Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry with Spinach

Butternut squash and chickpea curry with spinach is a healthy, vegan and quick curry recipe made in the instant pot or stovetop. Put it together in a bowl with brown rice and some green chutney and you’ve made yourself a complete meal. Did I mention it is really delicious as well?

I love a good, hearty curry and if it is bursting with nutrition and pretty to look at (look at the warm oranges and greens), bingo!

This butternut squash curry has so much going for it, honestly, I find myself making it regularly these days. The goodness of butternut squash, chickpeas and spinach comes together in a beautiful medley of aromatics and spices. And when you serve it with brown rice and a fresh green cilantro-mint chutney, it becomes simply outstanding!

Note: If you are not on a vegan diet, you can also add a little yogurt topped with roasted and ground cumin.

Ingredients in butternut squash and chickpea curry recipe

Note: Exact amounts are given in the recipe card further down in the post.

1. Butternut squash 

You can use frozen or fresh butternut squash. When using fresh, I like picking up the peeled and cubed squash available in the produce section of most supermarkets. Who’s got the time to peel and cube a whole vegetable? Also, the whole squash sometimes turns out to be a pale yellow color, aargh! After going to the effort of peeling and cubing it, you end up with a sickly looking curry. No, thanks.

2. Chickpeas

You can use a can of chickpeas for convenience. However, it is very easy to cook chickpeas from scratch in the instant pot. Here’s a post guiding you on how to do that:

How to cook chickpeas in the instant pot

If you still prefer the can, always thoroughly rinse and wash the canned chickpeas in a colander first to get rid of the excess salt and foam. Takes just a minute.

3. Spinach

Again, to make things as easy as possible, I buy the washed and cleaned baby spinach available in the produce section. I hate washing spinach leaves (just a pet peeve of mine). Anyway, all that needs to be done then is to gather all the leaves on a cutting board in a large bunch and chop them any which way you want.

4. Yellow onion, tomatoes and garlic

Dice the onions, chop the tomatoes and mince the garlic.

5. Vegetable broth

6. Spices 

Where would Indian cooking be without spices? Spices give Indian curries their signature flavour and aroma and this butternut squash chickpea curry is no exception. If you don’t have or want to buy these particular spices, you can use the substitutes as mentioned.

• Madras curry powder – sub with regular curry powder if you don’t have madras curry powder.
• Kashmiri chilli powder (sub with regular chilli powder like cayenne) – adds a pleasing natural red colour without too much heat.
• Turmeric powder
• Cumin powder

7. Cooking oil and salt 

I usually use canola or corn oil and sea salt for all my Indian recipes.

How to make butternut squash and chickpea curry 

Instant Pot Recipe

Step 1 – Switch on your instant pot and press sauté (normal). Once the display panel shows HOT, add the oil, onions and garlic. Sauté for a minute. If the garlic is sticking to the pot, loosen with a few splashes of broth.

Step 2 – Add the tomato, spices and salt. Sauté for 2 minutes.

Step 3 – Add the broth followed by the chickpeas and butternut squash.

Step 4 – Cancel sauté and close the lid. Make sure the steam release handle is sealed, press the pressure cooking button and set the timer to 2 minutes.

Step 5 – Once the timer beeps, release the pressure immediately (QPR) and open the pot. Press sauté again and add the spinach. Cook for 1-2 minutes more until the spinach has wilted. The curry is ready to be served with brown rice.

Stovetop Recipe

The stovetop recipe follows the same steps as the pressure cooked one. Make this curry in a wok or karahi, and after adding the oil, follow the recipe until step 3. After step 3, lower the heat and let the curry simmer for 10-15 minutes. Once the squash has softened and the liquid has reduced, add the spinach and cook for two minutes more. Serve hot with white or brown rice.

How to make the green chutney

These are the ingredients you will need:

• a bunch of cilantro
• half a bunch mint leaves
• one small tomato
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1-2 small green chillies
• salt, to taste

Throw these ingredients in the blender along with a few tablespoons of water and blend to get a smooth puree. Your chutney is ready.

Other Indian vegetarian curries you might like

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Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry with Spinach

Butternut squash and chickpea curry with spinach is a healthy, vegan and quick curry recipe made in the instant pot or stovetop.

• Author: Saima
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: Serves 6 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Instant pot and stovetop
• Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the butternut squash curry

• 1 packet butternut squash cubes (frozen or fresh)
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 tray pre-washed baby spinach, chopped
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 medium-sized yellow onion, diced
• 1 heaped tbsp minced garlic
• 1 big tomato, chopped
• 1 heaped tsp Madras curry powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
•  1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• Sea salt, to taste

For the green chutney

• a bunch of cilantro
• half a bunch mint leaves
• one small tomato
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1–2 small green chillies
• salt, to taste

Instructions

Instant Pot Method

1. Switch on your instant pot and press sauté (normal). Once the display panel shows HOT, add the oil, onions and garlic. Sauté for a minute. If the garlic is sticking to the pot, loosen with a few splashes of broth.
2. Add the tomato, spices and salt. Sauté for 2 minutes.
3. Add the broth followed by the chickpeas and butternut squash.
4. Cancel sauté and close the lid. Make sure the steam release handle is sealed, press the pressure cooking button and set the timer to 2 minutes.
5. Once the timer beeps, release the pressure immediately (QPR) and open the pot. Press sauté again and add the spinach. Cook for 1-2 minutes more until the spinach has wilted. The curry is ready to be served with white or brown rice.

Stovetop Method

The stovetop recipe follows the same steps as the pressure cooked one. Make this curry in a wok or karahi, and after adding the oil, follow the recipe until step 3. After step 3, lower the heat and let the curry simmer for 10-15 minutes. Once the squash has softened and the liquid has reduced, add the spinach and cook for two minutes more. Serve hot with white or brown rice.

Green Chutney

Put all the ingredients in a blender along with a few tablespoons of water and blend to a smooth puree.

Notes

1. If you don’t have Madras curry powder, substitute with regular curry powder.
2. For more heat, use regular cayenne instead of Kashmiri chilli powder.
3. Make your own cumin powder if you don’t want to buy it. Toast a few tablespoons of cumin seeds in a small frypan until they change color slightly and give off the aroma of cumin. Cool and grind in a spice or coffee grinder and store in an air-tight glass bottle in your spice cabinet.

Nutrition

• Calories: 268.5
• Sugar: 2.8
• Sodium: 766.3
• Fat: 9.2
• Saturated Fat: 0.7
• Unsaturated Fat: 7.3
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 40.8
• Fiber: 9.0
• Protein: 7.7
• Cholesterol: 0

Keywords: butternut squash and chickpea curry, instant pot vegetarian curry, Indian vegan curry

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