An EASY curry that's ready in 30 minutes! Tender fresh pumpkin, chickpeas, bell peppers, spinach, and more all bathed in the most aromatic Thai-inspired coconut milk broth!
2 to 3tablespoonscoconut oilolive or vegetable oil may be substituted
1medium/large sweet Vidalia or yellow oniondiced small
1small red bell pepperseeded and diced into thin strips
1small yellow or orange bell pepperseeded and diced into thin strips
1small red chile pepperjalapeno, or serrano chile, seeded and diced finely with seeds removed; optional
3 to 4clovesgarlicfinely minced or pressed
2 to 3teaspoonsground ginger or 1 tablespoon fresh gingerfinely chopped
2teaspoonsground coriander
1 to 2teaspoonsground cumin
1medium sugar pumpkinpeeled, seeded, and diced into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 to 4 1/2 cups total, diced* See Notes)
2 to 6tablespoonsThai red curry pasteto taste **
2cupslow-sodium brothvegetable or chicken or water (I used water)
one 14-ounce can coconut milkfull-fat will deliver a richer/thicker result, lite is ok
2or 3 bay or kaffir lime leavesoptional
one 15-ounce can chickpeasdrained and rinsed (I used no-salt added)
about 3 cups fresh spinach leavesheaping handful
1tablespoonlime juice
1tablespoonsoy or fish sauceoptional and to taste
1teaspoonkosher saltor to taste
½teaspoonfreshly ground black pepperor to taste
1tablespoonbrown sugaroptional and to taste
¼cupfresh cilantrofinely chopped for garnishing (basil may be substituted)
Nutscashews, peanuts, etc., optional for garnishing
Instructions
To a large high-sided skillet, add the oil, onion, and sauté over medium-high heat until the onion begins to soften and turn a bit translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes; stir intermittently.
Add the bell peppers, optional chile, and continue sautéing for about 7 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender; stir intermittently.
Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir almost constantly.
Add the pumpkin, and stir to coat it with the spices.
Add the Thai red curry paste, broth, coconut milk, bay or lime leaves, turn the heat to medium-low, and bring to a gentle simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender and cooked through. Tip - Make sure to keep your pumpkin chunks in the 1/2-inch size range or it will take much longer for them to cook through.
Optionally and if you prefer a smoother curry, remove about 1 cup of the softened pumpkin, peppers, and onion mixture (make sure not to grab a bay or lime leaf), add it to a blender, puree, and add the puree back into the curry. Alternatively, you can do this with a handheld immersion blender in the skillet if desired. I don't tend to puree at all because I like the texture, but do as you prefer.
Remove the bay or lime leaves from the skillet if you added them.
Add the chickpeas, spinach, lime juice, optional soy or fish sauce, salt and pepper, stir to incorporate, and allow the spinach leaves to wilt, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Taste the curry and optionally add the brown sugar (recommended because it helps balance the acidity and adds overall depth of flavor). If desired, add additional curry paste, salt, pepper, etc. to taste.
Add the cilantro, stir to combine, optional nuts, and serve with rice, naan bread, etc.
Curry will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. The flavors marry over time in the fridge and I find the the curry tastes better after a day or two in the fridge; reheat gently before serving.
Notes
*Choosing the pumpkin: You want touse sugar pumpkins, which may also be called pie pumpkin or sweet pumpkins. They are small and round. Long Island Cheese pumpkins, which are more oblong and can look like a wheel of cheese, can also be suitable. Make sure you don't try to cook with the same type of pumpkin you carve and set out for Halloween. The flesh of those has a stringy undesirable texture and normally they are much larger than pumpkins to eat. Since pumpkins and produce varies widely regionally, investigate what you can get your hands on in your area, do some research online, but by and large in the US it should be fairly easy to source a sugar or pie pumpkin this time of year in most well-stocked grocery stores.Pumpkin substitute: If you can't get your hands on pumpkin, use sweet potato or squash such as butternut or acorn instead.**Curry paste: As with all curry pastes and powders, they vary in intensity and everyone’s preferences for spice and heat vary, so adjust to taste. I used essentially the entire 4-ounce jar or Thai red curry paste and I wouldn’t call it the spicy because of it. You can always start with less and add more, to taste if desired, towards the end.