Warming, cozy, and easy to make in about 40 minutes, this Thai Pumpkin Curry Recipe is made in one pot featuring pureed’ pumpkin, red curry paste and rich coconut milk. Like my Red Curry with Eggplant, you can enjoy this recipe with tofu or chickpeas and a side of fragrant Jasmine rice. This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and easily gluten free. [ watch VIDEO on recipe card below! ]
Pumpkin Curry Highlights
It’s the best time of year for comforting curried pumpkin! Adding pumpkin to familiar curry flavors makes this one pot pumpkin curry recipe not only pleasing to the eye, but also it offers comfort, richness and contributes to a creamy texture. If you are fond of pumpkin and Thai Inspired Recipes, you’ll love this easy pumpkin curry recipe.
This Recipe Is
- umami packed
- made with tofu or chickpeas (I like Home Cooked Chickpeas)
- a little spicy, and a little sweet
This curry comes together in about 40 minutes. It’s perfectly suited for weeknight dinner and meal prep!
About the Key Ingredients
This recipe relies on a few fresh ingredients and a handful of pantry ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make this scrumptious pumpkin curry dish.
- Pumpkin Puree – Use canned or homemade pumpkin puree in this recipe. Try this handy how to DIY Pumpkin Puree Recipe on the blog.
- Fresh Garlic and Ginger – both add spice and flavor. Use a microplane to get the ginger and garlic extra fine. This carries their flavors further throughout the curry. As a bonus, there’s no need to peel the ginger before microplaning.
- Mushrooms – choose fresh crimini or shiitake (pictured here). Either are delicious!
- Red Curry Paste – offers so much flavor to this recipe. I use prepared Thai Kitchen red curry paste. However, brand flavor profiles vary widely, so if using a different brand of curry paste, you may need to adjust to taste.
- Coconut Milk – go for full fat in this recipe! It offers a rich, creamy texture. I like Thai Kitchen or Native Forest brands.
- Tofu or Chickpeas – enjoy with firm tofu or chickpeas in this recipe. Tofu takes a bit more prep, while chickpeas are more convenient.
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How to Make Thai Pumpkin Curry
step by step
Spicy Three! As written, this recipe is about a spicy three. To take the heat up, add a bit more red chili pepper flakes. Another pinch will do. Or, share this delicious pumpkin coconut curry with Sriracha on the side!
What to Garnish Vegan Pumpkin Curry With
When serving curry, share a variety of garnishes. These additions add interest, texture, flavor and freshness! There are many to choose from. Here are some ideas:
- Spinach – chop it fine, in ribbons, then stir it in the pumpkin curry just before serving. Or, opt to leave it on the side.
- Fresh Herbs – share with cilantro and/or Thai basil.
- Seeds/Nuts – my favorite addition for this recipe of pumpkin curry is toasted pepitas. However toasted cashews are quite nice too!
- Sriracha – for those that love an extra spicy tangy kick, this is a delicious condiment to pair with curry.
- Lime – a squeeze of lime brings out the best flavors in this recipe!
Traci’s Tips
- Pumpkin Puree: Use canned or homemade pumpkin puree in this red curry pumpkin recipe. I have a handy how to DIY Pumpkin Puree recipe on the blog if needed.
- Tofu or Chickpeas? Either works. Tofu needs to be pressed, sliced and baked prior to using it in this recipe, adding a bit more time. Chickpeas can be enjoyed straight from a can or previously home cooked chickpeas.
Thai Mushroom Pumpkin Curry with Tofu or Chickpeas
Servings:4 Servings
Calories:371kcal
[ watch recipe VIDEO below ] Warming, cozy and easy to make, this Thai Pumpkin Curry Recipe is made in one pot featuring pureed' pumpkin, red curry paste and rich coconut milk. It's simple to pull together too! Enjoy with tofu or chickpeas. This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and easily gluten free.
