon ghee or oil
Other ingredients
2 cups pumpkin red, cubed / gummadikaya / kaddu
1 large tomato (½ cup chopped finely)
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ to ¾ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
½ to 1 tablespoon tamarind paste (optional if needed)

Instructions

• On a low to medium heat, dry roast red chilies, chana dal and urad dal till deep golden & aromatic. Make sure lentils are not burnt but they should be roasted evenly so they make the dish flavorful. Transfer to a plate.
• To the same pan add coriander seeds, cumin, cinnamon and lightly roast until fragrant.
• Don’t let them burn. Cool all of these completely and powder them in a blender to a fine powder.
• To the same jar, add coconut along with little water and blend to a smooth paste. If you do not own a powerful blender, let the mixture soak for about 30 minutes in water and make a fine paste adding more water as needed.
• Heat a pan with ghee or oil on a low flame.
• Add mustard, cumin and red chili. When they begin to splutter, add curry leaves and hing. Set aside little of this seasoning for garnishing. I set aside few curry leaves and red chili along with very little mustard and cumin.
• Add tomatoes, salt and turmeric. Fry the tomatoes till they turn soft, mushy and dry. If needed cover and cook, you can even sprinkle little water if your tomatoes are hard.
• Next add pumpkin cubes and fry stirring for about 2 to 3 minutes. Ensure the tomatoes turn completely mushy and dry before adding pumpkin.
• Pour 1 to 1½ cups of water to the pan and bring it to a boil.
• Add the ground paste & mix well.
• Cook it on a low flame till the pumpkin is tender. If needed you can cover and cook. Don’t overcook, pumpkin turns mushy. Keep stirring, the mixture tends to stick at the bottom due to the dal. If required pour more water to adjust the consistency.
• Add tamarind and mix well. Check the salt and tang. If you like to have it sour you can add more tamarind paste, but I do not use.
• Transfer pumpkin curry to a serving bowl and garnish with the curry leaves and broken red chilies.
• Notes : Fresh coconut is best for this recipe. You can use 1/4 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon or 1 large pinch of ground cassia. Roasting lentils on a medium to low heat until deep golden and aromatic is very important.