I love chickpea salads. A few of my favorites include: Easy Chickpea Salad, Chickpea, Avocado, Feta Salad, Greek Chickpea Salad, Smashed Chickpea Avocado Salad, and Fall Chickpea Salad. I also really love this Curried Chickpea Salad because the flavors…
I love chickpea salads. A few of my favorites include: Easy Chickpea Salad, Chickpea, Avocado, Feta Salad, Greek Chickpea Salad, Smashed Chickpea Avocado Salad, and Fall Chickpea Salad. I also really love this Curried Chickpea Salad because the flavors are unique and SO delicious. Smashed chickpeas are combined with celery, onion, cilantro crunchy cashews, raisins,…
These curried chicken & arugula wraps are proof that lunch doesn’t have to be boring: healthy and satisfying with a mix of tantalizing flavors and textures that’ll make your tastebuds happy indeed. Featuring a curried chicken and chickpea salad, sweet tart cranberry sauce, crunchy almonds and a pile of spicy greens and herbs, these fresh […]
These curried chicken & arugula wraps are proof that lunch doesn’t have to be boring: healthy and satisfying with a mix of tantalizing flavors and textures that’ll make your tastebuds happy indeed.
Featuring a curried chicken and chickpea salad, sweet tart cranberry sauce, crunchy almonds and a pile of spicy greens and herbs, these fresh and flavorful curried chicken wraps are sure to be a new lunch favorite.
Lunch has always been a struggle for us. Working from home, you think it wouldn’t be, but unless we have leftovers from the night before (which we often do, we’re masters at cooking for 4 despite there being only 2 of us) our well of lunch-inspiration is disappointingly shallow.
We went through a long stretch of cheesiness (get it, cheese? stretch?) with grilled cheese, quesadillas, or cobbled together cheese and crackers being the most common of our lunch choices, along with the holy trinity of ‘salad’ sandwiches (chicken salad, tuna salad, and egg salad).
But in an effort to eat a bit less cheese, we turned to wraps, and quickly realized that basically any kind of sandwich or salad (or salad sandwich), can, in actuality, become a wrap.
Still, as good as a chicken caesar salad or turkey club wrap is, it gets repetitive after the first week or two. And the quickest way to turn us off from something is to overdo it. Needless to say we try to mix up the wrap flavors regularly to keep it fresh, so we’re always looking for inspiration.
Do you cook with lentils? I love them. If you haven’t tried them, don’t be intimidated. They are easy to cook, affordable, and a great source of protein, fiber, iron, and folate. My Lentil Salad and Lentil Soup are two of my all-time favori…
Do you cook with lentils? I love them. If you haven’t tried them, don’t be intimidated. They are easy to cook, affordable, and a great source of protein, fiber, iron, and folate. My Lentil Salad and Lentil Soup are two of my all-time favorite recipes. Today, I am sharing a Curry Lentil Soup recipe, that…
This easy vegetable curry is simple to make and packed with fresh flavor from roasted veggies and plenty of delicious Indian spice. Plus, it’s vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free too! This vegetable curry might seem complex, but it’s actually an easy di…
This easy vegetable curry is simple to make and packed with fresh flavor from roasted veggies and plenty of delicious Indian spice. Plus, it's vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free too! This vegetable curry might seem complex, but it's actually an easy dish that's simple enough to throw together for a weeknight meal. This easy veggie curry...
This article was written and published by Oh My Veggies. It may not be reproduce or republished without permission of the author. The original article can be found here: Easy Vegetable Curry.
This sweet potato curry recipe with chickpeas makes an irresistible healthy dinner! It stars luscious coconut milk and Thai curry paste.
When it comes to healthy recipes, here’s a plant-based dinner that’s just as satisfying as a margherita pizza or chili cheese fries (we think). Try this Sweet Potato Curry! Tender sweet potatoes and bell peppers swim in a luscious broth of coconut milk and Thai curry paste, topped with fresh cilantro and crunchy peanuts. There’s so much flavor going on, you’ll want to take another bite before you’re finished savoring the first. Welcome to: your easy weeknight dinner soulmate!
