Curry is a great dish to make in advance for busy nights because the flavors only get better as it sits. This butternut squash chickpea curry is loaded with vegetables as well as flavor!
I like to prep all the ingredients for this recipe in advance to make it an easy and pleasant cooking experience. Chopping the butternut squash can be time consuming, and sometimes difficult, so you don’t want to rush for safety’s sake.
Once you have all the veggies prepped, the cans opened, and the spices measured, then the magic can happen. You can cook slowly enjoying the experience, the smells, and the colors of the delicious curry you are about to enjoy.
Toasting the spices in this curry is one of those tricks that you don’t think is going to do much, but it really does! Allowing the time for the spices to bloom really makes the dish that much more flavorful.
Variations to the Butternut Squash Chickpea Curry recipe:
- Curry powder: I don’t like using a store bought curry powder for many reasons. Sometimes they include spices that I don’t like and when I make my own, I can leave them out. The other reason is that I already stock all the ingredients to whisk up my own, so why not!
- The coconut oil I choose to use for this dish is unrefined, or virgin coconut oil. It carries a strong coconut flavor that adds to the richness of this dish. You could also use refined coconut oil, or olive oil, especially if you want to reduce saturated fats.
- Spicy: I did not find the curry to be spicy (I love spicy foods), so I added some sriracha to the bowl. If you prefer mild curry, you might omit the red pepper flake, and if you like it hot, add something extra like sriracha or red chili peppers.
- 1 TBS coconut oil or olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 TBS ginger, minced
- 1 ½ tsp coriander
- 1 tsp each: cumin and salt
- ½ tsp each: turmeric and red pepper flake
- ¼ tsp each: cinnamon and cardamom
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 4 cups)
- 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- ¾ cup full-fat coconut milk
- 3-4 handfuls fresh baby spinach
- Cooked rice, for serving
- Saute onion over low heat in coconut oil or olive oil until soften, about 5 minutes.
- Mix in garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, salt, turmeric, red pepper flake, cinnamon and cardamom. Saute for about 1 more minute to toast the spices.
- Mix in butternut squash, tomatoes, chickpeas, and broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- Mix in the coconut milk and spinach and cook until heated through.
- Serve over rice.
