Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry

This easy curry is made with coconut milk and speckled with chopped spinach. It requires only 20 minutes of hands-on time and one pan, making it a great weeknight dinner.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Indian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 625kcal

Author Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coconut oil can sub olive oil
1 yellow onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger can sub 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash can use fresh or frozen
1 cup vegetable broth
1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
1 15-ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
2 cups chopped spinach

Instructions

Warm the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Make sure you use a big skillet with fairly high sides to accommodate for the volume of ingredients. If you don't have a big skillet, use a Dutch oven or soup pot.
Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until translucent. Stir in the garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Cook for a minute until fragrant. See notes about using red curry paste in lieu of the spices if desired.
Add the butternut squash, vegetable broth, and coconut milk to the skillet. Increase heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a rapid simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes until the squash is fork-tender. Cooking time may vary, especially if you use frozen squash (it tends to cook more quickly). Start checking the squash for doneness around 15 to 20 minutes and go from there.
Stir in the chopped spinach and chickpeas. Cook for a couple more minutes until warmed through.
Serve on its own, over brown rice, or with pita bread. You can also add cilantro and lime juice before serving. Enjoy!
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Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet until warmed through.
You can also freeze this curry. After it cools, transfer to freezer-safe containers, dividing it into single portions if needed. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. Or just reheat from frozen in a skillet or saucepan with a lid, stirring frequently, until warmed through.
If you want to use red curry paste for this recipe, use 2 tablespoons in place of the curry powder, cumin, turmeric, salt, and pepper.

Nutrition