Ingredients
For the Curry:
- 14 ounces (397 grams) Firm Tofu one package, pressed for 30 minutes and drained* (**see notes for chickpea option)
- 2 teaspoons Vegetable Oil olive or coconut
- 1 cup (110 grams) Yellow Onion diced medium, about half a medium onion
- 8 ounces (225 grams) Shiitake or Crimini Mushrooms stems removed, sliced thick, into bite size strips or pieces
- 1 1/2 tablespoon Fresh Garlic microplaned or finely minced, about four fat cloves
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Ginger microplaned or finely minced
- 1/4 teaspoon Red Chili Flakes add another 1/8 teaspoon for extra spicy
- 3 tablespoons Prepared Thai Red Curry Paste
- 1 cup (220 grams) Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
- 1 13 ounce (368 grams) Can Full Fat Coconut Milk
- 1 cup (235 grams) Pumpkin Puree
- 2 – 3 tablespoons Maple Syrup or Brown Sugar, to taste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Tamari + more to taste
- Juice from 1/2 a Lime
For Serving (optional):
- 2 cups (65 grams) Spinach finely chopped/shredded
- Thai Basil and/or Cilantro
- Toasted Cashews or Pepitas ***see note for how to
- Lime Wedges
- Sriracha
Instructions
For the Tofu:
- While pressing the tofu preheat the oven to 375 Fahrenheit (190 Celsius). Slice the pressed/drained tofu into (about) 1 inch (2.5cm) cubes and place on a parchment lined sheet pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and slightly puffy. Set aside.**See notes if using chickpeas.
For the Curry:
- In a medium (4 quart) Dutch oven, add the oil and heat until it shimmers and add the onion. Turn the heat down to medium low and stir fry for about 6-8 minutes or until the onions begin to soften.
- Stir in the mushrooms and cook, stirring occassionally for about 3-4 minutes, or until the mushrooms soften and turn a darker shade of brown.
- To the mushroom mixture, add the garlic, ginger, chili flakes and red curry paste. Stir coating the mushrooms and onions for about one minute.
- Deglaze the pan with veggie broth. Stir in the coconut milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, Tamari and tofu (or chickpeas). Bring to a simmer, turn to medium low, and gently simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occassionally.
- Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice. Taste for seasoning adjustment. If more salty is desired, add a bit of Tamari. Sweeter? Add a bit of maple syrup/brown sugar.
To Share:
- Ladle into bowls and top with desired toppings: spinach or shredded purple cabbage, fresh herbs, toasted pumpkin seeds or cashews. Share with Jasmine rice, lime wedges, additional Tamari and/or Sriracha.
To Store:
- Store in lidded containers in the fridge for up to three days. To freeze, cool completely, then store in the freezer for up to two weeks. Thaw in the fridge overnight and gently reheat stovetop.
Video
Notes
**Chickpea Option: Use 1 1/2 C (248g) of cooked chickpeas instead of tofu (about one can). Simply stir in drained chickpeas when the tofu is called for in the recipe.
To press tofu, use a tea towel and place it under and on top of the tofu. Set it on a plate. Place something heavy on top, like a cutting board, another plate or a not-so-full box of wine to press the water out. We don’t want it too heavy or it will squash the tofu. Move the tea towel a few times to a dryer area of the towel so it can absorb more water. Press for about 20-30 minutes, up to an hour if you have time. Or, simply employ a tofu press.
***Toasted Cashews or Pepitas:
- for cashews: preheat oven to 350F (180C). Place the cashews in a baking pan and bake for about 12-14 minutes until fragrant and golden. Set aside to cool. Chop into small bits.
- for pepitas: preheat oven to 350F (180C). Place the pepitas in a small baking pan and bake for about 6-8 minutes until fragrant and golden. Set aside to cool.
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 371kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 652mg | Potassium: 702mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 12874IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 6mg
Made It? Leave a comment below! The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications and/or helping other commenters. On Instagram? Take a snap of your make and share, tagging @VanillaAndBean #VanillaAndBean!
We added chicken thighs along with the tofu to satisfy our family carnivores. We reduced the amount of maple syrup to just 1 TBSP but had to almost triple the amount of curry paste before we got to the flavor we were looking for. I love adding pumpkin to dishes! And this is the first time I felt confident in my tofu cooking!
Thank you for your note and sharing your adjustment for curry paste to taste. Hooray for confidence in tofu!
I just made this with a few tweaks. In addition to the mushrooms, I added a sweet potato, red pepper and used chickpeas rather than tofu. I didn’t use the maple syrup as it didn’t require it. SO Delicious.
Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
SO yummy and will absolutely be a fall staple for our house! We added some potatoes the last time we made it and it was great. Makes awesome leftovers, too.
Oh my, potatoes sounds delish! Thank you for your note and five star review, Megan! Day made 😄
What a flavor-packed dish Traci. I would really enjoy it with the chick peas. The perfect healthy comfort food dish!
Total fall comfort food Mare! The chickpeas are so nice in this, especially when pressed for time!