The origin of curry
What’s the origin of a curry? The word “curry” is a Western invention to poorly describe the nuance of what colonizers observed in foreign cuisines (see Bon Appetit). Today, the term is pretty broad: it’s used to describe any dish with a spiced sauce and meat or vegetables, often eaten with rice or flatbread. It’s made in many countries with varying flavor profiles, including India, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria, England and more.
This recipe is loosely based on a Thai or Southeast Asian-style red curry using red curry paste and coconut milk. After traveling in Southeast Asia, we fell in love with the flavors of ginger, garlic, galangal, lime and lemongrass. Sweet potato and chickpeas aren’t traditional ingredients in this type of curry (though pumpkin is); so this is a non-traditional spin on the concept.
Ingredients in this sweet potato curry recipe
This sweet potato curry is a fantastic easy dinner recipe that makes vegetables taste irresistibly rich and nuanced. The broth uses the shortcut of curry paste to infuse massive flavor into each bite. Here’s what you’ll need to have on hand:
Red curry paste: we like Thai Kitchen brand because it’s flavorful yet not too spicy! See below for more notes
Coconut milk: Use only full-fat or regular here for the right richness and body
Peanut butter
Lime juice (optional)
Olive oil
Red curry paste: what to know
Red curry paste is a shortcut for Western kitchens, not an authentic ingredient: it’s a jarred paste that takes all the flavor of a Thai curry and concentrates it! Curry paste is made with chili peppers, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, cumin, coriander, and more. It brings a massive amount of flavor and lasts for months in the fridge. A few notes on this ingredient:
The heat level varies based on the brand. We like Thai kitchen curry paste because it’s very mild (and works for our 4-year old!). There are many great brands to try: just make sure to taste your curry paste and if it’s very spicy, use a little less than the recipe specifies.
Find it near the Thai products in most grocery stores. It keeps for months in the refrigerator. You can also buy it online: Thai Kitchen red curry paste.
Ways to serve sweet potato curry
This sweet potato curry is a Southeast Asian-style curry, so it’s best served with rice. (Reserve naan for an Indian-style curry.) That makes it a vegan and gluten-free dinner recipe that’s packed with flavor. Here are the best styles of rice to serve alongside:
Jasmine rice : Jasmine rice is also called Thai fragrant rice because of its popcorn-like nutty flavor. Here’s How to Cook Jasmine Rice
Basmati rice: Basmati rice is more often used for Indian-style curries, but also works. Go to How to Cook Basmati Rice.
Chop the onion, sweet potato, garlic, and bell pepper as noted above.
In a large skillet, pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sweet potato and sauté for 5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper and sauté for 1 minute.
Add the chickpeas (drained and rinsed), coconut milk, curry paste, peanut butter, 1 cup water and the kosher salt and bring to a simmer. Simmer until sweet potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Add the spinach and lime juice and cook until the spinach wilts, about 1 minute.
Garnish with crushed peanuts and torn cilantro. Serve immediately with rice. Leftovers store up to 3 days refrigerated, or 2 months frozen.
Notes
*The heat level for red curry pastes varies based on the brand. The brand we like, Thai Kitchen, is very mild. Taste your curry paste beforehand and add a little less if you’re worried about the heat level.
This tofu curry recipe is a family favorite! Coconut and red curry paste pack a punch in this quick healthy dinner idea. Here’s a dinner that takes just 30 minutes and results in so much flavor…you’ll put it on your regular rotation immediately. Try this Tofu Curry recipe! The brilliant red broth is flavored with coconut milk and red curry paste, with the zing of lime and a hint of spicy sweetness. The Thai-style flavors are the perfect way to introduce tofu to those wary of it. And if you’re already a lover (like us!), you’ll appreciate this delightfully colorful way to serve it. Here’s what to know! What’s a curry, anyway? The word “curry” is actually a Western invention to poorly describe the nuance of what colonizers observed in foreign cuisines (see Bon Appetit). Today, the word is used to describe a dish with a spiced sauce and meat or vegetables, often eaten with rice or flatbread like naan. “Curry” is made in many countries, including India, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and England. In this recipe, we honor the flavor traditions of a Thai-style red curry. After traveling in Southeast Asia and experiencing the flavors of the region, we […]
This tofu curry recipe is a family favorite! Coconut and red curry paste pack a punch in this quick healthy dinner idea.
