A Lentil Pumpkin Curry recipe making the most of pantry staples! You will love this one pot meal. Serve with your favorite grain, some naan and top with pomegranate seeds for a delicious sweet crunch. Freezes well so it’s great for meal prep, too.
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Why You Should Make This
- Easy, flavorful, and filling – talk about a home-run weeknight dinner!
- Full of warming spices to keep you cozy and comfortable.
- Fridge and freezer friendly, which means plenty of leftovers to enjoy later!
Recipe Ingredients
I love making lentil curry because it’s a combination of pantry ingredients, spices, and just a few fresh items. And it comes together so easily! This pumpkin lentil curry recipe uses lentils, Indian yellow curry powder, and a little bit of red Thai curry paste as well. We will need:
- coconut oil – for richness and flavor. Feel free to use butter, ghee, or olive oil instead.
- yellow onion – onion adds a nice background of savory flavor.
- garlic – fresh cloves or minced in a jar is best.
- fresh ginger – fresh for the best flavor! Peel the thin skin with the edge of a teaspoon and grate with a microplane.
- carrots – for color, fiber, and sweetness. You can swap them out for sweet potatoes or throw in some bell peppers, too.
- spices – I used Watkins brand curry powder, which is fairly mild compared to others. I also added additional turmeric, coriander, some ground cumin, and cayenne pepper. The coconut milk and pumpkin really take down the heat of the cayenne so adjust the spices to your level after taste testing.
- canned pumpkin – any canned pumpkin will work here (not pumpkin pie filling). Or even fresh pumpkin purée. Other forms of squash would also be fine. Butternut squash, acorn squash, or even kabocha could all work. You just want to make sure you use about 1 and 3/4 cups. I like using canned pumpkin if I have leftover in my pantry from all of the fall baking.
- red curry paste – I love Thai Kitchen red curry paste, but use whatever is easily available to you at grocery stores.
- tomato paste – for richness and color.
- vegetable broth – go for a low-sodium vegetable stock or simply use water. If you swap out the broth for cups of water, you may want to add an additional 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Taste and adjust to your liking.
- dry lentils – brown lentils and green lentils cook in similar fashions. I would not use yellow lentils or dry red lentils here, as they cook too fast and will break down too easily.
- canned coconut milk – one full-fat can of coconut milk, well shaken or blended, adds a creamy texture and subtle sweetness. The creaminess also balances all those delicious spices. Light coconut milk doesn’t provide the same richness.
Find the full detailed instructions with measurements in the recipe card below, at the end of this post.
How to Make
Just like my Vegan Lentil Curry Recipe, this one comes together in just a few steps, made in one pot, and ready in just about 1 hour! Here’s how I like to do it from start-to-finish:
Saute Vegetables & Warm Spices
In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon coconut oil along with the onion, garlic, ginger and diced carrots. Cook the vegetables for about 4 minutes, then add spices and salt, turning up the heat and stirring continuously for another 4-5 minutes. You may want to add a little extra oil here as well.
Add Pumpkin, Water and Lentils
Once the spices are fragrant and vegetables have softened, reduce the heat to medium. Add the pumpkin, curry paste, tomato paste, broth, and lentils.
Simmer and Stir
Give it a good stir and bring the mixture to a simmer, then cover and continue simmering for about 35-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to make sure the lentils aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Add Coconut Milk
After the lentils have absorbed most of the liquid, add the canned coconut milk and continue simmering for another 10-15 minutes, until lentils are as soft as you’d like.
Note: I like to keep a little bit of a bite to the lentils but if you like them softer, you can cook them longer at this step.
Variations to Try
While this is a delicious lentil pumpkin curry just as is, you can try any of the following ingredient swap to make it your own:
- Fresh Spinach Pumpkin Curry – toss in a handful of baby spinach at the end to add some leafy greens.
- Sweet Potato Pumpkin Curry – replace half or all of the carrots with peeled and diced sweet potatoes.
- Pumpkin Chickpea Curry – add one 15-ounce can chickpeas (drained and rinse) for plenty of protein.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving this pumpkin curry with some fresh pomegranate seeds when they’re in season, and of course rice and naan. For some fun inspiration, you could try some of my family’s favorite toppings and sides, such as:
- Your grain of choice, such as basmati rice, freekeh, farro or quinoa
- Naan – warm it in the oven for 2-3 minutes!
- Mango chutney
- Pumpkin seeds or sesame seeds
- Dash of chili flakes
- Lime wedges – to squeeze some lime juice at the end!
How to Store, Freeze & Reheat
This pumpkin dal recipe makes a decent batch of about 6-8 servings, which means you will have plenty of leftovers for meal prep throughout the week. To store properly, simply:
Storage: Cool completely and transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze: You could double the batch and freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 6 months.
Reheat: Allow frozen lentil curry to thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, adding a little milk or water as necessary. Heat until warmed through.
More Plant Based Curry Recipes You’ll Love:
If you make this Lentil Pumpkin Curry recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating on the blog! I love hearing from you, and it helps others learn more about the recipe too. Xx Ashley
Lentil Pumpkin Curry
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, or butter, or ghee
- ½ medium onion, diced
- 5 medium garlic cloves
- 1 ½ tablespoons freshly grated ginger
- 1 small bunch carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons curry powder, see notes
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¾ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, optional
- 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
- 1 (15 ounce can) pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon red Thai curry paste
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- 3 cups low sodium vegetable broth, or water – see notes
- 1 cup dried brown lentils, or green lentils
- 1 (14 ounce can) full-fat coconut milk
For serving
- rice, or another grain
- naan
- pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon coconut oil, onion, garlic, ginger and diced carrots. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in curry powder, cumin, turmeric, coriander, cayenne pepper, and salt. Turn the heat up to medium-high, stirring continuously for another 4-5 minutes – add extra oil here as needed.
- Reduce heat to medium; add pumpkin, curry paste, tomato paste, broth/water and lentils. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a simmer. Then cover and continue simmering for about 35-40 minutes, string every 10 minutes. After about 40 minutes, lentils should absorb most of the liquid.
- Stir in coconut milk, continue simmering uncovered for another 10-15 minutes on low-medium heat, until curry has thickened more.
- Serve with rice and naan. Top with pomegranate seeds, if you'd like.
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