Vegan Dinner Curry

October 10, 2018

Nourishing Yellow Chickpea Pumpkin Curry with Coconut Brown Rice

Name: Nourishing Yellow Chickpea Pumpkin Curry with Coconut Brown Rice
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: For the brown rice:; 1 teaspoon coconut oil; 1 cup uncooked brown rice; 2 ¼ cups water; For the curry:; ½ tablespoon coconut oil; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger; 1 bunch green onions, diced; 1 large carrot, thinly sliced; 2 cups cubed fresh pumpkin; 1 small head cauliflower, broken into florets (3-4 cups); 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder; ½ teaspoon ground turmeric; ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more if you like it a little spicy; 1 (15 ounce) can lite coconut milk; 1 cup vegetarian broth; 2 tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter; 1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos; 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste; Freshly ground black pepper; 1 red bell pepper, julienned; 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained; ½ cup frozen peas; To garnish: cilantro and chopped peanuts

Nourishing yellow pumpkin curry packed with protein from chickpeas, simmered in cozy spices, and served with fragrant coconut brown rice. This vegan pumpkin curry recipe is SO flavorful, easy to make, and perfect for meal prep!

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

1 hour

Total Time

1 hour 15 mins

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Jump to Recipe

I’m back again with another glorious recipe for #AKPumpkinWeek!

Yes, we’re going savory again and I’m not mad about it. I hope you aren’t either. This year I told myself that I wanted to incorporate more savory recipes into Ambitious Kitchen — you know delicious weeknight dinners you can always depend on to make you feel creative, healthy and satisfied.

So here we are with a beautiful chickpea vegan yellow pumpkin curry. My oh my is it GOOD. No wait, not just good, it’s DAMN good. FANTASTIC. CREAMY. COMFORTING. FULL OF UMAMI FLAVORS. EPIC. A MUST MAKE.

You get the point, right?

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Ingredients in this pumpkin curry recipe

I was so thrilled when I first developed this vegan pumpkin curry recipe because of how nourishing it was. It’s full of anti-inflammatory ingredients, fiber, plant-based protein and just so happens to be both vegan and gluten free. Here’s what you need to make it:

Fresh cubed pumpkin: instead of pumpkin puree in the curry we’re using fresh pumpkin! If you’ve never cooked a real pumpkin before, I suggest giving it a try. Check out my how to cook and dice a pumpkin tutorial here.
Chickpeas: Always a favorite legume of mine because of their delicious flavor and ability to add plant based protein to any dish.
Lots of veggies: Not only does this recipe involve pumpkin, but also cauliflower, carrots, red bell pepper, green onion and peas. So yes, it’s time to #eatyourveggies.
Light coconut milk: I like using a light canned coconut milk in this dish because it’s not as rich as regular full fat coconut milk. There’s still a lot of coconut flavor though.
Vegetarian broth: a little bit of vegetable broth adds the right amount of liquid to this curry recipe.
Soy sauce: I recommend a low sodium soy sauce and be sure it’s gluten free if you want to keep this recipe gluten free. You can also use coconut aminos.
Peanut butter: To bring the dish together, you must add a little peanut butter. It gives the recipe a unique umami flavor that helps to bring everything together. If you’re not into peanut butter, try cashew butter or even tahini.
The anti-inflammatory trio: aka fresh garlic, ginger and turmeric. Not only do these three bring flavor to the dish but also help to boost your immune system with health benefits. Ginger is great for your digestive system, garlic helps fight bacteria, and turmeric provides an anti-inflammatory boost. I’m in loveeeee.
Cozy spices: you’ll also be using yellow curry powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper. I like to use curry powder instead of yellow curry paste for ease.
Brown rice: we’re serving this delicious curry with a fragrant coconut brown rice.

What kind of pumpkin should you use for pumpkin curry?

I love to use pie pumpkins or a sugar pumpkin. No, you don’t cook the pumpkins you decorate for Halloween! Look for a brighter orange pumpkin that’s about 3-6 pounds — that’s when the flesh is the best for cooking. Really, any winter squash will work in this yellow curry recipe.

Can’t find the perfect pumpkin?

Feel free to use cubed sweet potato instead! You’ll add either to the recipe in the same way.

How to make yellow pumpkin curry

Make the brown rice. Add your brown rice to a pan along with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil. Toast it over medium heat for 1 minute until fragrant. Next add 2 1/4 cups of water to a pot; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and allow it to sit in the pot with the lid on for 10 minutes so that the rice gets nice and fluffy.
Cook the veggies. Cook the ginger and garlic in a large pot with coconut oil for about 30 seconds, then add in all of your veggies except the bell pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes until cauliflower and pumpkin begin to get tender.
Add spices & broth. Next, add our spices and spices for 30 seconds before stirring in coconut milk, broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Allow to cook 5 minutes more, then stir in bell pepper and chickpeas and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
Don’t forget the greens! Before serving, stir in frozen peas and simmer for an additional minute. Taste, and adjust seasonings as necessary.
Garnish & serve. Pour the curry into bowls or divide it into meal prep containers. Garnish with cilantro (or Thai basil if you’re feelin’ fancy) and chopped peanuts and serve with your rice!

What to serve with vegan pumpkin curry

This incredible yellow chickpea pumpkin curry recipe includes a fabulous coconut brown rice to pair with the curry, but you could always enjoy it with:

Fluffy quinoa
Cauliflower rice
Or a side of naan to soak up all of that delicious yellow pumpkin curry sauce!

How to store & freeze pumpkin curry

In the fridge: store this yellow pumpkin curry in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
In the freezer: Be sure to not overcook the vegetables. Let the curry cool completely before transferring it to a freezer safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 2 months. I would not recommend freezing the pumpkin curry with rice. To reheat it, simply thaw the chickpea pumpkin curry in the refrigerator. While the curry is thawing, feel free to make rice, cauliflower rice or quinoa to serve with it. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave for 2 minutes until heated through.

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I hope you love this nourishing and easy yellow chickpea pumpkin curry recipe. If you make it be sure to leave a comment & a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

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