Here’s a dinner that takes just 30 minutes and results in so much flavor…you’ll put it on your regular rotation immediately. Try this Tofu Curry recipe! The brilliant red broth is flavored with coconut milk and red curry paste, with the zing of lime and a hint of spicy sweetness. The Thai-style flavors are the perfect way to introduce tofu to those wary of it. And if you’re already a lover (like us!), you’ll appreciate this delightfully colorful way to serve it. Here’s what to know!
What’s a curry, anyway?
The word “curry” is actually a Western invention to poorly describe the nuance of what colonizers observed in foreign cuisines (see Bon Appetit). Today, the word is used to describe a dish with a spiced sauce and meat or vegetables, often eaten with rice or flatbread like naan. “Curry” is made in many countries, including India, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and England.
In this recipe, we honor the flavor traditions of a Thai-style red curry. After traveling in Southeast Asia and experiencing the flavors of the region, we were impressed by the way Southeast Asian curries capture a wide rainbow of flavors. Coconut milk, ginger, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, chili peppers, sugar, and lime are traditional in Thai and Cambodian curry. Together these flavors make an irresistibly tasty broth! While we don’t have Thai or Cambodian heritage, but this tofu curry recipe honors some of the flavor combinations typical in recipes of that region.
Ingredients in this tofu curry recipe
This tofu curry recipe is modeled after a Southeast Asian red curry, using red curry paste and coconut milk. It’s also packed with veggies that are typical of this style of curry: that happen to pack a big nutritional punch, too. Here’s what you’ll need:
Tofu: look for firm or extra firm for this recipe
Yellow onion
Bell pepper: A medium red bell pepper provides 169% of your daily vitamin C (source)
Garlic
Fresh green beans: You can find long fresh green beans in the produce section in bulk or packaged
Bamboo shoots: Look for them in the canned section! They add a tangy flair that’s uniquely tasty
Red curry paste: The flavor maker! See below for more about this special ingredient
Brown sugar, soy sauce and lime: these make the perfect tangy sweet combination; substitute tamari if desired
Coconut oil: Coconut oil adds a nice coconut scent; we typically use refined but unrefined also works
Coconut milk: Use only full-fat or regular here for the right richness and body
Sambal oelek: Customize your heat level with this hot sauce
More about red curry paste: what to look for & brands
Red curry paste is a jarred paste that takes all the flavor of a Thai curry and concentrates it into a paste. It’s a shortcut for Western kitchens: In traditional Thai cooking, you’d make it with the real ingredients! Curry paste is made with chili peppers, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, cumin, coriander, and more. It brings incredible flavor and lasts for months in the fridge. This tofu coconut curry is a red curry, so you’ll need red curry paste. A few notes on this ingredient:
It ranges from mild to medium spicy, based on the brand. We like Thai kitchen curry paste because it’s very mild but brings big flavor. But there are many great brands to try. Make sure to taste your curry paste before using it! If it’s very spicy, use less than the recipe specifies.
Find it near the Thai products in most grocery stores. It keeps for months in the refrigerator and you can use it in lots more recipes. You can also buy it online: Thai Kitchen red curry paste.
Add back the heat with sambal oelek or Sriracha
The base of this tofu curry recipe is pretty mild. If you love Thai food, you know: it can be very spicy. We love the heat over here, but more of a medium level. Because we’re always cooking for a 4 year old too, we generally keep our base curry recipe mild and then add hot sauce at the table. Here are some notes about the heat in this tofu red curry:
Use hot sauce to taste! The 1 teaspoon hot sauce in this recipe adds a mild amount of heat. If you’d like medium, double it. For very spicy, use as much as you’d like! As we mentioned, it’s nice to do this in your bowl vs the entire pan: but it’s up to you.
Hot sauces that work well here include:
Sambal oelek, an Indonesian chili sauce made of chili peppers, garlic, ginger and lime. It has a chunky texture and little to no sugar.
Sriracha, a smooth hot sauce that originated from Thailand made of chile peppers, vinegar, garlic and sugar
Garlic chili sauce, similar to Sriracha with a chunkier texture, made with chilies and lots of garlic. It tastes a little brighter than Sriracha and has more nuance.
