Indian-Inspired Pumpkin Curry with Apples and Pecans
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My pumpkin curry is built on a rich base of onions, ginger, and garlic cooked down with warm Indian spices, then simmered with pureed pumpkin and blended smooth. I add coconut milk and maple syrup after blending for creaminess and a touch of sweetness, and cubes of cinnamon-spiced roasted squash, tender apple, and crunchy toasted pecans give the finished curry its texture.
I make this curry in two parts. The first is the sauce: sweet onions, spicy ginger, and garlic cooked down and caramelize with curry powder, garam masala, coriander, and turmeric. Then I simmer them with thick pumpkin purée and an apple and blended completely smooth. The second half is everything that goes in the pot once the blender is done. Sweet squash roasted with cinnamon and a touch of cayenne, diced apple, coconut milk, maple syrup, and lime juice.
In recipe testing, I found that order matters more than it looks. A curry built start to finish in one pot ends up soft the whole way through, and pumpkin purée is thick and mild enough to flatten whatever you put into it. Blending first and adding second means the squash keeps the edges it picked up in the oven, the apples stay in pieces, and the lime and maple brighten and sweeten the whole bowl.
The toasted pecans go on at the very end. They’re the only real crunch in the bowl, and biting into them tastes unexpected in the best way, so I wouldn’t leave them off.
What kind of squash to use?
Leave the big carving pumpkins for carving, as they lack flavor. You want one of the smaller, denser winter squashes instead.
A small Cinderella pumpkin is my first choice. Butternut is the easiest to find, and most grocery stores sell it already peeled and cubed, which saves a real amount of work. Both of those need peeling before they go in the oven.
Kabocha (seen in the photos) and acorn squash don’t necessarily need peeling, since their skin is thin and softens as it roasts. Note that it does stay a bit chewy, which I love but isn’t for everyone.
One note on the measurement: the pound in the ingredient list is the weight of the whole squash before you cut it, skin and seeds included.
What to serve with pumpkin curry
This curry wants rice underneath it. Basmati rice is what I make most often, and coconut rice leans into the coconut milk already in the sauce. Warm naan on the side is worth having for the last of the sauce in the bowl.
The curry itself is soft and rich all the way through, so something sharp and crisp next to it does a lot. A green salad with a lemony dressing is enough. If you want more texture in the bowl, add extra toasted pecans or a spoonful of roasted chickpeas on top, and finish with chopped cilantro.
Watch how to make pumpkin curry
Indian-Inspired Pumpkin Curry with Apples and Pecans
Ingredients
The Roasted Pumpkin
- 1 lb winter squash (kabocha, acorn, cinderella, or butternut are all great varieties to use in this recipe)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon EACH: cinnamon and cayenne
Coconut Pumpkin Curry
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons chopped ginger
- 4 cloves garlic (smashed)
- 3 medium apples (divided)
- 15 ounce can pureed pumpkin
- 1 cup vegetable stock (or water)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (more to taste)
- 15 ounce can coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Juice from 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
- ½ cup toasted pecans
The Spices
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
Instructions
- Turn your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the squash into slightly larger than bite-sized pieces and put them on the baking sheet. Toss with the oil, cinnamon, and cayenne. Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until the squash is soft.1 lb winter squash, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon EACH: cinnamon and cayenne
- While the squash is roasting, heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and let it cook until it is golden. While the onion is cooking, add all the spices to a small bowl.2 tablespoons coconut oil, 1 medium onion, 2 tablespoons curry powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon coriander, ½ teaspoon turmeric
- Add the ginger and garlic to the onions and cook for 1 minute. Add the spices to the pot and stir for 20 seconds.2 tablespoons chopped ginger, 4 cloves garlic
- Add 1 apple (cored and coarsely chopped), the pumpkin, stock, and salt to the pot. Cover the pot (the curry will splatter) and cook for 10 minutes.15 ounce can pureed pumpkin, 1 cup vegetable stock, 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Carefully transfer the curry to your blender and blend until smooth. Return the curry to the pot.
- Add the coconut milk, maple syrup, and lime juice to the pot and stir well. Season to taste with sea salt. Stir in the remaining 2 apples (peeled, cored, and diced) and the roasted squash, then cook for a couple of minutes to soften the apples. Serve with toasted pecans on top.15 ounce can coconut milk, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, Juice from 1 lime, ½ cup toasted pecans
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Hiya, the 1lb squash bullet point, is that roughly 1lb squash whole or 1lb squash flesh (not including seeds)? And the apples, here in the UK you get a packet of 4 large roughly 6oz converted and a 6 pack of smaller apples, half the size. Which size apples do you typically use? And lastly are they the sweet variety such as Pink Lady or sour Granny Smith type. Sorry for all the questions but I don’t do bitter as the comments suggest and I’m sure you’re recipe wasn’t bitter :). TIA
I weigh the squash before I cut it. And I normally buy sweeter apples (like Pink Lady – they’re the best!) so if you can find those, they’ll work great. I would opt for a medium to large-sized apple. 🙂
This one wasn’t as good as I had hoped — like another reviewer, mine also came out sort of bitter and we did indeed use the maple syrup. I also think there was too much sauce (so it was more like a pumpkin soup with pumpkin pieces in it) and there was not enough pumpkin (maybe double the amount next time — the ratio was off); it tasted like something was missing flavor-wise in the sauce but we could not put our finger on what it was. It wasn’t bad at all but I’d make a few adjustments next time!
I’m sorry to hear it wasn’t a hit.
This was a lovely, simple, quick recipe. I omitted the maple syrup since I didn’t have any on hand. The only thing is it came out a tad bitter. Not sure what went wrong there. Could have been an off sweet potato or perhaps it wasn’t balanced enough from using light coconut milk, or perhaps it needed the sweetness of the maple syrup. Overall a good recipe, served with coconut oiled rice and it was a hit.
I suspect it was probably because of omitting the maple syrup. Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Fabulous recipe. Just wondered whether or not you peeled the apples.
I don’t peel the apples. 🙂
Hello,
Thank you so much for your recipes! I have been subscribed for a while now, but I never had the chance to comment on your recipes. This one was absolutely delicious, although I made it a little too runny! I made it with a butternut squash and it was amazing!
Awwww thank you so much for the comment!!!