Creamy roasted pumpkin and tender chickpeas make for the best combination in this fall-flavored pumpkin chickpea curry that’s vegetarian and vegan-friendly!
A big pot of curry is exactly what these chilly days call for! We’re even taking things the extra mile today and roasting a whole pumpkin for this recipe (well worth the effort, trust me)
While I love a summery curry dearly, I have to admit my heart really lies in cozy fall-inspired curries like this one that really warm the soul this time of year. Especially if roasted pumpkin happens to be involved!
We’re also keeping this curry vegan-friendly today and holding any meat additions. Trust me, this hearty curry is so packed with goodness between the pumpkin and chickpeas, it doesn’t need it!
If you’ve never tried your hand at roasting pumpkin before, never fear! I share all my tips and tricks for good roasting technique and I swear it’s just as easy as roasting a butternut squash.
And wow, is it ever worth the little bit of effort because this is just a pan of pure cozy gold!
This Curry features…
- Tender roasted pumpkin
- Buttery chickpeas, sweet peppers, and spinach
- A rich curry coconut sauce
- Ready in an hour and vegan-friendly
Making the Curry
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Pumpkin
- Vegetable oil
- Sweet onion
- Sweet pepper
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Spices
- Diced tomatoes
- Chickpeas
- Coconut milk
- Baby spinach
How to Prep Pumpkin
You will need 1 (2 lb) pie pumpkin (sometimes also called a sugar pumpkin) for this recipe. To prep the pumpkin for roasting, carefully cut in half and scoop out the seeds.
I like to roast the pumpkin halves 15 minutes to soften the skin before removing and cutting into 1/2-inch cubes and continue roasting 15-20 minutes until tender.
If you can’t find a pie pumpkin for this recipe, feel free to use 1 cup pumpkin puree instead. You won’t get the additional chunky texture from the roasted pumpkin cubes but it will still be delicious.
Tips for Perfect Curry
- Cut vegetables in uniform sizes – uniformity matters when it comes to cutting your vegetables since you want them to cook evenly in the curry.
- Use fresh garlic and ginger – using these ingredients fresh adds tons of flavor to the sauce.
- Puree 1-1/2 cups of roasted pumpkin cubes – puree the cubes with 1/4 cup water to break it down into a smooth puree. This adds a silkiness to the curry and leaving some of the cubes whole gives it some extra texture goodness.
- Simmer curry – this is where a lot of the flavor is built in the curry plus it cooks the vegetables. Don’t add the roasted pumpkin cubes until after the simmering step so they maintain their texture and don’t break down.
- Use full-fat coconut milk – this adds an unmatchable richness to the sauce that you can only get from using full-fat coconut milk.
- Add spinach at end of cooking – stir the spinach into the hot curry after simmering and it will wilt in only a minute or two.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this curry.
- Try different veggies – green beans, sweet potatoes, zucchini or mushrooms would all be great extra veggie additions. Be aware you may have to adjust the cook time based on the veggies you use.
- Add meat – try cubed chicken or thinly-sliced steak.
- Add tofu – sear tofu until golden brown and fold into curry before simmering.
- Use another bean – try white beans or kidney beans in place of the chickpeas.
- Make it spicy – add a minced serrano or a few shakes of cayenne pepper for a spicy curry.
Serving Suggestions
There are a variety of ways you can serve this curry. Traditionally, we like to serve it over steamed basmati rice with fresh lime wedges, pepitas, and cilantro for topping and fresh naan on the side.
Feel free to serve this curry over quinoa, cauliflower rice, brown rice, or farro for a healthier alternative. It’s even hearty enough that you can skip the grains altogether.
It’s the creamy roasted pumpkin that makes all the difference in this beautifully golden curry! Just the right level of sauciness but with an extra velvety texture that’s just to die for.
You’ll be dreaming about those leftovers!
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More loaded curries to make next!
Roasted Pumpkin Chickpea Curry
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Ingredients
- 1 (2 lb) pie pumpkin
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 medium sweet onion, finely diced
- 1 medium sweet pepper, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 4 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) petite-diced tomatoes
- 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
- 2 cups firmly-packed baby spinach or kale
- Steamed rice, cilantro, pepitas, lime wedges, and naan for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Carefully cut pumpkin in half, remove seeds, and place cut-side down on prepared sheet pan. Roast pumpkin at 400F 15 minutes until exterior is slightly softened.
- Remove pumpkin from oven and transfer to a cutting board. Carefully remove skin from pumpkin and dice pumpkin into 1/2-inch cubes.
- Toss pumpkin cubes with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and salt and pepper to taste on sheet pan until evenly coated. Return pan to oven and bake pumpkin at 400F 15-20 minutes until pumpkin is tender. Remove from oven.
- Place 1-1/2 cups roasted pumpkin cubes and 1/4 cup water in a food processor and process until pumpkin is a smooth puree. Set aside.
- Heat remaining oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and sweet pepper to pan, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until crisp-tender.
- Add garlic, ginger, and spices to vegetables and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add pureed pumpkin, chickpeas, diced tomatoes, and coconut milk to pan and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and allow curry to simmer 15-20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld, stirring occasionally. Stir roasted pumpkin cubes and spinach into curry until wilted.
- Season curry with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm over rice with cilantro, pepitas, lime wedges, and naan. Enjoy!
Debbie says
Recipe sounds amazing, question can you use canned pumpkin? And if so how much? Thanks!
Sarah says
Yes you can! You will need 1 cup pumpkin puree.