What to serve with tofu curry: jasmine rice and more
This tofu curry is a Thai-style red curry, so it’s most authentic to serve it with rice. Don’t add naan: that’s for an Indian-style curry! Here’s the best type of rice to serve alongside:
Jade rice (for fun!):Jade rice is a fun option: it’s naturally dyed green using bamboo extract and has a fluffy texture almost like couscous. We served the squash curry this way and it was excellent.
And that’s it! Let us know what you think of this tofu coconut curry. It’s become a favorite around here, and we hope you love it too!
Is tofu healthy?
Last up: let’s clear up one thing. There’s a lot of misinformation around tofu! But eating tofu several times per week is part of a healthy diet. Per to the Harvard School of Nutrition, soy is a nutrient-dense source of protein that can safely be consumed several times a week. It’s likely to provide health benefits, especially when you eat it as an alternative to red meat and processed meat. For more, go to Straight Talk About Soy and Is Tofu Good for You?
More great tofu recipes
While we used to avoid tofu, but it’s now one of our favorites for quick and easy plant based meals! This tofu curry recipe is a whole food plant based dinner that’s full of huge flavor and lots of nutrients. Here are some of our other favorite ways to eat tofu:
Pan fry the tofu: Pat the tofu dry with a towel. Cut it into large cubes (about 1/2 inch x 1 inch). Melt 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the tofu cubes and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and cook 5 to 6 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom. Briefly remove the pan from the heat to reduce spitting and flip the tofu with a spatula. Return the heat to medium high and cook another 5 to 6 minutes until browned. Remove the tofu to a bowl and set aside.
Cook the curry: In the same skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute 5 minutes, until it is translucent. Add the garlic, red pepper and green beans and saute for 3 minutes.
Add the bamboo shoots, red curry paste, coconut milk, brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and Sambal oelek (if using). Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the tofu and cook about 5 to 8 minutes until the sauce is thickened and the veggies are tender. Taste and add additional Sambal oelek to your desired spice level.
Serve: To serve, spoon the tofu and sauce over rice. Store refrigerated for up to 3 days.
This vegan curry recipe is full of healthy vegetables and big flavor: and it takes under 25 minutes! The perfect fast and easy dinner. We’re always on the lookout for fast flavorful dinners, and this one is now regular rotation. Try this quick Vegan Curry! Here, coconut milk and curry powder make healthy vegetables taste like a decadent treat. And, it takes under 25 minutes to whip up! It’s an ode to the simplicity of plant-based ingredients and great seasoning. This spin on our chickpea curry has even more veggies and nutrients without affecting the overall cook time…which is crucial on weeknights, in our book. It comes out so delicious in such a short time: you’ll feel like a kitchen magician. What’s a curry, anyway? Curry is a pretty loose term. Per Bon Appetit, it was a word used by colonizers to simplify what they saw in foreign cuisines. Today, the word “curry” usually describes a dish with a spiced sauce and meat or vegetables, often eaten with rice or flatbread like naan. The dish is made in many countries, including India, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and England. Keep in mind that curry powder is a Western invention! Curry powder takes […]
This vegan curry recipe is full of healthy vegetables and big flavor: and it takes under 25 minutes! The perfect fast and easy dinner.
We’re always on the lookout for fast flavorful dinners, and this one is now regular rotation. Try this quick Vegan Curry! Here, coconut milk and curry powder make healthy vegetables taste like a decadent treat. And, it takes under 25 minutes to whip up! It’s an ode to the simplicity of plant-based ingredients and great seasoning. This spin on our chickpea curry has even more veggies and nutrients without affecting the overall cook time…which is crucial on weeknights, in our book. It comes out so delicious in such a short time: you’ll feel like a kitchen magician.
What’s a curry, anyway?
Curry is a pretty loose term. Per Bon Appetit, it was a word used by colonizers to simplify what they saw in foreign cuisines. Today, the word “curry” usually describes a dish with a spiced sauce and meat or vegetables, often eaten with rice or flatbread like naan. The dish is made in many countries, including India, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and England.
