Pumpkin Curry Recipe

Ingredients

• 350 grams pumpkin (12 ounces, about 2 ½ to 3 cups diced)
• 1 cup chickpeas (cooked or canned or rajma, read notes, optional)
• 1 ¼ cup onions (fine chopped, 1 large onion)
• 1 ¼ cup tomatoes (deseeded & fine chopped, 2 large or 1 cup tomato puree)
• 1 green chilli (optional, Chopped, Indian/Thai or Serrano peppers)
• ½ tablespoon ginger paste or grated (½ inch peeled & grated)
• ½ tablespoon garlic paste (4 to 5 grated cloves)
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 to 1 ½ teaspoon salt (½ + 1 tsp, divided)
• 1 to 1 ½ cups hot water (add in batches)
• ¾ cup coconut milk (or 4 tablespoons almond flour blend with ½ cup water)
• ¼ cup coriander leaves (fine chopped)

Ground Spices

• 1 to 2 teaspoons Kashmiri Red chilli powder (adjust to taste, I use 2 tsps)
• 1½ teaspoon garam masala (1 + ½ tsp, divided, more if you want)
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• 1½ teaspoons coriander powder
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon fennel powder (leave it, if you don’t have)
• 1 tablespoon Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves, leave it, if you don’t have)
• 1 to 1½ teaspoon amchur powder (or tamarind paste or lemon juice, adjust to taste)
• 1 teaspoon jaggery (or brown sugar, optional, to balance the flavors)

Whole Spices (optional)

• 1 Indian bay leaf or 1 sprig curry leaves (optional)
• 2 inch cinnamon piece (or ½ inch cassia, optional)
• 1 star anise (optional)

Steps

How to Make Pumpkin Curry

1. Warm oil in a pot and add bay leaf, cinnamon, and star anise.
2. Once the spices sizzle in the oil, add onions and green chilies.
3. Stir-fry until deep golden, moving between medium and low flame as required.
4. Lower the flame and sauté ginger garlic for about a minute, until its raw smell disappears.
5. Mix in ½ tsp salt and the ground spices: red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric, and fennel powder.
6. Quickly add the pumpkin and mix thoroughly, then stir-fry in the tomatoes for 2 to 3 mins.
7. Cover and cook over medium-low flame until the tomatoes become mushy, about 5 to 7 mins.
8. Pour in 1 cup hot water and add chickpeas if using, followed by coconut or almond milk.
9. Raise the flame and bring the curry to a rolling boil. Lower the flame and cook covered until the pumpkin is fork tender and almost mushy. Add more boiling hot water as needed for your pumpkin; an additional ½ cup hot water was used in this preparation.
10. Mix thoroughly and taste. Add to taste ½ to 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garam masala, kasuri methi, jaggery or sugar, and amchur or tamarind paste. Crush the kasuri methi before putting it in the pan.
11. Keep the curry thick but pourable, allowing for further thickening as it cools. If runny, cook uncovered over high heat for a few minutes to evaporate some liquid.
12. Turn off the heat and leave the curry covered until serving. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and squeeze in lemon juice at serving if desired.
13. Serve with Poori, Roti, Paratha, Naan, plain steamed rice, quinoa, or millets.