This curry recipe is a follow-up to my Incredibly Good Vegan Sweet Potato Curry, which is my top-performing recipe on all of my platforms. People love its smooth texture and creamy taste. I can’t blame them!

What is Kabocha?

I wanted to do another yummy curry recipe using kabocha squash. If you’ve never had kabocha before, oh boy, you better get out and buy yourself some (and make this recipe, among other things!). Kabocha is my absolute favorite squash.

Not watery like spaghetti squash (yuck..never met a spaghetti squash I enjoyed)

Not tasteless like acorn squash (except with tons of butter and brown sugar)

Less calories and starch than butternut squash

Kabocha is sweet and dry, so it’s amazing for thickening recipes like soup or curry

And HEY – you can actually EAT the PEEL!! For a weirdo like me who eats apple cores and shrimp tails, this is like a dream come true. Ha ha!!

Kabocha squash. If you’re going to cook it whole, pierce the skin with a knife or fork first.

Anyhow, last winter I looked high and low for kabocha, but found absolutely none. It was depressing. For some reason, I’m seeing a ton of it in stores right now. And it’s GOOD. I mean, it’s sweet, it’s delicious, okay okay you get the point. I love it.

For this vegan curry recipe, I wanted to keep things simple. I put the squash into the Vitamix with some coconut milk, and blended them until they were smooth as silk. After dumping the contents of the blender into the pan with the rest of the ingredients, I literally, no word of a lie, licked the remaining squash/coconut mixture out of the blender. It was THAT good. I swear I’m going to make an ice cream out of kabocha and coconut milk. That’s totally coming up, I promise.

Yeah, I know it looks like Velveeta. But it’s blended kabocha and coconut milk. YUM.

Roasting the squash brings out the sweetness in it. This step isn’t mandatory, but I highly recommend it.

While my last curry recipe was Indian, this one is Thai – hence the red curry paste. You can actually make red curry paste, but I don’t have time for such things, and the one you can find at any store is more than adequate.

What You’ll Need To Make This Curry

  • onion
  • kabocha squash
  • chickpeas
  • coconut milk
  • cilantro
  • fresh basil leaves
  • vegetable broth
  • red curry paste
  • oil
  • lemongrass
  • salt
  • scallions
  • Lime juice
  • hot pepper to taste

How To Make This Curry with Kobocha Squash

  •  Preheat oven to 350F.
  • Cut the squash in half and scoop out seeds. You might want to microwave the squash for 5-10 minutes first to soften it so it cuts easily.
  • Roast squash in the oven until soft, around 50-60 minutes.
  • Alternately, you can poke the squash a few times with a fork and cook whole, in the microwave, until soft. Then halve and scoop out the seeds.
  • Scoop the cooked flesh of the squash out into a high speed blender.
  • Add the coconut milk and blend, increasing speed gradually, until the mixture is silky smooth.
  • In a large heavy pan on medium-high heat, brown the onion in the oil.
  • Add the chickpeas and red curry paste and cook, stirring to coat the chickpeas, for about 4-5 minutes.
  • Add the squash-coconut mixture to the pan, along with the broth, lemongrass, cilantro, basil, and salt. If the mixture is too thick, use a bit more broth.
  • Cook the curry for around 20-25 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens. Add scallions and lime juice, adjusting for taste. Sprinkle with chopped hot pepper if desired.

To Freeze

  • If you are freezing this curry, be sure to let the curry cool before transferring it to an airtight freezer friendly container or bag.
  • Freeze for up to 3 months.
Print
Fabulous Kabocha Squash, Chickpea, and Lemongrass Curry Recipe

This silky smooth Thai-style vegan curry recipe is a dream come true. It freezes well, too! 

Ingredients
  • 1.25 cups chopped onion 1 medium
  • 1 large kabocha squash about 2 cups cooked
  • 2 19 oz cans chickpeas
  • 1 400 ml can coconut milk
  • 1.5 cups cilantro chopped
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves chopped
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/4 cup red curry paste
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped lemongrass
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 scallions diced
  • Lime juice to taste
  • hot pepper to taste
Instructions
First, cook the squash.
  1. Preheat oven to 350F.

  2. Cut the squash in half and scoop out seeds. You might want to microwave the squash for 5-10 minutes first to soften it so it cuts easily.

  3. Roast squash in the oven until soft, around 50-60 minutes.

  4. Alternately, you can poke the squash a few times with a fork and cook whole, in the microwave, until soft. Then halve and scoop out the seeds.

  5. Scoop the cooked flesh of the squash out into a high speed blender.

  6. Add the coconut milk and blend, increasing speed gradually, until the mixture is silky smooth.
  7. In a large heavy pan on medium-high heat, brown the onion in the oil.
  8. Add the chickpeas and red curry paste and cook, stirring to coat the chickpeas, for about 4-5 minutes.
  9. Add the squash-coconut mixture to the pan, along with the broth, lemongrass, cilantro, basil, and salt. If the mixture is too thick, use a bit more broth.
  10. Cook the curry for around 20-25 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens. Add scallions and lime juice, adjusting for taste. Sprinkle with chopped hot pepper if desired.

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