Keep in mind that curry powder is a Western invention! Curry powder takes the common spices of Indian curries and packages them into a spice blend. Authentic Indian spices are mixed up by the cook and vary based on the region and household.
Looking for an authentic Indian dinner?
If you’d like an authentic Indian dinner recipe, head to our Masoor Dal (Indian Red Lentils). This recipe was shared with us directly from Asma Khan, an Indian chef with a popular restaurant in London. You’ll love these creamy flavorful lentils, and you can serve with basmati rice as well! Another great resource for authentic Indian recipes is chef and author Madhur Jaffrey.
Ingredients in this vegan curry recipe
Making a curry is not part of our cultural heritage; it’s an ode to the flavors and techniques of an Indian-style tomato based curry! We hope you’ll find it’s a great way to eat lots of veggies…fast! Here’s what you’ll need to make this curry in a hurry:
Yellow onion
Bell pepper: A medium red bell pepper provides 169% of your daily vitamin C (source), so we’re always sneaking peppers into our recipes!
Garlic
Fresh ginger
Spinach
Chickpeas: Chickpeas add plant-based protein, helping this dish stay filling
Peas: Peas are also legumes and add a hit of plant-based protein
Olive oil
Fire roasted tomatoes
Curry powder and cumin
Coconut milk: While many Indian curries use dairy, some use coconut milk for creaminess, which is perfect for a vegan curry
Fire roasted tomatoes…and a substitute
Canned fire roasted tomatoes are one of our secrets for quick dinners. Why? These tomatoes are charred over an open flame, making their flavor taste sweeter right out of the can. Ever tried some tomatoes that taste metallic or bitter out of the can? Fire roasted tomatoes solve that problem. They’re a type of tomato, not a brand, and you can find them in many grocery stores in the US these days.
Can’t find fire roasted tomatoes? No problem! Just use the best quality crushed tomatoes you can find. One thing we’ve found in making this vegan curry is that some brands of crushed tomatoes can be very thick. If your tomatoes are very thick, just stir in a little more coconut milk after simmering to balance out the sauce.
Serve with rice or other grains
This quick vegan curry is best served with rice or another whole grain! We like it with basmati rice, a long grain rice with an aromatic flavor that’s traditionally grown in India and the surrounding countries (Pakistan, Nepal, etc). Because of that, it’s best paired with Indian-style curries (whereas Thai curries are great with jasmine rice).
Of course, you can serve this curry with any whole grain you’d like! If you want to stray away from rice, there are lots of rice substitutes. Try quinoa, cauliflower rice, or even lentil rice (we get ours online).
Another side to pair with a vegan curry
This vegan curry is so filling, you might not need a side dish! But if you’d like another side, naan bread is a nice side for an Indian-inspired curry. You can easily find packaged naan bread at the grocery, but often it’s not vegan. If you prefer, you can make our Vegan Naan Bread: it’s warm, soft and full of garlic flavor.
Make ahead and storage info
Can you make this quick vegan curry ahead? Yes! To meal prep, you can easily make it 1 day in advance and refrigerate until serving. Then just reheat it gently in a skillet, being sure not to overheat it so that the sauce doesn’t evaporate. Leftovers stay good for about 3 days in the refrigerator.
Or, you can make the rice in advance if you’re serving with rice! This is especially helpful with brown rice, which takes up to 40 minutes to make. To reheat the rice, place it in a pan on the stovetop and add a splash of water. Heat gently for a few minutes until the water evaporates and the rice is warmed through.
More curry recipes
This quick vegan curry is a favorite of ours that we make on the regular! Here are a few more great curry recipes we love:
Saute the veggies: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and peppers saute for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and spinach and saute for 2 minutes until the spinach is fully wilted.
Simmer: Carefully pour in the crushed tomatoes and their juices, then add the curry powder, cumin, salt, chickpeas, peas, and coconut milk. Cook for 5 minutes until bubbly. Remove from the heat. If desired, stir in a little more coconut milk (depending on the tomato brand*). Serve with rice.
Notes
*Or make the rice in advance, which is helpful for brown rice because it takes longer to cook. To reheat the rice, place it in a pan on the stovetop and add a splash of water. Heat gently for a few minutes until the water evaporates and the rice is warmed through.
