Fall is here, which means it’s time for two things: butternut squash and cozy stews! This curry is a great alternative to the standard butternut squash dishes we all tend to make around this time of year.
Instead of using the typical herby flavors like sage, rosemary, and thyme, this dish is an Indian-inspired curry. It’s creamy, packed with spices, and the tiniest bit sweet from the roasted and caramelized butternut squash.
Oh, and one more thing: it’s super easy to make!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry
- Onion, garlic, and ginger. The flavor base for our curry.
- Jalapeño or serrano peppers. It’s up you how spicy you’d like your curry to be. For a milder dish, go with jalapeños. To take it down another notch, remove the ribs and seeds.
- Spices. This dish utilizes an amazing combination of spices: cumin, coriander, Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric, and cinnamon. So much flavor!
- Coconut milk. The key to a creamy stew.
- Butternut squash. When roasted, the sweetness and flavor of butternut squash really shines.
- Chickpeas. Maybe the perfect bean for hearty soups and stews.
- Spinach. Because every dish can use a little green.
- Oil. Not only for sautéing our aromatics, but also important for blooming our spices to maximize their flavor.
How to Make This Cozy Autumn Stew
Step 1 — Roast the Butternut Squash
This initial step isn’t strictly necessary, but it’s highly recommended. When butternut squash is roasted, the caramelization brings out extra flavor and sweetness. (You can also use an air fryer instead of the oven for this step.)
Step 2 — Sauté Aromatics
Cook onion until lightly caramelized. Add in garlic, ginger, and peppers. Sauté until fragrant.
Step 3 — Bloom Spices
To your aromatics, add in all of the spices (cumin, coriander, chili powder, turmeric, and cinnamon). Add a splash of water if your spices are sticking to the pan.
Step 4 — Chickpeas and Coconut Milk
To your pot, add in your chickpeas and coconut milk. Stir to combine and simmer for 12-15 minutes. (If you chose not roast your squash, add it in now.)
Step 5 — Butternut Squash and Spinach
Add in the butternut squash and chopped spinach and simmer for a few more minutes.
Kashmiri Chili Powder
Depending on where you live, this can be hard to find. If you have a local Indian grocery store nearby, they will most likely have it. Otherwise, you can find it on Amazon.
If you’re really in a pinch, you can substitute in paprika using a 1:1 ratio. The flavor isn’t exactly the same, but it will do. Kashmiri chili powder is also mildly spicy, whereas paprika has no heat.
One other thing to note is that “chili powder” found in American grocery stores is not a good substitute here. Chili powder, as we call it, is a blend of pepper powder, cumin, and other spices. The “chili” in the name partially refers to the peppers and partially to the fact that it’s used heavily in chili con carne.
Sarah’s Recipe Tips
- Use full-fat coconut milk. For the best results, you want to use full-fat coconut milk, not “lite” coconut milk, which will make your curry less creamy. You also want to avoid coconut cream, which is thicker than regular coconut milk.
- Don’t skip roasting the squash! One more time for the people in the back: roasting your squash brings out so much flavor that you don’t want to miss out on. It’s worth the extra time!
Serving Suggestions
We love to serve this curry simply over some freshly steamed basmati rice. Garnish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro, and a handful of chopped peanuts.
Storing Leftover Curry
Leftover curry will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 days.
Feel free to freeze your leftovers as well. Store in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or microwave. To reheat, heat on the stove or in the microwave.
Butternut Squash and Chickpea Coconut Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1-2 jalapeño or serrano peppers diced (remove ribs and seeds if you want to make it less spicy)
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can coconut milk preferably full-fat
- 4 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash from about 1 small butternut squash
- 2 cups chopped spinach
- salt to taste
To Garnish (optional)
- fresh cilantro
- fresh lime or lemon
- chopped peanuts
Instructions
Roast the squash (optional but recommended)
- I love to roast the squash first. It concentrates its flavor, brings out its natural sweetness, and cooks off extra moisture. The caramelization will also add extra depth to the curry.If you're in a hurry you can skip this step and simply add the cubed squash directly into the curry and simmer till tender.
- To roast the squash, preheat oven to 400°F. (Alternatively, you can use an air fryer.)
- In a mixing bowl, drizzle cubed butternut squash with olive oil. Sprinkle on salt and toss to coat.
- Transfer to a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. (Or air fry at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes, shaking the basket a few times throughout to ensure even cooking.)
Make the soup
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil until it shimmers.
- Add in onion along with a pinch of salt to draw out moisture. Sauté for 5-8 minutes, until you begin to see some light caramelization.
- Add in garlic, ginger, and green peppers and continue to sauté for another 1-2 minutes, until very fragrant.
- Add in all the spices (cumin, coriander, chili powder, turmeric, and cinnamon) and stir to coat. If the mixture is sticking quite a bit to the pan, add a splash of water and gently scrape with your wooden spoon to get it to release. Cook this mixture for another 1-2 minutes, stirring often, to remove the raw flavor of the spices.
- Add in the rinsed chickpeas and the coconut milk and stir to combine everything. (If you did not roast the butternut squash, add it in now. If you roasted it, we will add it at a later point.)
- Bring the mixture up to a boil and then reduce heat to low or medium-low to establish a simmer. Simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If you added in the uncooked squash in the last step, simmer until the squash is tender.)
- Add in the roasted squash and the spinach. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until squash is heated through and spinach is wilted.
- Give it a taste and adjust salt to preference.
- I love to serve this with steamed basmati rice. Garnish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and fresh cilantro. A handful of chopped peanuts is a nice touch as well.
This was amazing! Definitely roast that squash if you can. I have baby mouth, so no spiciness for me. I used green bell pepper instead of the Serrano or jalapeño and I didn’t have the chili powder mention in the recipe list, but unused 1/4 tsp regular chili powder. This was absolutely flavor packed. Yum!
This was delicious and easy to make! I added in 1-2tbsp of black mustard seeds, 15 curry leaves, and 1tbsp of tomato paste to toast with the aromatics before the rest of the spices. I also crushed up 1tbsp of kasoori methi at the end and it tasted like a restaurant-level Tibetan curry.
Hi! I would love to make a big batch of this for a week of dinners – I was wondering how many servings the recipe is?