Red Lentil Pumpkin Peanut Curry
Celebrate fall with this creamy Thai-inspired pumpkin peanut curry. It’s packed with red lentils, veggies, peanut butter, and pumpkin.
Why We Love This Pumpkin Peanut Curry
- Creamy and Comforting: This is a thick and creamy curry that is perfect for cozying up with on a cold day.
- Easy & One Pot: Everything comes together in one pot, no fancy techniques or equipment necessary. You do need a blender/immersion blender for the peanut cream.
- Ready in an Hour or Less: Most of the time required in this recipe is spent simmering (that’s where all the magic happens to make this curry so flavorful). So you can let it cook down on the stove while you relax or attend to other duties (but preferably in the same room as the curry, so you can keep an eye on it just in case).
- Packed with Flavor and Nutrients: This curry is so flavorful in large part because of the curry paste, so use a good one! It’s extra flavorful when garnished with fresh herbs (I’ve been loving Thai basil recently!). Of course it’s also packed with plant-based protein, fiber, healthy fats, iron, vitamin C, and lots of other micronutrients.
- No Coconut Milk: While I do love cooking and baking with coconut milk, it’s the base of a lot of curries, so I wanted this to be more unique. Instead of coconut milk, this curry gets its richness from peanut butter and silken tofu (which also add extra plant protein!).
Key Ingredients
- Red Lentils ⟶ I love using red lentils in curries because they almost melt into the sauce, making it extra thick and creamy. Use split red lentils for even faster cooking.
- Pumpkin or Squash Puree ⟶ For extra flavor, roast and puree your favorite autumn squash like kabocha, butternut, honeynut, or acorn. But if you don’t have time, canned pumpkin puree works too.
- Peanut Butter ⟶ Preferably unsweetened, natural peanut butter, but use what you have. Peanut butter adds a slight nutty flavor and makes the curry extra thick.
- Silken Tofu ⟶ A little bit of silken tofu makes the curry even creamier and adds a little more plant protein.
- Curry Paste ⟶ I recommend Thai red curry paste, but if you already have a different curry paste open, you can use that instead. Some brands contain shrimp paste, so double check your curry paste if you need this curry to be completely plant-based/vegan.
Tips for Success
Use your favorite pumpkin/squash puree ⟶ I love making this curry with steamed or roasted kabocha puree. The kabocha adds a touch of sweetness and a thicker creamy texture. You can of course try other squashes like butternut squash or acorn squash. Or if you’re feeling lazy, canned pumpkin puree works too.
Adjust curry paste to spice tolerance ⟶ I start with 1 tbsp since different curry pastes differ in spice levels. Taste the curry after the lentils have simmered and add more curry paste if it’s not spicy enough for you.
Add your favorite veggies ⟶ I recommend keeping the onions, garlic, and ginger, but the other veggies (carrots, eggplant, zucchini) can be swapped out for your favorite veggies or whatever’s in your fridge. Other veggies that go well in this curry are broccoli, green beans, snow peas, spinach, cauliflower, mushrooms, and bell peppers.
Pumpkin Peanut Curry FAQ
More Delicious Vegan Curries
- Kidney Bean and Eggplant Peanut Curry
- Chickpea Spinach Curry
- Tempeh and Chickpea Peanut Curry
- Creamy Kabocha Lentil Curry
- Red Lentil Green Curry
- Japanese Curry with Red Lentils
- Vegan Curry Udon
If you try out this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment/rating down below and tag me in your photos on instagram @ellielikes.cooking. I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
Red Lentil Pumpkin Peanut Curry
Ingredients
Curry Paste
- 1 tbsp
red curry paste* - ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
Peanut Cream
- ¼ cup (60g) peanut butter
- 150 grams silken tofu
- ½ cup (120ml) water
- ¾ cup pumpkin or kabocha puree
Curry
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 Japanese or Chinese eggplant1 chopped
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp ginger minced
- 1 carrot1 sliced
- 1 cup
red lentils* rinsed - 3 cups (360ml) water
- ½ tsp
vegetable bouillon* - 1 zucchini1 sliced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce2
- 1-2 tsp sugar2
- 1 tbsp lime juice
Garnishes (optional)
- ½ cup thai basil leaves
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Make peanut cream by blending peanut butter, silken tofu, water, and pumpkin/kabocha puree until smooth.
- Heat half the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add eggplant and cook until softened and browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Add remaining olive oil to the same pot and heat over medium. Add onions, garlic, and ginger and a pinch of salt. Cook until onions turn translucent, 3-5 minutes.
- Add curry paste, cumin seeds, coriander, and nutmeg and stir for 30 seconds to toast the spices.
- Add carrots and cook for 1 minute.
- Add red lentils, water, and bouillon. Simmer 10-15 minutes until lentils are tender.
- Add eggplant, zucchini, peanut cream, soy sauce, and sugar. Simmer another 10 minutes on medium low. Stir occasionally to make sure the bottom isn't sticking.
- Turn off heat and stir in lime juice. Taste and add more salt, sugar, or lime juice if desired. Garnish and serve.
Notes
- Add with lentils: bell peppers, mushrooms, potatoes
- Add with peanut cream: broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, green beans
- Add after peanut cream: snow peas, bamboo shoots, spinach, kale
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