**Fire roasted tomatoes are a special type of canned tomato that’s become widely available at most grocery stores. If you can’t find them, use the best quality tomatoes you can. All brands vary widely: we’ve found that some can be rather thick, so in that case we stir in a little more coconut milk at the end.
If you are looking for an easy and healthy dinner idea, let me introduce you to one of my favorites, Easy Chickpea Curry. It only takes 30 minutes to make and is made ingredients with I always have on hand. This plant based chickpea curry has a creamy …
If you are looking for an easy and healthy dinner idea, let me introduce you to one of my favorites, Easy Chickpea Curry. It only takes 30 minutes to make and is made ingredients with I always have on hand. This plant based chickpea curry has a creamy tomato sauce and the most incredible blend…
Here, Michelle Peters-Jones of The Tiffin Box shows you how to mix your own Madras curry powder and customized spice blends to lend the boost that your recipes have been looking for.
If you go to a grocer in India and ask for curry powder, yo…
Here, Michelle Peters-Jones of The Tiffin Box shows you how to mix your own Madras curry powder and customized spice blends to lend the boost that your recipes have been looking for.
If you go to a grocer in India and ask for curry powder, you’re likely to be asked, "Which one?" There is no such thing as a single "curry powder" in Indian cuisine; each dish has its own combination of spices that makes it unique.
This butternut squash curry is an easy plant based dinner that’s vibrant and full-flavored, starring Thai red curry paste and coconut milk. You know about natural flavor pairings like peanut butter and jelly, and tomatoes and basil. Here’s another unique pairing that works like a charm: butternut squash and Thai curry paste! There’s something about the sweetness of squash and the spicy aromatic flavors of curry paste that go hand in hand. Try them together in this Butternut Squash Curry recipe! It’s easy to make, full of colorful vegetables and bursting with Thai curry flavor. The moment I took the first bite, I couldn’t stop singing its praises. Is this an authentic Thai red curry? Curry is a very loose term. Per Bon Appetit, in many countries it was a word used by colonizers to simplify what they saw as foreign cuisines. Today, curry is usually a dish with a spiced sauce and meat or vegetables, often eaten with rice or flatbread like naan. Sometimes curry powder is included in the sauce (like in many Indian curries), or sometimes curry paste (like Thai curries). The dish is made in many countries, including India, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and England. This […]
This butternut squash curry is an easy plant based dinner that’s vibrant and full-flavored, starring Thai red curry paste and coconut milk.
You know about natural flavor pairings like peanut butter and jelly, and tomatoes and basil. Here’s another unique pairing that works like a charm: butternut squash and Thai curry paste! There’s something about the sweetness of squash and the spicy aromatic flavors of curry paste that go hand in hand. Try them together in this Butternut Squash Curry recipe! It’s easy to make, full of colorful vegetables and bursting with Thai curry flavor. The moment I took the first bite, I couldn’t stop singing its praises.
Is this an authentic Thai red curry?
Curry is a very loose term. Per Bon Appetit, in many countries it was a word used by colonizers to simplify what they saw as foreign cuisines. Today, curry is usually a dish with a spiced sauce and meat or vegetables, often eaten with rice or flatbread like naan. Sometimes curry powder is included in the sauce (like in many Indian curries), or sometimes curry paste (like Thai curries). The dish is made in many countries, including India, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and England.
This butternut squash curry is a recipe we designed in the style of a Thai red curry. This is a Thai dish with a sauce made with red curry paste and coconut milk. It can be made with different proteins like chicken, beef, shrimp, or tofu. Thai cuisine does feature different types of squash and pumpkin, but usually not butternut squash since it is not a native plant. So this uses the principles and flavors of Thai red curry to highlight this tasty winter squash.
The key to butternut squash curry: red curry paste!
Do not make this butternut squash curry unless you can find red curry paste! This is what makes the fragrant Thai curry flavor. What is it? Red curry paste is a jarred paste that takes all the flavor of a Thai curry and concentrates it into a paste. In traditional Thai cooking, you’d make it with the real ingredients. Curry paste is a shortcut: it has all the chili peppers, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, cumin, coriander, and more. It brings incredible flavor and lasts for months in the fridge. A few notes on red curry paste:
It ranges from mild to medium spicy, based on the brand. We love using Thai kitchen curry paste which is very mild. Taste your curry paste before using it: if it’s very spicy, use less than the recipe specifies.
