Thai Butternut Squash Chickpea Curry

I first devised this Thai Butternut Squash Chickpea Curry two years ago when I was living in NYC. It was early January and it was 25°F on that particular day, so this curry really hit the spot. Even though I luckily benefit from warmer temperatures these days, this fragrant, Thai-inspired curry is no less satisfying.  

Why you’ll love this Thai Butternut Squash Curry

Easy but gourmet: This curry is easy to make, not complicated, and can be made in 45ish minutes (if you use pre-chopped squash). But, it also delivers gourmet flavors and is special enough to serve to guests.

Maximal flavor: Packed with the flavors of ginger, garlic, chili peppers, and lemongrass, this dish evokes the incredibly fragrant, aromatic curries I happily devoured in Thailand. More on that in the next section.

Indulgent yet healthy: This curry is oh-so-creamy and tastes decadent (hi, full-fat coconut milk). But it’s also really nourishing and packed with antioxidants, protein, and fiber, thanks to a garlic-ginger duo, a plentiful amount of chickpeas and butternut squash, and a helping hand from baby greens.

Meal prep-friendly: This dish makes excellent leftovers and will stay good in your fridge for 4-5 days and freezes well too.

How to make a flavorful Thai curry 

During my month in Thailand, we ate the most incredible Thai street food. And we also got to take a day-long Thai cooking class, which was one of my favorite experiences. What I learned from Thai cooking is that every dish should be well-balanced in flavors: a little spicy, a little sweet, a little sour, and plenty of umami.

Here’s how that shakes out in this recipe: 

• Spicy: heat comes from a good-quality red curry paste and Thai chili peppers (aka bird’s eye chili peppers). 
• Sweet: subtle sweetness comes from butternut squash and coconut sugar; also balances the spiciness and sour, as well as enhances the salty, umami. 
• Sour: acidity comes from rice vinegar; also balances the spiciness, as well as enhances the salty, umami. 
• Umami: savory notes comes from the soy sauce

How to make Thai Butternut Squash Chickpea Curry 

Gather your ingredients! 

Dice the onion and the carrots. Chop the butternut squash into cubes (or use pre-chopped butternut squash). 

Mince the garlic, mince or grate the ginger and lemongrass, and thinly slice the Thai chili peppers (if using).  

Sauté the diced onions and carrots in a bit of coconut oil in a deep sauté pan or Dutch oven until lightly browned. Add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, chili peppers, and curry paste, and stir frequently for 2 minutes.  

Deglaze the pan with vegetable broth, then add in the coconut milk, butternut squash, coconut sugar, and soy sauce. 

Simmer the curry for 20 minutes, until the squash is tender. Then, blend about half of the curry using an immersion blender. If using a stand blender, transfer half of the curry, blend, then return it to the pan. 

Add the chickpeas to the pan and bring to a simmer. Then add in the baby spinach or kale and cook until wilted. Finally, stir in the Thai basil (if using) and/or chopped cilantro. 

Tips for making this curry

Butternut squash. To save time, you can buy pre-cut butternut squash cubes, available at most grocery stores these days. If using a whole butternut squash, you’ll need approximately a 2 1/2 pound (1.1 kg) squash. 

Lemongrass. Not essential if you can’t find it, but if you can, lemongrass really elevates this recipe. It’s lemony, herbaceous, and minty, and extremely delightful. Since it’s so unique, there is sadly no substitute. 

To see how to peel and cut lemongrass, watch the Youtube video below (starting at the 3:09 mark).  

Curry paste and chili peppers 

There is variability in the spiciness across curry paste brands. For instance, commonly available Thai Kitchen red curry paste is less spicy than many other brands, including the one I used in this video (Maesri). If using Thai Kitchen, I use 5 tablespoons. With Maesri, I usually use 4 tablespoons.

Whichever brand you choose, be sure to read the ingredient labels – some pastes include fish sauce or shrimp paste. 

If you like spicy food, go ahead and use the bird’s eye chili peppers (aka Thai chili peppers). But if you’re on the fence about spicy food or sensitive to it, omit them! They are very spicy! My personal preference is to use 3 of these peppers, but I eat spicier food than most of my readers.

If you want a good deal of spiciness but aren’t familiar with bird’s eye chili peppers, try just 1 pepper. If you can’t find bird’s eye chili peppers but still want a spicy kick, try 1-2 serrano peppers. 

Rice wine vinegar. Don’t skip the final step, which is to add a bit of rice wine vinegar (aka rice vinegar). Finishing a rich dish like this curry with a splash of acidity at the end helps balance the spicy and sweet flavors, and also brings some freshness to the dish.

Watch! How to make Thai Butternut Squash Chickpea Curry! 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Can I make this curry without coconut milk? 

If you are allergic to coconut, I would recommend a homemade cashew cream: 1 cup (135g) raw cashews (soaked overnight or in boiling water for 1 hour) blended with 3/4 to 1 cup water (180-240 mL). I do not recommend using a thin plant-based milk such as almond milk. A spicy curry like this needs something high-fat and creamy to balance everything out.

If you are simply watching your calorie intake, you can use lite coconut milk instead of the full-fat variety. You won’t get the same quality of creaminess, but it will still be fairly creamy (and delicious). Alternatively, you can use half the amount of full-fat coconut milk.

Where can I find lemongrass, Thai basil, and Thai chili peppers? 

You can sometimes find lemongrass and Thai basil at Whole Foods, but not consistently. Lemongrass and Thai basil are commonly available at various Asian grocery stores, particularly Southeast Asian grocery. You can find bird’s eye chili peppers at some grocery stores, including Sprouts and Whole Foods.

