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With garlic, ginger, and jalapeño as the base, and pumpkin puree and coconut milk for creamy texture, this Indian-spiced vegan chickpea pumpkin curry recipe is a hearty meal with great depth of flavor.
’Tis the season for pumpkin, as we all know! And I feel like I’m a latecomer to the party since I haven’t posted anything with pumpkin yet this fall.
I realize that there’s no shortage of pumpkin recipes in the blogging world. Nevertheless, I’m going to make it up to you.
Every Friday from now until Thanksgiving I’m going to post a different pumpkin recipe!
I decided to start with a savory dish because pumpkin is most commonly used in sweet applications. I guess I’m just a little bit of a rebel like that, lol.
Vegan Pumpkin Chickpea Curry Recipe
This curry has a nice balance of sweet, spice, and heat.
Starting with a base of garlic, ginger, and jalapeno gives it great depth of flavor.
Indian spices add complexity.
Pumpkin puree and coconut milk add creamy richness.
And I like to squeeze fresh lemon juice on top right before serving for a little tang.
This vegan pumpkin curry recipe whips up in less than an hour for a great weeknight meal!
Ingredients
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas. For the full recipe (including ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Olive oil – to sauté the vegetables
- Onion – for savory depth of flavor and aroma
- Carrot – to bump up the nutrition and add a touch of natural earthy sweetness
- Salt – a natural flavor enhancer
- Tomato – for a touch of acid to balance our curry
- Jalapeño, garlic, and ginger – for depth of flavor and aroma, and a touch of spicy heat
- Garam masala, ground coriander, black pepper, and ground cinnamon – this spice blend is common in Indian cuisine
- Bay leaf – add it if you have it, but don’t worry if you don’t have one
- Pumpkin puree – canned is fine, just make sure it isn’t pumpkin pie filling
- Vegetable stock – or you can use chicken stock for richer flavor if keeping this dish vegan isn’t a concern
- Chickpeas – you can use rinsed and drained canned chickpeas, or cook up a batch of dried chickpeas if that’s what you have on hand
- Coconut milk – use canned unsweetened full-fat coconut milk for the best flavor and texture
- Fresh lemon wedges and fresh cilantro – these optional garnishes add bright color and fresh flavor
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and salt, and sauté until the onion is starting to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the tomato, jalapeño, garlic, and ginger and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add 1 teaspoon garam masala, coriander, black pepper, cinnamon, and bay leaf and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly.
- Add the pumpkin puree and vegetable stock, and bring up to a boil.
- Cover the pot (leaving the lid ajar), and turn heat down to simmer. Cook until the carrots are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add the chickpeas and cook 3 minutes, then add the coconut milk and cook 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon garam masala.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired.
- Serve with fresh lemon wedges to squeeze on top, garnished with fresh parsley or cilantro if desired.
Pumpkin Chickpea Curry FAQs
How Long Does Pumpkin Curry Last in the Fridge?
If stored covered in the fridge, this curry will last for up to 5 days.
Can I Freeze Pumpkin Chickpea Curry?
Yes! You can freeze this curry in an airtight container for up to 3 months. It reheats well on the stovetop or in the microwave.
What Do You Serve with Chickpea Pumpkin Curry?
To make this pumpkin curry a full meal, serve it with any of the following:
- On top of Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts
- Or keep the carbs down and serve it on top of Smoky Roasted Garlic Cauliflower “Rice” with Toasted Almonds (check out my step-by-step guide for how to make cauliflower rice if you don’t know how to make it)
- Along with Naan for dipping
- With a slice of No Knead Bread for dunking
More Vegan Curry Recipes to Try
- Creamy Cashew Mushroom and Green Pea Masala
- Thai Red Curry
- Indian Spiced Chickpea Curry
- Potato Curry
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Vegan Chickpea Pumpkin Curry Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 medium carrots thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large tomato diced
- 2 jalapenos deseeded and minced (more or less to taste)
- 2 large cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger grated
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 15 ounces can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup canned unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
- Fresh lemon wedges optional; for serving
- Fresh parsley or cilantro leaves optional; for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and salt, and sauté until the onion is starting to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the tomato, jalapeño, garlic, and ginger and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add 1 teaspoon garam masala, coriander, black pepper, cinnamon, and bay leaf and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly.
- Add the pumpkin puree and vegetable stock, and bring up to a boil.
