We love sweet pumpkin recipes, like Pumpkin Custards, Pumpkin Chia Pudding, Pumpkin Pie, and MORE Pumpkin Pie!
But what about savory pumpkin recipes?
Pumpkin is one of those ingredients that works well in both sweet and savory dishes. Today, I’m sharing this exquisite recipe to use pumpkin as a main dish.
This is my Pumpkin Cauliflower Chickpea Curry with Fresh Cream Sauce recipe from LTEV. It combines chickpeas, cauliflower, and zucchini in a thick, pumpkin-curried sauce base. Then, a mellow, cooling, fresh cashew cream sauce is drizzled over top.
It is a meal in a bowl, though you could certainly pair it with a salad and over whole grains like quinoa or brown rice. Or with a crusty whole-grain bread. However you serve it… do not skip the cashew cream!
Pumpkin Cauliflower Chickpea Curry
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Pumpkin is so often used in desserts yet sometimes overlooked for savory recipes. This stew highlights pumpkin, along with vegetables and beans, in a curry that is flavorful without being too hot-spicy. Topped with the ‘Fresh Cream Sauce’, this is one of my favorite autumnal dishes.
1 – 2 tbsp water
1 ½ – 2 cups onions, chopped
1 tbsp curry powder
1 1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp brown or yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp turmeric
Couple pinches crushed red pepper flakes (to desired heat)
2-3 cloves garlic, grated or minced
2 cups cauliflower, cut in florets (see note on timing)
2 cups zucchini, cut in small chunks (see note on timing)
3 ½ – 4 cups cooked chickpeas (or combination of chickpeas and kidney beans)
1 – 15 oz. can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) (see note)
1 cup water
1 ½ – 2 tbsp ginger, grated
1 ½ – 2 tbsp lemon juice
Lemon wedges for serving
Fresh Cream Sauce for serving, below (and see note)
In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine the water, onion, curry powder, salt, mustard seeds, garam masala, coriander, cumin seeds, turmeric, and crushed red pepper. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, covered, and then lower the heat to medium and add the garlic. Stir, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, adding a splash of water if needed to prevent the garlic from sticking or burning. Add the cauliflower and zucchini, and toss, followed by the beans, pumpkin, and water. Bring the heat up to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cauliflower and zucchini have become tender (if you want more texture in the veggies, hold off adding them until the last 10 minutes or so of simmering). Add the ginger, lemon juice, and stir. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve drizzled with Fresh Cream Sauce, with lemon wedges on the side for extra squeezing! Serves 4-6.
Ingredient Notes:
Canned pumpkin varies in moisture and consistency. I use just 1 cup of water in this curry, using the Farmer’s Market brand of organic canned pumpkin. It makes for a fairly thick curry, with the veggies also releasing some moisture during simmering. You may want to add more water, depending on whether you substitute other vegetables, and also depending on the consistency of the canned pumpkin.
Notes:
1) Other veggies you can use in place of the zukes and cauliflower include chopped red pepper and green beans cut into bite-size pieces.
2) The cream sauce really is superb drizzled over this curry. It adds a color contrast, and a creamy texture against a spicy dish. If you don’t make the sauce, consider adding about 1⁄2 cup of raw cashews to the curry when adding the zucchini and cauliflower. They will soften with cooking and bring more interest to every bite.
Fresh Cream Sauce RECIpage link
Sometimes you want a sauce that is creamy and smooth, but without any pronounced flavors such as garlic or spices. This sauce is it. It is creamy and cooling, and great for pairing with spicy dishes—but also many other things!
1 cup soaked cashews, drained
½ cup + 2-3 tbsp water
¼ tsp (rounded) sea salt (or measure ¼ + 1/8 tsp)
2 ½ – 3 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 tsp agave nectar or pure maple syrup
Using a standing blender or an immersion blender and deep cup or jar, puree all the ingredients (starting with 1⁄2 cup + 2 tablespoons of the water) until very, very smooth. (A high-powered blender works best to give a very silky consistency.) Add extra water, if needed, to thin the sauce, and season to taste with additional salt, if desired. Serve swirled over spicy stews or burritos, or drizzled on pizza; or use as a salad dressing or as a condiment for sandwiches, baked spuds, sautéed greens, and more. Makes 3/4 – 1 cup.
What is YOUR favorite SAVORY pumpkin recipe?
