Description
This vibrant and comforting Pumpkin Curry combines roasted pumpkin with fragrant Thai red curry paste and creamy coconut milk to create a rich, flavorful dish. Enhanced with fresh Thai basil, bell peppers, bird’s eye chilies, and bamboo shoots, it is a delightful balance of sweetness, heat, and herbal freshness. Perfect served over steamed rice, this curry is a hearty vegetarian recipe that highlights the warmth of Thai cuisine.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 small pumpkin or kabocha squash (about 3 to 3 ½ lb)
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
- 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
- 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
- 1 medium shallot, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 to 3 Thai bird’s eye chilis, sliced
- 1/3 cup canned bamboo shoots, drained and sliced into thin matchsticks
- 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil, plus more thinly sliced for serving
- Lime wedges, for serving
- Steamed rice, for serving
Spices and Sauces
- 5 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided
- 1/4 cup Thai red curry paste
- 1/2 lime, juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
Instructions
- Roast the Pumpkin: Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Halve the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds, discarding them. Cut the pumpkin into 8 to 10 thick wedges. Place the wedges on a parchment-lined baking sheet, drizzle with 3 tablespoons of oil, and season with kosher salt. Roast in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pumpkin is almost tender and a fork can pierce it with slight resistance. Let cool.
- Prepare the Pumpkin: Once the roasted pumpkin is cool enough to handle, carefully remove the skin using a paring knife. Roughly chop the pumpkin flesh into 2-inch pieces. Set aside a 1/4 cup of mashed, more tender pumpkin pieces for blending later.
- Make the Curry Base: In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the Thai red curry paste and cook, stirring often, until fragrant and darkened in color, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add Coconut Milk and Puree: Reduce the heat to medium-low, stir in the coconut milk, and simmer for about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool slightly. Add the mashed pumpkin and 1/4 cup water to the coconut mixture, then puree it with an immersion blender until smooth. Alternatively, transfer the mixture to a regular blender, puree until smooth, and return it to the pot.
- Cook the Vegetables: Add the green bell pepper, red bell pepper, shallot, bird’s eye chilies, and bamboo shoots to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover. Simmer until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 to 7 minutes. Then uncover, add the reserved chopped pumpkin pieces, and cook until tender, about 5 more minutes.
- Finish the Curry: Just before serving, stir in the lime juice, fish sauce, and fresh Thai basil leaves. Ladle the pumpkin curry over steamed white rice and garnish with additional sliced Thai basil. Serve with lime wedges on the side for an extra burst of freshness.
Notes
- For a milder curry, reduce the amount of bird’s eye chilies or omit them entirely.
- Ensure to remove the pumpkin skin after roasting to enhance texture and flavor.
- This curry can easily be made vegan by substituting fish sauce with soy sauce or a vegan fish sauce alternative.
- Leftover curry can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.
- Using kabocha squash gives a naturally sweet and creamy flavor, but other kinds of pumpkin or winter squash can be used as alternatives.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Thai
Keywords: Pumpkin curry, Thai curry, vegetarian curry, kabocha squash recipe, coconut milk curry, Thai basil curry
