When fall cravings hit, I want all the cozy pumpkin things… but I don't always want to cube a squash after work. If you're in the same boat, this quick Thai pumpkin curry recipe will be your weeknight hero: pantry ingredients, one pan, and dinner in just 25 minutes!
The first time I made this pumpkin curry recipe was honestly by pure luck! I came home late (& hungry) to a pretty empty fridge, and I didn't want to spend more on takeout (and definitely didn't want to go to the grocery store).
I took a look through our pantry and thought I'd take a crack at a Thai-style curry with canned pumpkin, and it turned into one of the BEST curries I've ever eaten. Now we make it on the reg in fall and winter for an easy weeknight meal.
And here's the best part: it's cozy, creamy, budget-friendly, and vegan (with flexibility to add chicken if desired). Basically weeknight dinner goals. Let's make it!
Jump to:
- Why This Thai Pumpkin Curry Is the Easiest Weeknight Version
- Key Ingredients for This Pumpkin Curry Recipe (and Easy Swaps)
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Pumpkin Curry Troubleshooting: How to Fix Texture, Flavor & Spice
- Tera's Sustainability Tips
- Pumpkin Curry FAQs: Freezing, Leftovers, and Spice Levels
- More Cozy + Easy Dinners
- 📖 Recipe
Why This Thai Pumpkin Curry Is the Easiest Weeknight Version
Lots of pumpkin curry recipes simmer cubes of fresh pumpkin until tender, which is delicious. But honestly? Prepping a fresh pumpkin is probably not something I'm doing on a Tuesday night.
This one skips the knife work and goes straight for canned pumpkin, which melts right into the sauce and makes it creamy without the fuss. Pair it with Thai-inspired flavors like red curry paste, coconut milk, soy sauce, and lime, and you've got yourself a dinner that tastes way fancier than the effort it takes.
Quick Summary: Pumpkin curry is a creamy, cozy dish made with pumpkin, spices, and coconut milk. This shortcut version is ready in 25 minutes with pantry staples.
Canned pumpkin is so great for easy, affordable meals! If you're looking for more quick, cozy, healthy meals, try 25-minute pumpkin sage pasta next.
Key Ingredients for This Pumpkin Curry Recipe (and Easy Swaps)
- Canned pumpkin purée - The key to making this a quick and easy recipe. All you need is a can opener! Be careful not to accidentally grab pumpkin pie filling here.
- Thai red curry paste - Thai Kitchen is a great and widely available brand, but whatever you can find will work.
- Coconut milk - Full-fat is best for that lush, silky texture we all crave in a curry.
- Chickpeas - Canned, drained, and the perfect shortcut protein. I often add in a second can for this recipe to make it heartier, but one is enough.
- Kale or greens - This recipe calls for kale, but the idea is here is to pick something that cooks down quickly. Spinach, kale, chard, and collards all work well!
Swap ideas: Use spinach if kale feels too sturdy, maple syrup or honey for coconut sugar, or chicken broth instead of veggie (if you're not vegan).
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1: Sauté onion and garlic in a bit of oil. Stir in ginger and curry paste until fragrant.
- Step 2: Add kale and sauté until just wilted.
- Step 3: Add canned pumpkin, coconut milk, broth, soy sauce, and coconut sugar.
- Step 4: Stir into a smooth sauce and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Serve over rice or quinoa and top with cilantro and chili crisp for extra spice. YUM!
Rice or grain: If you're making rice, quinoa, or a grain, start cooking it right before you start the curry. Make sure it's a quick-cooking grain if you want everything done at the same time; otherwise, start the curry during the last 15-20 minutes of grain cook time.
Pumpkin Curry Troubleshooting: How to Fix Texture, Flavor & Spice
- Too spicy: Extra coconut milk or a little sugar calms it right down.
- Too thin: Let it simmer longer or add more pumpkin.
- Too thick: Splash in more broth.
- Too bland: Squeeze in lime, stir in more curry paste, add a pinch of salt.
Tera's Sustainability Tips
- Use up your canned pumpkin - Wondering what to do with the remaining canned pumpkin! I've got you. Whip up some homemade pumpkin granola or pumpkin overnight oats for simple and healthy breakfasts. (add links to recipes)
- Save veggie scraps for broth - I usually keep a Stasher bag or container in the freezer dedicated to veggie scraps for future broth.
- Buy local - If you can, buy some local greens, onions, and garlic for this curry. It's pretty easy to find these at farmers market or farm stands, and I typically see them at least as affordable as the grocery store, if not more!
- Plant-based - Incorporating some plant-based meals into your routine is a great way to offset the carbon emissions produced by animal products. One of my other go-to high protein plant-based dinners is miso curry delicata squash with tempeh and potatoes!
Pumpkin Curry FAQs: Freezing, Leftovers, and Spice Levels
Yep! This recipe was designed to use canned pumpkin.
Absolutely. Freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months (leave a little space at the top for expansion). Thaw in the fridge and reheat gently.
Not really. Even our spice-sensitive kiddo eats this happily. If you want more heat, add fresh chilies with the onion or serve with chili crisp.
It's best within 5 days. It does thicken as it chills, so I recommend loosening it with water or coconut milk when you reheat.
More Cozy + Easy Dinners
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Made this Thai pumpkin curry with chickpeas? Leave a star rating 🌟, drop a comment, or tag me on Instagram and Pinterest. Want more quick dinner recipes? Join my email list for fresh ideas right in your inbox!
📖 Recipe
Easy Thai Pumpkin Curry with Chickpeas (25-Minute Recipe!)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This easy Thai pumpkin curry recipe is cozy, creamy, and ready in just 25 minutes. Made with canned pumpkin, chickpeas, kale, and red curry paste, it's the perfect weeknight dinner. Serve it with rice or quinoa for a satisfying meal everyone will love!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or coconut oil)
- 1 small-medium yellow onion, diced small
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- ½ tablespoon ginger paste (or grated fresh ginger)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups chopped kale (or spinach)
- 1 cup veggie broth
- ½ - 1 can full fat coconut milk (start with ½ and add more as desired)
- ¾ cup canned pumpkin purée
- 1 can chickpeas, drained
- 1 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce)
- 1-2 teaspoons coconut sugar
- 1-2 limes
- For serving: chopped cilantro, chili crisp, rice or grain of choice
Instructions
- Sauté aromatics. Heat olive or coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry paste, ginger, salt and pepper, and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add kale. Stir in kale and allow to break down for a couple minutes.
- Add pumpkin & sauce ingredients. Add broth, coconut milk, pumpkin, chickpeas, soy sauce, and coconut sugar. Stir to form a smooth sauce.
- Simmer & serve. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes uncovered, then serve over rice or quinoa with cilantro and chili crisp for spice.
Notes
- Storage & freezing instructions. Store leftover curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Rice can be store together or separately. Freeze for up to 3 months & thaw in the fridge the night before you're ready to eat.
- Chickpeas. I use canned chickpeas for convenience here, but you can totally make your own from dried. The recipe calls for 2 cans, or about 2.5-3 cups, but you can also just use 1 can (~1.5 cups) and reduce the coconut milk or broth by half.
- Grain timing. Start rice, quinoa, or grain of choice right before, or right after starting the curry for everything to be done at the same time. Jasmine rice and quinoa typically take 15 minutes, so those are my go-to. If you use a brown rice that takes longer to cook, give that a head start before starting the curry.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, stew
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ~1 cup
- Calories: 464
- Sugar: 5.4 g
- Sodium: 1424.6 mg
- Fat: 27.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 47.5 g
- Fiber: 12.1 g
- Protein: 14.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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