How to peel and cut butternut squash? 

To make it easier to cut butternut squash, microwave it for 1-2 minutes to slightly soften the flesh. Then slice off the stem from the top. Use a sharp vegetable peeler to peel the squash until the flesh is vibrant orange. Slice the squash in half, horizontally. Then cut the rounded bottom portion of the squash in half, and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. 

Cut the bottom halves into wedges, then cube. Slice the top half of the squash in half, vertically. Finally, cut the halves into spears, then cube. 

Are there substitutes for butternut squash? 

If you don’t have butternut squash, you can use sweet potatoes. However, sweet potatoes are much sweeter than butternut squash, so I would omit the coconut sugar. A better substitute would be red kuri squash (you don’t even need to remove the peel!) or kabocha squash. 

What pairs well with Thai butternut squash curry? 

My favorite way to serve any Thai curry is over white jasmine rice. For something a little more nutrient-dense, you can serve it over brown rice, millet, or quinoa. 

Can I freeze this curry? 

Yes, this curry can be frozen! There might be some change in the texture, but overall, it freezes quite well. 

More delicious vegan curry recipes

Love a fragrant curry? Take a look at these other flavor-packed curries:

• Vegan Red Lentil Curry
• Vegan Thai Kabocha Squash Curry
• Instant Pot Butternut Squash Lentil Curry
• Instant Pot Thai Red Curry Sweet Potato Soup

You might also want to check out my Vegan Chana Masala. It’s not a curry, precisely, but it is heavy on the chickpeas and utterly delicious. 

Thai Butternut Squash Chickpea Curry

Nisha Vora

5 from 24 votes

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Bring the incredible flavors of Thai cooking to your kitchen in a fun yet accessible plant-based way with this Thai Butternut Squash Chickpea Curry. It's packed with aromatic Thai flavors, is indulgent yet healthy, and is a satisfying complete meal. Plus, it’s meal prep friendly and makes great leftovers!

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 40 mins

Total Time: 1 hr

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Thai-Inspired

Keyword: gluten-free, refined sugar free

Serving size: 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil (use refined for a neutral taste, or a neutral oil of choice)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• Kosher salt to taste
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2- inch piece ginger, grated or finely minced
• 1-3 bird's eye chili peppers, thinly sliced (optional, for spicy version)*
• 2 stalks fresh lemongrass, minced or grated (optional but recommended)**
• 5 tablespoons red curry paste (see Recipe Notes below on spiciness level and brands)***
• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth (or water)
• 1 (13.5-ounce / (400 mL) can full-fat coconut milk
• 5 cups (700-730g) of peeled and cubed butternut squash (~ 2.5 pound butternut squash)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce (or 1 tablespoon Thai Light Soy Sauce)****
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or pure maple syrup)
• 2 (15-ounce / 425g) cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 4 cups baby spinach or baby kale (about 4 large handfuls)
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (or lime juice)
• 1 large handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 handful Thai basil leaves
• White rice or brown rice (for serving, optional)

Instructions

• Heat a Dutch oven or a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the coconut oil, and once shimmering, add the onions and carrots along with a pinch of kosher salt. Cook the vegetables for 7-8 minutes, or until they are very tender and lightly browned.
• Add the garlic, ginger, chili peppers (if using), lemongrass (if using), and red curry paste, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat the vegetables. If not using a nonstick pan, you'll likely need to add a tablespoon or two of water to prevent the mixture from drying out, sticking, and burning.
• Pour in the vegetable broth, stirring with a spatula to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Pour in the coconut milk and stir to combine, then add the cubed butternut squash, soy sauce or tamari, and coconut sugar, stirring to combine.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low or medium-low to maintain a rapid simmer for 20 minutes, or until the squash is tender and cooked through.

  Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to blend roughly half of the curry. Make sure to leave some chunks of squash intact. Alternatively, transfer half of the curry to a stand blender. Blend until the mixture is puréed and mostly smooth, then return it to the pan.
• Stir in the chickpeas and bring the curry to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, stir in the baby spinach or kale, stirring until the greens have wilted.
• Turn off the heat, and stir in the rice wine vinegar. Taste for seasonings, adding salt as needed. Tear the Thai basil leaves to release their oils and add along with the chopped cilantro to the curry.
• Serve the curry over rice and additional cilantro or Thai basil to garnish.

Notes

* I would use bird's eye chili peppers (aka Thai chili peppers) only if you like spicy food, as these peppers are spicy. My personal preference is to use 3 of them, but I like my food spicier than most of my readers.

For a good amount of heat, use 1 chili pepper. If you can't find bird's eye chili peppers, try 1-2 serrano peppers. 

** Use only the tender, inner white bulb towards the bottom of the lemongrass stalk. For tips on how to peel/cut lemongrass, watch the Youtube video starting at the 3:09 mark. 

*** There is great variability in spiciness across curry paste brands. A commonly found brand in grocery stores is Thai Kitchen. It is less spicy than many other brands, including the one I used (Maesri). If using Thai Kitchen, I like using 5 tablespoons. With Maesri, I usually use 4 tablespoons.

Whichever brand you choose, be sure to read the ingredient labels - some curry pastes include fish sauce or shrimp paste. 

**** Thai Soy Sauce, aka Thin Soy Sauce or Light Soy Sauce, can be found at Southeast Asian grocery stores. It is considerably saltier than a standard grocery store soy sauce. If using a standard grocery store soy sauce, I recommend using 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons. If using reduced sodium soy sauce, use 2 1/2 tablespoons.  

To keep this recipe gluten-free, use tamari.