Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry

I love doing things from scratch as often as possible. This easy Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry is a favorite of mine. With a vibrant homemade green curry paste, this curry recipe is pure make your own takeout gold. You won’t believe how easy this is!

Butternut Squash Curry

I have been eating Thai food for many years now, thanks to the fact that there always seemed to be a Thai restaurant close enough to where I was working that I ordered it all the time. The curries have always been a favorite of mine. I really wanted to start making it myself, and this chickpea curry is pretty close to takeout!

I seem to be the only one in my household who enjoys Thai cuisine, so this is something I will usually make for lunch just for myself. Even milder versions are usually too spicy for the kids, but I hope at some point they will enjoy eating things like this so I’m not the only one in the house who eats it! 

Why You’ll Love Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry

This is such an easy recipe! The curry paste can be made ahead, and the vegetables can also be chopped in advance. This means that when you are ready to cook, this meal is on the table in no time. 

I love this quick dinner for those busier days. You can actually make this faster than you could order takeout! There is something really satisfying about making food for yourself that you could order from a restaurant.

Ingredients Needed To Make Butternut Squash Curry

This is loaded with fresh veggies! The butternut squash and kale make this a really nice Fall curry. Why green curry instead of yellow or red? Honestly, I just love the bright flavor of the green curry, and I think it’s great with veggies.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

• Butternut Squash
• Red Bell Pepper
• Lacinato Kale
• Onion
• Cauliflower
• Carrots
• Canned Coconut Milk
• Basil Leaves
• Lemongrass
• Shallot
• Lime Juice and Zest
• Thai Chilies
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Scallions
• Ground Cumin
• Ground Coriander
• Salt
• Granulated Sugar

I know this looks like a lot but don’t let that intimidate you. Most of the ingredients here will go in the green curry paste, and that is so easy to make!

Equipment Needed For This Recipe

• Blender
• Dutch Oven or Stock Pot
• Knife
• Rubber Scraper
• Wooden Spoon or Bamboo Spatula

How Do You Make Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry?

Here is a basic breakdown for making butternut squash and chickpea curry:

1. Chop the vegetables.
2. Prep the green curry paste ingredients.
3. Make the green curry paste.
4. Add the vegetables to a dutch oven or stock pot and sautee to partially cook them.
5. Add the curry paste. 
6. Next, add the coconut milk and simmer until done.

These are not comprehensive instructions, but as you can see from the photos this is pretty easy to make. I’ve got all the instructions you’ll need in the recipe below.

Homemade Green Curry Paste

This recipe uses homemade green curry paste, but you can of course use store bought if you prefer. I love the bright flavors of ginger and lemongrass with the spicy chilies. This curry paste is very fragrant and so fresh! It’s important to note that this is a vegetarian green curry paste. 

Traditionally, Thai green curry paste contains fermented shrimp paste known as Gapi, or dried shrimp paste known as Belachan. I have not included either ingredient because it was my intention with this recipe to do a vegetarian version. Also, my local market does not sell shrimp paste, though I may order some online and try making this the more traditional way. 

Normally, this would also contain Thai basil, galangal, and Makrut Lime Leaves (you may also see them labeled kaffir lime leaves). My local market does not have any of the three, so I had to leave the lime leaves out and make substitutions for the other ingredients. 

I substituted galangal for ginger and Thai basil for Italian basil. I found that the curry still tastes great with these substitutions. While the flavor profile of galangal and Thai basil are a little different than ginger and Italian basil, this still makes a wonderful curry.

How To Make Green Curry

This is super quick and easy. Simply put all the ingredients for the green curry paste in a blender and process until smooth. There is some prep involved, such as removing the stems and seeds from the chilies, and peeling the shallot among other things. For more detailed info, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

It is important to note that lemongrass is a bit woody and stringy. If you don’t have a strong blender, your paste may be a bit fibrous. To avoid that without buying a different blender, you can use lemongrass paste in a tube. It is usually found in your grocery store produce section with the fresh herbs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How To Serve Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry

This curry is great with cooked white or brown rice. You can also cook some noodles and stir them in at the end if you like. 

How To Store Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry

This makes great leftovers! I love it for a workweek lunch because it reheats so well. This will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator in a container with a tight fitting lid. To reheat your curry, a couple of minutes in the microwave in a microwaveable bowl is all you need.

If you are reading this, thank you for being here. I certainly hope you found all of this information helpful and that you will love this butternut squash and chickpea curry! 

If you tried this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Just leave a rating or comment below. 

If you’d like to share this recipe with friends, here are a few ideas:

Make it and take a picture and tag me @thecoppertable in a post on Instagram, pin to a dinner, vegetarian, or main dish board on Pinterest. You can also share on Facebook, Twitter, or anywhere else you like using the share buttons you see in the post! 

Recipe questions? Feel free to send me an email or DM on Instagram. I’m always happy to help!

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