Indian Butternut Squash Curry

This Indian Butternut Squash Curry recipe is a delicious vegan curry simmered with fragrant spices and rich coconut milk.

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This butternut squash curry is a recipe that I make on the regular. I like that the ingredients are easy to find in the local grocery store and the fact that it’s a healthy, perfect weeknight dinner option.

Not only is it a vegetarian dinner recipe that’s perfect for Meatless Monday but it’s also vegan, dairy-free and totally healthy.

It’s also great for meal prep since the leftovers heat perfectly the next day.

I like to use light coconut milk in this recipe to cut down on calories. Plus, I find that the butternut squash is rich and creamy on its own, meaning that we don’t need the full-fat coconut milk to add more body and silkiness to the sauce.

Ingredients needed

Olive Oil
Butternut Squash – You’ll want about 4 cups of cubed squash.
Shallots – If you can’t find shallots, you can swap in a small onion.
Fresh Garlic + Ginger – To make things easy, I like to use the fresh ginger that comes in tubes. It’s often sold near the fresh herbs in grocery stores.
Spices – Cumin, coriander, mustard seeds, turmeric (or try one of these turmeric substitutes) and cayenne.
Lite Coconut Milk – Coconut milk is sold in cans and you’ll find it in the Asian foods section of your grocery store.
Baby Spinach – You can also use kale or arugula.
Fresh Cilantro – If you’re not a fan of cilantro, you can leave it out. Or, swap in parsley.

How to Make It

Peel and cut the butternut squash into small cubes.
Cook cubed butternut squash until slightly softened.
Add shallots.
Add ginger, garlic and additional spices.
Add coconut milk and simmer.
Stir in spinach.
Enjoy!

Variations

Try swapping in some sweet potatoes for the butternut squash.
Make a chickpea butternut squash curry by adding in a can of drained garbanzo beans when the coconut milk goes in.
Add some heat by adding in some red pepper flakes or minced jalapeno or serrano pepper. Or, cut back on the heat by omitting the cayenne.
Add in extra vegetables like kale, green beans, zucchini, etc.
Add extra protein by adding some cubed tofu.
For a pop of flavor, add in a squeeze of lime juice at the end.

Bowl of butternut curry with rice and spoon.

How to make ahead & store

Refrigerator: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Freezer: You can freeze this curry. The texture of the coconut milk may turn a bit grainy after thawing, but the amazing flavor will remain the same. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.

What to serve with it

I like to serve this curry with instant pot white rice, rice cooker coconut rice, basmati rice, brown rice or quinoa. It also is great served with some naan bread on the side.

Wine pairings

Dry Riesling is a great match for this squash curry. It’s hint of sweetness will tame down the heat while its acidity stands up to the bold blend of spices.
Gewurztraminer is another lightly sweet wine that pairs nicely with this dish.
Or, check out these wine pairings for Indian food.

More vegetarian dinners

More butternut squash recipes

More curry recipes

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PS – If you have leftover coconut milk, try out one of these 45+ recipes that use coconut milk.

In a large skillet heat olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add squash and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes, or until slightly softened.
To the skillet add the shallot, and cook until softened, 1-2 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and spices. Cook, about 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add the coconut milk to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10-15 minutes, until squash is tender. (Be careful not to boil, as the coconut milk may separate.)
Add spinach and stir until wilted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve curry on top of rice, topped with chopped cilantro and peanuts.

How to make ahead & store:

Refrigerator: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Freezer: You can freeze this curry. The texture of the coconut milk may turn a bit grainy after thawing, but the amazing flavor will remain the same. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.

This post was originally published in 2016. It was updated in 2022. The original butternut squash curry recipe remains the same. Enjoy!