Pumpkin Chickpea Curry Recipe with Cashews, Coriander, Crispy Shallots
Our recipe for a rich pumpkin chickpea curry with cashews and coriander calls for Thai Massaman curry paste, but this vegetarian curry is also delicious made with Thai red curry paste – or a Cambodian Saraman curry paste. Use our homemade spice paste recipes if you have time or store-bought curry pastes if you don’t, and steamed jasmine rice instead of rice noodles if you prefer. Sprinkle with toasted nuts and fresh fragrant herbs before serving.
Servings: 4
Calories: 715kcal
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp canola oil or vegetable oil or sunflower oil, divided
- 500 g butternut pumpkin peeled, de-seeded, cut into 3cm pieces
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 4 tbsp Massaman curry paste store-bought or homemade, see notes
- 420 g canned chickpeas drained
- 400 ml coconut cream or coconut milk
- 2 tbsp peanuts
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp cashews
- 1 small onion peeled, sliced thinly
- vermicelli rice noodles
- 2 tsp palm sugar or brown sugar, or to taste
- 1 tbsp fish sauce optional, or to taste
- 1 tsp chilli flakes optional, or to taste
- 1 tsp chilli oil optional, or to taste
- 1 tsp crispy shallots store-bought is
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander and fresh basil leaves if you like
Instructions
- Put a medium sized pot of water on the stove to boil.
- To a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of canola oil (or vegetable oil or sunflower oil), heat until shimmering, add the pumpkin pieces, sprinkle on the cumin and stir-fry until the pumpkin browns and even chars. Use tongs to turn the pumpkin pieces over, after a few minutes turn again to brown and char a bit, then transfer to a bowl.
- Clean the wok or pan with paper kitchen towels or under hot water if needed and dry it. Return the pan to the heat, add a tablespoon of oil, heat until shimmering, add the curry paste, and stir it over the heat, releasing the flavours and aromas. Pour in the drained chickpeas, stir to combine with the paste, then add the coconut cream (or coconut milk), stir to incorporate, reduce to low and leave to simmer.
- To a small pan over medium-high, add the peanuts and stir-fry for a minute or so until crunchy and brown in parts. Peanuts release natural oils so no need for oil. Transfer to a small dish and set aside. To the same pan, add a teaspoon of oil, heat, add the cashew nuts, stir-fry until brown, then transfer to the same dish.
- To the same pan, add another tablespoon of oil, heat until shimmering, reduce to low, add the onion slices and fry until soft and transparent. Increase the heat to medium-high and fry the onions until brown and crispy, then transfer them to the chickpea curry and reduce the heat to low.
- Add the vermicelli rice noodles to the pot of boiling water, use a fork to separate the noodles, and cook according to the packet instructions, anything from 1 minute to 4 minutes.
- To the pan with chickpea curry, add the pumpkin pieces and half the crispy cashews and peanuts, and stir. Taste, and if you think it’s a little unbalanced, add a teaspoon of palm sugar (or brown sugar), tablespoon of fish sauce, a teaspoon each of chilli flakes and chilli oil, all optional but probably needed. If you’re not a fan of spicy-hot, reduce the measures. Stir to combine everything and leave to simmer.
- Drain the vermicelli rice noodles into a fine mesh strainer, cool under a cold water tap, then shake and perch over a large pot and leave to drain completely.
- Transfer the noodles to bowls, ladle the pumpkin chickpea curry over the noodles, garnish with lime slices/wedges, and sprinkle on some crispy fried shallots and fresh coriander (or fresh basil).
- Serve with dishes of crispy fried shallots, the remaining nuts and cashews, fresh herbs, more lime slices/wedges, and fresh chillies or chilli flakes so guests can adjust to their liking.
Notes
If you're up for making a curry paste from scratch, try this Thai massaman curry paste recipe in this authentic massaman curry recipe or try one of our Cambodian curry paste recipes on the links in the post above.
Nutrition
Calories: 715kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 59g | Saturated Fat: 34g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 676mg | Potassium: 1067mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 15871IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 151mg | Iron: 6mg