Butternut Squash Chickpea Curry

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I have been really excited to share this recipe for Butternut Squash Chickpea Curry. If you are a fan of butternut squash and the flavors of curry, ginger, coconut and turmeric this curry is for you!

I love using butternut squash (or other squashes) as a meat substitute in recipes. They have lots of flavor, texture and are great at absorbing all those spices, so you don’t miss the meat.

The flavors and spices in the curry sauce are my favorites. I combine the fiery heat of red curry paste, with curry powder and turmeric which give the sauce a rich flavor.

I add coconut milk to my Butternut Squash Chickpea Curry, which adds flavor and a creaminess to the sauce. If you don’t like coconut, then provided you are not serving to dairy free or vegan diners, swap for Greek yogurt or heavy cream.

Butternut squash is a great ingredient and I use it a lot in my cooking. Try it in my Easy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Mediterranean Stuffed Butternut Squash, Butternut Squash Pasta, or Butternut Squash Sage Risotto.

Why You’ll Love This Butternut Squash Chickpea Curry

Here are more reasons it’s a must-try dish:

• Seasonal Ingredients: Make use of your local farmers markets and buy your squash from them. This curry is a great way of using fresh in season veggies when they are at their most flavorful.
• Great Leftovers: The leftovers are actually better than the first day. When this curry sits over a couple of days the flavors meld together and really develop.
• Versatile: This recipe is easily adapted to suit your own tastes. Feel free to add in whatever veggies you have in your fridge that need to be used up. I keep kale from my garden in the freezer and will often add a handful of that to the end of the curry.

Recipe Ingredients You’ll Need

• Garlic: for the best flavor I always use freshly minced garlic. You can use frozen garlic, or garlic puree in a pinch.
• Vegetables: As well as butternut squash, I like to add a red bell pepper to this curry, along with a jalapeño for mild chili heat.
• Spices: I flavor the curry sauce with curry powder, chili powder, ground turmeric and cayenne red pepper.
• Coconut Milk: I add a can of coconut milk to the curry sauce. You can use full-fat coconut milk or a lite version.
• Peanut Butter: I add some creamy all natural peanut butter which adds great flavor to the curry sauce. You can swap sunflower butter or almond butter.
• Honey: I add a little honey to the curry for sweetness -it balances out the spice.
• Chickpeas: I add chickpeas to the curry which are a great source of plant based protein.
• Tomatoes: I use 2 cans of fired roasted tomatoes in the curry sauce.
• Curry Paste: I flavour the curry sauce with Thai red curry paste.
• Ginger: Freshly grated ginger root adds great flavor to the curry.
• Chili: I like to add a jalapeno chili for a little extra spice, this is entirely optional.

For exact ingredient amounts and instructions, see the full recipe card below.

Ways to Modify Butternut Squash Chickpea Curry

This recipe is easily adapted to suit your preferences. Here are some ideas:

• Squash: you can swap butternut squash for kabocha squash or pumpkin. Sweet potato would also work well in place of squash.
• Vegetables: Load up this curry with extra veggies, try sweet onion, red onion, carrots, green beans, green peas, zucchini, celery, poblanos.
• Leafy Greens: Leafy green vegetables like spinach, kale or chard are a great addition to any curry. Add a handful or two at the end of the cooking.
• Spices: Spices are at the heart of any good curry. You could also add some ground coriander, ground cumin, or paprika. 
• Curry Paste: I’ve opted for a Thai red curry paste, but you can substitute for another curry paste of your choice.
• Pulses: Feel free to swap the chickpeas (garbanzo beans) for another bean, try red or white kidney beans.
• Low Fat: For a lower fat option you can use chicken or vegetable broth instead of the coconut milk. 
• Protein: For added plant based protein add some tofu, or add lean chicken for some meat based protein.