- Cover the pot (leaving the lid ajar), and turn heat down to simmer. Cook until the carrots are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add the chickpeas and cook 3 minutes, then add the coconut milk and cook 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon garam masala.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired.
- Serve with fresh lemon wedges to squeeze on top, garnished with fresh parsley or cilantro if desired.
Notes
- Storage: Store this curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: This reheats well on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on October 21, 2011. I updated it with more information on November 30, 2020.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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i love this fabulous post
I love curries, chickpeas and pumpkin. You made a match made in heaven!
Oh, I’ve never heard of a pumpkin curry before, how interesting. I love the flavours in this with the jalepeno peppers, coconut, cinnamon, and pumpkin. Another wonderful recipe you’ve shared with us, my dear. Hope you and Mike are enjoying your weekend. Catch up with your other posts another time, one of my babies are calling – AKA hubby ;)
What a beautiful chickpea curry. I’ve made about 5 versions of chickpea curry and never made one that I really felt was excellent. This looks like it might be a winner.
*kisses* HH
Thanks! I am collecting pumpkin recipes lately and you are right, most of the recipes I have collected were all sweet treats…It is time I use pumpkin for savory dishes. This is the best recipe to start with. Thank you!
I think that savory pumpkin dishes are underrated by most people. So cheers to you for making this marvelous dish! I love the idea of all the exciting spices and the jalapenos too. I’ll be looking forward to next Friday.
What a great use of Pumpkin! This looks delish and perfect for the Fall :)
So many flavors! This savory pumpkin dish looks perfect for a chilly fall evening. :)
OMgoats, I LOVE your bowl! Where did you get that? I’ve really been craving soup now that the weather is chilly and although this isn’t soup, I imagine it would really warm my bones. It looks very comforting and I like the sound of the ingredients together. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever made anything with pumpkin that wasn’t sweet! A shame! This looks wonderful.
Veronica, Awww, thanks, sweetie! I got it at a market on a strip of shops walking from Bab Sharqi towards Souk al Hamidiyah in Damascus, Syria (it was one of the markets from this post). Next time I go I’ll pick up a couple for you, promise! (Until then, I bet you could find something similar…love eBay, lol!)
the curry looks really creamy and I like the addition of jalapenos. We mostly only use curry in savoury dishes in Australia, so we are all upside down litarely……
It’s funny what you said about pumpkin usually being a sweet thing. Where I live (In Australia) pumpkin is always a savoury thing. Always. I’ve never eaten a sweet pumpkin thing, but I’m slowly beginning to want to try it the sweet way! And this looks great, I love chickpeas in curry!
A delicious and comforting curry. Beautiful presentation too.
What a great idea having pumpkin recipes every Friday! This looks wonderful and healthy too :)
I wouldn’t have thought of putting all this together but it sounds fabulous! I’m looking forward to your pumpkin recipes!
As moist as sweets are with pumpkin I agree with you there are so many wonderful savory options with this squash. This is a lovely curry you made, wish I could have it for dinner.
I made my first curry recipe sans curry this week and I feel inspired! I want to make this and use cumin/red pepper like I did in my soup! It looks SO good and you know I LOVE pumpkin!
Oh my goodness, I would so love a bowl of that right now! It looks scrumptious and hearty – pure comfort. Also love that it’s gluten-free, too. You hit it out of the park, Faith!
You come up with the best recipes, Faith! I love chick pea curry so I think I will try this. Just need to grab a can of coconut milk first! :)
Have a great weekend…
Ah, this sounds like a hot, creamy, spicy bowl of heaven! I love pumpkin curry, it’s one of my favorites… And believe me, I make a whole lot of curry. Something about the sweetness and starchy tenderness of the pumpkin is just so perfectly suited to the job… Now you’ve got me really hungry!
A goregous curry! It looks really comforting and delicious.
Cheers,
Rosa
This is such a cool combo! How do you think of these things?
Duckie, You’re so sweet! And to answer your question, most of the time I literally dream them up, lol! ;)
This curry dish looks amazing (I’m planning to make it next week) and I’m in full support of weekly pumpkin recipes! Lately I’ve been all about pumpkin in both sweet and savory applications =).
I made this last night (with a bit of madras curry powder added in) and absolutely loved it! I can’t wait for leftovers today at lunch =).
Wow—awesome! I have some leftover pumpkin and may just have to try this for a dinner party this weekend—I’m sure it smells and tastes amazing!