This Indian Butternut Squash Curry recipe is a delicious vegan curry simmered with fragrant spices and rich coconut milk.
Table of Contents
This butternut squash curry is a recipe that I make on the regular. I like that the ingredients are easy to find in the local grocery store and the fact that it’s a healthy, perfect weeknight dinner option.
Not only is it a vegetarian dinner recipe that’s perfect for Meatless Monday but it’s also vegan, dairy-free and totally healthy.
It’s also great for meal prep since the leftovers heat perfectly the next day.
I like to use light coconut milk in this recipe to cut down on calories. Plus, I find that the butternut squash is rich and creamy on its own, meaning that we don’t need the full-fat coconut milk to add more body and silkiness to the sauce.
Ingredients needed
- Olive Oil
- Butternut Squash – You’ll want about 4 cups of cubed squash.
- Shallots – If you can’t find shallots, you can swap in a small onion.
- Fresh Garlic + Ginger – To make things easy, I like to use the fresh ginger that comes in tubes. It’s often sold near the fresh herbs in grocery stores.
- Spices – Cumin, coriander, mustard seeds, turmeric (or try one of these turmeric substitutes) and cayenne.
- Lite Coconut Milk – Coconut milk is sold in cans and you’ll find it in the Asian foods section of your grocery store.
- Baby Spinach – You can also use kale or arugula.
- Fresh Cilantro – If you’re not a fan of cilantro, you can leave it out. Or, swap in parsley.
How to Make It
- Peel and cut the butternut squash into small cubes.
- Cook cubed butternut squash until slightly softened.
- Add shallots.
- Add ginger, garlic and additional spices.
- Add coconut milk and simmer.
- Stir in spinach.
- Enjoy!
Variations
- Try swapping in some sweet potatoes for the butternut squash.
- Make a chickpea butternut squash curry by adding in a can of drained garbanzo beans when the coconut milk goes in.
- Add some heat by adding in some red pepper flakes or minced jalapeno or serrano pepper. Or, cut back on the heat by omitting the cayenne.
- Add in extra vegetables like kale, green beans, zucchini, etc.
- Add extra protein by adding some cubed tofu.
- For a pop of flavor, add in a squeeze of lime juice at the end.
How to make ahead & store
- Refrigerator: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Freezer: You can freeze this curry. The texture of the coconut milk may turn a bit grainy after thawing, but the amazing flavor will remain the same. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.
What to serve with it
I like to serve this curry with instant pot white rice, rice cooker coconut rice, basmati rice, brown rice or quinoa. It also is great served with some naan bread on the side.
Wine pairings
- Dry Riesling is a great match for this squash curry. It’s hint of sweetness will tame down the heat while its acidity stands up to the bold blend of spices.
- Gewurztraminer is another lightly sweet wine that pairs nicely with this dish.
- Or, check out these wine pairings for Indian food.
More vegetarian dinners
- MORE → 100+ Vegan Dinner Ideas
More squash recipes
More curry recipes
Did you make this Indian Butternut Squash Curry?
If you loved this butternut squash curry, I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
For more great Platings and Pairings recipes, be sure to follow me on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and Facebook.
PS – If you have leftover coconut milk, try out one of these 45+ recipes that use coconut milk.
Full Recipe
Butternut Squash Curry
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 4 pounds butternut squash (peeled and diced (about 4 cups))
- 2 shallots (minced)
- 8 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 13.5 ounce cans light coconut milk
- 4 cups baby spinach leaves
- Salt and pepper (to taste )
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (for garnish)
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts (for garnish)
- Rice (for serving)
Instructions
- In a large skillet heat olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add squash and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes, or until slightly softened.
- To the skillet add the shallot, and cook until softened, 1-2 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and spices. Cook, about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the coconut milk to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10-15 minutes, until squash is tender. (Be careful not to boil, as the coconut milk may separate.)
- Add spinach and stir until wilted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve curry on top of rice, topped with chopped cilantro and peanuts.
Notes
- Refrigerator: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Freezer: You can freeze this curry. The texture of the coconut milk may turn a bit grainy after thawing, but the amazing flavor will remain the same. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2016. It was updated in 2022. The original butternut squash curry recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
Leave a Reply