Spicy Thai Pumpkin Curry

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This easy Pumpkin Curry is packed with intense flavor and tender chunks of pumpkin all cooked in a creamy Thai curry sauce. It’s ready in just 40 minutes and tastes amazing served with coconut jasmine rice!

It’s no secret that we have a serious obsession with curries in our house! We love the bold and spicy flavors of curries like this Thai green fish curry and red duck curry, and there are so many delicious ways to change up the ingredients for a totally different taste experience.

Some of our favorite veggie curry recipes include this easy butternut squash curry, spicy potato curry and cauliflower tikka masala.

For meatier curries, we love this massmaan lamb curry, chicken katsu curry, Malaysian beef curry and pineapple chicken curry.

I wasn’t kidding when I said we were obsessed! And if you search for ‘curry’ on the site, you’ll find even more tasty options.

Jump to:

• Why this recipe works
• Ingredients
• Step by step instructions
• Expert tips
• Common questions
• Other savory pumpkin recipes
• Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why this recipe works

1. The full fat coconut milk creates a rich, smooth and creamy curry sauce. You’ll definitely need some naan bread to soak up every last drop of sauce! 
2. It’s made with just one pot/pan and comes together in only 40 minutes! So, there’s really no reason why you can’t have a wholesome and hearty meal for dinner any day of the week.
3. Leftover curries are actually more flavorful so they’re great for meal prep. You can prepare this curry recipe on Sundays to enjoy for lunches and dinners during the week! 

Ingredients

For the full list of ingredients and quantities, please see the detailed recipe card below.

You’ll need 16 ounces of cubed pumpkin for this recipe. You can buy a whole pumpkin and chop it into cubes, or buy pre-cut pumpkin cubes. **This is a helpful tutorial on how to cube pumpkin. 

And don’t throw out those pumpkin seeds! Save them to make these curry roasted pumpkin seeds.

For lots of curry flavor, you’ll need 4 tablespoons of Thai curry paste. I recommend red curry, panang curry or massaman curry pastes. Homemade is always our preference, but you can also use store-bought.

To achieve a smooth and creamy curry, use a 15 ounce can of full fat coconut milk. Light coconut milk will not result in the same creamy texture.

The curry sauce also needs 1 ½ cups chicken stock. I prefer to use homemade chicken stock, but you can also use store-bought. For a vegetarian curry, you can substitute it with vegetable broth.

For a bold, salty and umami flavor, I like to add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce to this curry. Fish sauce is made by fermenting fish and I always have a bottle on hand to add a punch of flavor to dishes. 

If you’d like to keep this recipe vegetarian or you don’t have fish sauce, you can leave it out or use soy sauce instead.

Step by step instructions

Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven and add the onion, garlic and carrots. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add the ginger and red pepper and cook another 1-2 minutes until fragrant and softening.

Stir in the curry paste and add the pumpkin, fish sauce and coconut sugar. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add the tomato and the broth and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and simmer for another 10 minutes, or until thickened (it will still be kind of saucy when done).

Remove from heat and stir in the fresh basil. Add salt to taste, if desired.

Serve with fresh lime wedges and jasmine rice.

You'll also want to try this Thai basil pork if you love fresh, fragrant, spicy Thai dishes!

Expert tips

1. For even cooking, make sure your pumpkin is cut into similar size pieces.
2. Any kind of Thai curry paste can be used in this recipe. I prefer to use homemade ones like these panang or massaman curry pastes, but you can use store-bought ones for convenience.
3. The Thai curry paste is already spicy but for extra heat, you can add a Thai chili or cayenne pepper.
4. For a smooth and creamy curry, use full fat coconut milk instead of light coconut milk. For an extra creamy curry, you can even use coconut cream.
5. If the curry is too thin, use a cornstarch slurry to thicken it. If the curry is too thick, just stir in some more broth.
6. For added protein, stir in a can of chickpeas, serve with cooked lentils, or garnish with cashews.

Common questions

Other savory pumpkin recipes

• Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup
• Creamy Pumpkin Pasta
• Instant Pot Pumpkin Soup
• Rich & Creamy Pumpkin Risotto
• Pumpkin Spaghetti Alfredo

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Recipe