It’s easy to find near the Thai products in most grocery stores. It keeps for months in the refrigerator and you can use it in lots more recipes (see below). You can also buy it online:Thai Kitchen red curry paste.
How to cut butternut squash: some tips!
The main part of this butternut squash curry that requires technique is cutting the butternut squash! It takes a little time to peel and cut the squash. Here are a few tips:
Watch the video: The easiest way to understand how to cut it is by showing you! Watch this quick video of How to Cut Butternut Squash.
Use a serrated peeler: Theeasiest way to peel butternut squash is a squash peeler! It’s serrated, which makes it easier than a normal vegetable peeler. Here’s the serrated vegetable peeler we use.
Cut off the neck and chop it separately from the base: Don’t try to cut the entire squash together. Chop off the neck, then peel it and chop into squares. Do the same for the base.
Can you substitute frozen squash? (No.)
Important: don’t be tempted to substitute frozen squash in this butternut squash curry recipe! This has been optimized for fresh squash. In fact, we tried it with frozen because we thought it would be a natural swap. The squash came out mushy and waterlogged: nothing like the fresh version. So stay away from this swap for this recipe.
A few ideas for adding protein to butternut squash curry
You can eat this butternut squash curry on its own, but if you want to load it up with more protein, here’s what to do:
Add shrimp. Throw in raw shrimp in the last 5 minutes of simmering.
Add chickpeas. Make a butternut squash chickpea curry by adding drained and rinsed chickpeas when you add the coconut milk. You may need to increase the salt a bit in the final seasoning.
Add tofu. Make Pan Fried Tofu on the side (or in advance) and add it in the last 5 minutes: pan frying it in advance gives it a nice texture. Or even easier, add tofu cubes when you add the coconut milk: this results in a soft tofu texture, but it’s just as tasty.
What to serve with butternut squash curry?
This butternut squash curry is Thai-style, so it’s most authentic to serve it with rice. Don’t attempt to add naan: that’s for an Indian-style curry! Here are the types of rice we like to serve with a Thai-style curry:
Jasmine rice (best fit): Jasmine rice is also called Thai fragrant rice: because of its beautiful popcorn-like nutty flavor. Try our jasmine rice recipes: How to Cook Jasmine Rice and Instant Pot Jasmine Rice.
Jade rice (for fun!):Jade rice is a fun option: it’s naturally dyed green using bamboo extract and has a fluffy texture almost like couscous. We served the squash curry this way and it was excellent.
Want to know more about rice nutrition? See Quinoa vs Rice.
More recipes with red curry paste
When you buy a jar of red curry paste for this butternut squash curry, there are lots more ways to use it! Here are some of our top favorite recipes using curry paste:
In a large skillet, pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and butternut squash and saute for 5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper and saute for 1 minute.
Add coconut milk, curry paste, turmeric, water and kosher salt and bring to a simmer. Simmer until squash is tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the spinach and wilt for 1 minute. Serve immediately with rice.
Notes
*Do not substitute frozen butternut squash; the texture does not work in this recipe.
**The spice level for red curry pastes varies based on the brand. The brand we use (Thai Kitchen) is very mild. Taste your curry paste before you make the curry and add a little less if you’re worried about the heat level.
***Add shrimp in the last 5 minutes of simmering, or chickpeas when you add the coconut milk (you may need to increase the salt a bit at the end; taste and add more to taste). For tofu, make Pan Fried Tofu on the side (or in advance) and add it in the last 5 minutes: pan frying it in advance gives it a nice texture. Or even easier, add tofu cubes when you add the coconut milk: this results in a soft tofu texture, but it’s just as tasty.
I love chickpea salads. A few of my favorites include: Easy Chickpea Salad, Chickpea, Avocado, Feta Salad, Greek Chickpea Salad, Smashed Chickpea Avocado Salad, and Fall Chickpea Salad. I also really love this Curried Chickpea Salad because the flavors are unique and SO delicious. Smashed chickpeas are combined with celery, onion, cilantro crunchy cashews, raisins,… 
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