This one-pot vegan Indian curry is a must-try! Spicy, creamy, and crunchy pumpkin and chickpea make this a wholesome meal. It is creamy, slightly sweet (from the pumpkin), spicy (from all the spices), satisfying, and flavorful. This recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free. It is ideal for Fall and Cold seasons. It only takes less than 30 minutes to prepare this dish, including the cooking time. Besides, it is one of the best ways to use pumpkin than making a dessert with loads of sugar.

Pumpkin chickpea curry goes well with rice. It pairs well with chapati(whole wheat flatbread), roti, or naan too—Quino and wild rice are some other options to serve with the curry.

This recipe is so simple to make with just a few ingredients. I have kept it simple with just the pumpkin and chickpeas as the only veggies of the dish. But, I am sure that this curry will go with various other vegetables like spinach, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, red bell peppers, etc.

Details of the Recipe Ingredients:

1. While I was looking for the best way to use pumpkin in the Fall and make a savory dish out of it, The main idea that came to my mind was making the curry out of it (Indian mindset!). I wanted to incorporate fresh pumpkins. So I have used freshly diced pumpkins. I liked the crunchy addition to the curry. The curries in India have many tropical vegetables that are crunchy, and this felt like a replacement for those vegetables.
2. I have not removed the pumpkin’s skin as I used homegrown organic pumpkin, and its skin was very tender. Please remove the skin if you are using a different type of pumpkin.
3. So many curry dishes I came across had pumpkin puree in them (primarily canned). Pumpkin canned puree is not made from pumpkins but rather a variety of squash family vegetables.
4. I would give this recipe a try with homemade pumpkin puree next time. So I can compare both the recipes and give an honest opinion.
5. I have kept the spices in this dish to minimal for the sake of simplicity.
   

Ingredients, Alternatives and Tips

Replacement for pumpkin:
Sweet potato, purple sweet potato, squash (any variety) are some of the reasonable alternatives. Many of the squash varieties’ skin is very thick, so remove the skin before using it.

Alternative to chickpeas: Chickpea flavor enhances the pumpkin taste and best addition to this recipe. However, if you have to replace the chickpea, other options are cannellini bean, kidney beans, navy beans, etc.

Oil: I have used extra light olive oil. It has a low smoking point (unlike extra virgin olive oil) and is suitable for a curry. You can also use a little butter/ghee with oil.

Spices: I have used whole spices so that the flavor is not too bold. It is convenient to take out the whole spices before eating so that it is still packed with all the flavors. I have used regular red Indian chili powder. Cayenne pepper, Kashmiri chili powder, paprika also work.

Cream: I have used light coconut milk. Whole fat coconut milk or cream will make this dish extra creamy.

Main Steps of the Recipe:

Veggies: dicing the pumpkin and removing the skin if necessary. 

Spices:  Getting the whole seasonings, ginger garlic paste, and ground spices that are ready to go!

Chickpeas: Getting the canned chickpeas drained or cooking the chickpeas if using dried variety.

Sauteeing: Sauteeing the onions and pumpkin until the pumpkin is cooked thoroughly. And adding the spices, ginger, garlic paste, and chickpeas and cooking again. 

Finishing and Garnishing: With coconut milk and cilantro

Process and Instructions:

Dice and prep about 3 cups of pumpkin. Remove the skin of the pumpkin unless it is very tender to eat. Take 1 1/2 Tbsp of oil in a pan. Add 1 tsp of cumin seeds, two bay leaves, 2 to 3 cinnamon sticks, 3 to 4 cloves, and add a cup of sliced onions. Saute the onions for 1 to 2 minutes and add the pumpkins. Add 3/4 tsp of salt, 1 Tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala powder, and cook for 10 minutes until the pumpkin is very soft.

Add 1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas (or one can of chickpeas). Mix everything well until the chickpeas get coated with the spices. Add 1/2 cup of coconut milk and 1/2 cup of cilantro. Cook for about a minute and serve hot with rice, roti, naan, or chapati.

Storage Instructions

1. This curry lasts up to 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. Store it in an airtight container with the lid closed. Heat a portion of it and keep the rest back in the fridge.

2. It is safe to store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

3. This pumpkin and chickpea curry is also the perfect meal to prep ahead of time. If we cook this ahead of time and reserve adding coconut milk to the end, this can last up to 5 days. Just before serving, we can add the coconut milk and garnish it with cilantro.

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