Vegetarian curry with butternut squash, pumpkin, chickpeas, and cauliflower. This curry is perfect for fall and winter. This post was originally sponsored by Got Milk. 

vegetarian curry

 

The seemingly never-ending summer heat finally took a break this week. We even got a bit of rain and our sweaters made an appearance. I took full advantage and made a fire and big pot of warm curry. With pumpkin and sweet butternut squash, this dish really feels like fall and winter, and is one I’ll be adding to my dinner table until spring. It is so cozy and comforting with warm spicy flavors. Got Milk? challenged me to create the perfect savory recipe to pair with California milk. I love taking on these types of jobs because they really ignite my creativity. Curry is a natural paring because it is usually a little (or a lot) spicy. Did you know that milk works better than water to cool down your mouth after a spicy bite? This recipe is on the mildly spicy side and is family friendly. You can turn up the heat with some sriracha hot sauce or turn it down with a cold glass of milk. 

This would make a fabulous meatless Thanksgiving dinner!

 

Roasted butternut squash is quite possibly one of my favorite fall garden goodies. While my butternut squash cubes roasted, I cooked onion and cauliflower with fragrant garlic, ginger, pumpkin puree, and curry powder. One of the main ingredients in curry powder is turmeric, which is incredibly good for your body and brain. I wrote about that here

 

Once I added the roasted butternut squash to the mix, I let the whole thing simmer together and thicken up for about 10 minutes. Oh how wonderful my home smelled with this on the stove! I actually made this curry early in the morning and kept it in the refrigerator until dinnertime, then reheated the pot on the stove. If your curry gets too thick, add one cup of vegetable broth to thin. I like my curry on a bed of quinoa, but Yummy Hubby and the kids prefer jasmine rice. 

 

vegan curry

Isn’t that just gorgeous?! I grew up eating curry served with many many toppings (the best part!) just the way my grandmother served it at dinner parties so long ago. If you have the YMK cookbook check that curry recipe for more curry ideas. For this fall-winter curry, I love adding seasonal toppings like pomegranate and pumpkin seeds. Fresh herbs are a must. Basil or cilantro work beautifully and add some freshness. 

 

 

 

coconut curry

 

Yield: Serves 6

Butternut Squash Curry with Pumpkin, Cauliflower, and Chickpeas

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

This warming curry stew with roasted butternut squash, cauliflower, chickpeas and pumpkin is a cozy vegetarian, vegan, gluten free dinner recipe.

Butternut Squash Curry with Pumpkin, Cauliflower, and Chickpeas

Ingredients

Curry

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 5 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash (1-inch cubes)
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cups small cauliflower florets
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
  • 1-inch fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 heaping tablespoon curry powder
  • dash chili pepper
  • 2 (15 oz.) cans coconut milk (I used light)
  • 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

For Serving (choose any or all of these!) 

  • cooked rice or quinoa 
  • Sriracha hot sauce
  • Thai basil or cilantro 
  • pomegranate seeds 
  • chutney 
  • pumpkin seeds or peanuts 
  • plain vegan yogurt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place butternut squash cubes on a baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon coconut oil to coat. Roast for 30 minutes or until tender.
  2.  Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon of coconut oil over medium heat in a large pot.
  3. Saute the onion until softened. Add the cauliflower, garlic, and ginger, and continue to sauté until cauliflower has begun to soften, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add curry powder,  chili pepper, coconut milk, pumpkin, chickpeas, and roasted squash. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Serve with rice or quinoa. Top with your favorite toppings.