Beth says
I want to make this ASAP. I have all the ingredients except fresh cauliflower–but I have a bag of frozen cauliflower. If I use that, how will it change the cooking instructions?
Cindy Pearson Cole says
Hi Dreena!
We have been loving your recipes, this one among them.
I generally substitute white beans for soaked cashews. I’m thinking 1-1 ratio, or, a can of white beans to replace a cup of soaked cashews. Does that sound right?
Dreena says
Thanks Cindy. 🙂 I don’t find the 1:1 sub works well for cashews/white beans in most recipes. Some things you can get away with it, but when a richness is required, white beans don’t pull it off on their own. So, for this type of cream, you could try subbing half the amount of cashews with white beans – but I wouldn’t do much more than that. Instead, just serve sparingly and enjoy the richness!
Hope that helps!
Christine says
This turned out so delicious, especially with the cashew cream. thank you!!
Rose says
Thank you for this recipe! I plan to make today, but have a question. I do not have cumin seed or mustard seed…could powder be substituted?
Dreena says
Hi Rose, for sure you can sub cumin powder for the cumin seed. Use a little less, since it requires more seed to achieve the ground. I wouldn’t sub ground mustard for the seeds – just omit those. Will still be delicious. Enjoy!
Lauren says
I have been making lots of your recipes over the years and am never disappointed with meals from your books. Just made this for dinner tonigh. So delicious!! Hubby loved it too, was heaps better than the last few Indian meals we have had in restraunts. Also made the troll cookies and of course they were amazing as well. Love your work Dreena!!
Judee@ Gluten Free A-Z Blog says
Wow,,1st time to your blog and love this cauliflower curry! Thanks for the inspiration and the recipe
Anna Vaschina says
Dear Dreena, what other nuts would work (my youngest has allergy to cashews, pecan, macadamia & pistachio…sadly)?
Maggie Muggins says
This recipe was sooooo gooood, I really need to make it again! Thanks for linking to me Dreena!
Miss Polkadot says
Creamy, savoury and pumpkin-y [that should be a word!]? Totally up my alley. Funny how you mention savoury uses of pumpkin to be less common – it’s the complete other way around over here. We hardly use pumpkin in sweet recipes and I guess most people would need some time to get used to the idea of pumpkin desserts.
Anyway, I eat a lot of savoury pumpkin dishes – yours will be added to my to-make list – and enjoy trying new recipes or coming up with my own. Some of my favourites so far include kabocha squash stew with chickpeas, pumpkin chestnut casserole with caramelized onions and spicy Thai peanut-roasted kabocha.
Julie says
This looks amazing! Thank you Dreena for the most fabulously rich but healthy meal option!
PS I am really, really, really looking forward to the new pumpkin pie and oat-nut recipe crust that you have hinted at…!
Dreena says
Thank you Julie, and yes the pie was crazy yummy, so I hope to get it on the blog in November. 🙂
Anna {Herbivore Triathlete} says
How do I keep missing this recipes in LTEV? I swear I have read the book from cover to cover a hundred times! I have loved all the recipes I’ve made from it, so am sure this will be great as well. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Curry and pumpkin are two of my fave flavors, I’m certain they are fabulous together as well.
Dreena says
Anna, it’s because I should have had photos for EACH and EVERY recipe! I’ve learned my lesson. 😉 Next book there are photos for them all, I’m so stoked! Thanks for your note, that’s why I post some of these recipes from LTEV (and my other books). There are so many that get “lost” in a book of 200 recipes. They come to life with food photos, that’s for sure. Many thanks! 🙂
Christine (The Raw Project) says
So much great inspiration in this post, yum! I adore a good spicy vegan pumpkin chili.
Dreena says
Thanks Christine! I’ve just made a pumpkin lentil soup for tonight, can’t wait to have it… as much as I’m now thinking about pumpkin chili. 😉
janae @ bring joy says
First Dreena, you are adorable. I love your made up words (snackles?!)–you have a knack for naming recipes that is so…Dreena. That’s why we love you!
Favorite savory pumpkin recipe…? I like pumpkin in any kind of soup. I haven’t eaten it savory really any other way. Do pumpkin seeds count? I love savory pumpkin seeds too.
Dreena says
You should hear the stuff I come up with and don’t publish, Janae! 😉 I’m a kook at heart. Thanks so much for your sweetness. Pumpkin seeds count in my books – we love ’em too. In fact, I’m off to bake up some of my Pumpkin Seed Choc Chip Oatmeal Bars right now!