Description
A kabocha squash curry without curry paste. Make this coconut based curry with velvety kabocha squash and simple pantry spices.
Ingredients
- 1 small kabocha squash (about 3 cups cubed)*
- 1/2 tsp olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 orange bell pepper, sliced*
- 1 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas (cook from scratch for extra savings)
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce (or up to 1/2 thai red chili/hot sauce of choice)
- 400 ml full fat coconut milk (can use lite if preferred)
- 2 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
- 2 cups vegetable broth (homemade for extra savings)
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tbsp maple syrup (or use a pinch of cane sugar)
- 2 cups spinach, packed*
*Ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
- To roast kabocha squash, preheat your oven to 400 F. Wash and dry the skin of the squash since it will be left on for this recipe. Slice the squash in half lengthwise from stem to base. Remove the seeds and stringy membrane. Slice the squash into 1 – 1.5 inch half moon slices and then cube. Toss the cubes in a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. *For more detailed instruction visit my Simple Roasted Kabocha Squash recipe.
- To make the curry, heat a deep saute pan with a drizzle of oil or broth over medium low heat. Saute the onion and garlic for 1-2 minutes until the onion is softened and garlic fragrant. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (you can continue seasoning with a little bit of salt and pepper as you add new ingredients if desired).
- Add sliced bell pepper and cook 2-3 minutes until slightly softened.
- Add chickpeas (feel free to use frozen beans). Stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Add curry powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook for 1 minute, stirring with the other ingredients.
- Stir in coconut milk, tamari, chili garlic sauce and raise the heat slightly to allow the liquid to lightly boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Add the vegetable broth and the squash. Return the liquid to a low boil, reduce to a simmer, and heat through for another 5 minutes.
- Stir in nutritional yeast, maple syrup and spinach to finish. Remove from the heat.
- Serve with brown rice, soba noodles, or roasted vegetables like broccoli. Store leftovers separate from rice or noodles so the sauce isn’t absorbed. Leftovers keep well, refrigerated in an air-tight container, for up to 3 days.
Notes
Approximate Cost: CAD $10.45 using homemade vegetable broth and chickpeas cooked from scratch. $13.55 using store-bought vegetable broth and canned chickpeas.
You can roast the seeds of the kabocha squash and use them to garnish the dish. I find kabocha squash seeds tougher to chew than most squash seeds. If seeds tend to be tough on your digestion, I would avoid them but otherwise you can give them a try! Roast the cleaned and dried seeds alongside the squash for the last 10-15 minutes of the roasting time. I tend to lightly toss them in olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Feel free to use any of your favourite vegetables in this curry. I often swap out the spinach for bok choy and add snow peas or any other vegetables I need to clean out of my fridge.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Various
- Cuisine: Thai Inspired