Butternut Squash Chickpea Curry

This butternut squash chickpea curry is a healthy midweek meal that's naturally vegan and super easy to make. It's a hearty curry full of flavour and packed with wholesome goodies that the entire family will love.

Butternut squash is just the perfect ingredient for a warming, hearty curry because of its texture and the way its sweetness elevates the flavours of the spices. This butternut squash chickpea curry is an easy recipe that's perfect for a busy night, and it doesn't disappoint even meat-lovers.

You can serve this butternut chickpea curry over some basmati rice or quinoa or with naan bread or chapatti.

If you're looking for other tasty vegan curries, why not try my Black Bean Curry or this Easy Lentil and Chickpea Curry?

Ingredients you'll need

Butternut squash — I use 400 g (3 cups) of butternut squash for this recipe, which is about half a medium-sized squash. It's always easier to use the slimmer end because it's easier to peel and cube.

Chickpeas — As always, I use canned chickpeas in this curry because it's so convenient to do so. You can, of course, cook chickpeas from scratch and use them to make this butternut squash curry.

Spinach — Two handfuls of baby spinach are perfect for this butternut squash and spinach curry. The spinach wilts very quickly, which makes it ideal for curries, but you can also substitute it with other greens, like kale or collard greens if you like.

Spices — A mix of garam masala, ground cumin and ground coriander is just perfect for this curry. You can also warm it up with some turmeric and make it fiery with extra chilli.

Coconut milk — Full fat coconut milk is ideal for this curry because it makes it extra creamy. Use low-fat coconut milk if you want to cut down the calories a bit, but you may want to consider blending half of the curry to make it creamy.

How do you make this vegan butternut squash curry?

Heat the coconut oil in a deep pan and fry the onion over low heat for 7-8 minutes until slightly coloured. Stir in the garlic, ginger and red chilli and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Next, stir in the spices and cook for another minute, stirring continuously and careful not to burn them. Add the butternut squash, chickpeas, coconut milk, and vegetable stock and turn the heat up to bring to a boil.

Lower the heat and simmer covered with a lid for 20 minutes or until the butternut squash is fork-tender. Stir occasionally to prevent the curry from burning. If it looks too runny, you can squash some of the chickpeas and butternut squash with the back of your spoon.

When you're happy with the consistency, stir in the lime juice and baby spinach, and cover with a lid for 2-3 minutes to allow the spinach to wilt. The curry will continue to thicken as it cools down.

Can I freeze butternut squash curry?

Absolutely — this is a great recipe to make a double batch and freeze the leftovers in individual portions to enjoy on another night.

The curry will keep in the freezer for 3 months in airtight containers. You may need to add a bit of water or veggie stock when reheating the defrosted curry if it has become too thick.

Extra recipe tips

• If you want a mild curry that the kids can enjoy too, omit the chilli.
• Use fresh onions, garlic and ginger for the best flavour.
• Dice the squash into roughly similar-sized cubes to make sure they cook evenly.
• Garnish with coriander (cilantro) and extra lime wedges so everyone can get a spritz of fresh lime juice just before tucking in.
• Make it Thai-inspired instead of using Indian flavours by adding some lemongrass or lemongrass paste. Alternatively, use some red Thai curry paste instead of spices.

If you liked this butternut squash chickpea curry, how about trying:

Easy Lentil and Chickpea Curry

Creamy Spiced Chickpea Soup with Coconut and Lime

Vegan Harira (Moroccan Chickpea and Lentil Soup)

Moroccan Aubergine and Chickpea Tagine

Kala Chana Masala (Black Chickpea Curry)

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