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5 from 16 votes

Butternut Squash Curry (30-Minutes)

With a few good shortcuts, this healthy butternut squash curry can be on the table in 30 minutes for a perfect weeknight dinner. Rich, creamy, spicy deliciousness.
Prep Time8 minutes
Cook Time22 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian, Vegetarian
Servings (change as needed): 3

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoon minced garlic (2 cloves)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger powder
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon red curry paste
  • 1/2 can coconut milk, unsweetened (about 1 cup/237ml)
  • 2 cups tomato sauce, Note 1
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup (or honey)
  • 1 pound butternut squash, diced 1/2 inch/1.27cm, Note 2 (about 2 1/2-3 cups)
  • 3 cups (90g) roughly chopped baby spinach (or 250 g frozen, thawed, water squeezed out)

Instructions

  • SAUTÉ SPICES AND AROMATICS: Heat olive oil in medium skillet on medium heat. Add garlic, curry powder, ginger powder, salt, cayenne and curry paste. Stir for 2 minutes.
  • ADD LIQUIDS, TOMATOES AND SQUASH: : Stir in coconut milk, tomato sauce (or diced tomatoes), honey and squash. Bring to boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until squash is tender. If using diced tomatoes, you may have to uncover and cook a bit longer to reduce the liquid more.
  • FINISH AND SERVE: Add fresh spinach and stir until wilted - or stir in squeezed-dry thawed spinach until heated through - about 1 minute. Taste and adjust seasonings (curry, salt, pepper, honey, etc). Sauce will thicken on standing or by the time you serve it. Serve over rice or quinoa. Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro or parsley if desired. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to several days.

Notes

  1. Tomato sauce - I use a basic Marinara sauce (often White Linen from Costco), but other plain tomato sauces will work fine too. Or use on 15 oz (503ml) can diced tomatoes which you may need to cook a bit longer (uncovered) to thicken. San Marzano or Fire Roasted tomatoes would be great.
  2. Butternut squash options: Buy it pre-cut and cubed or peel and cut it up yourself. You can even use frozen cubed butternut squash (cook less time as the cubes are much smaller). Or substitute cauliflower, green beans or cooked chickpeas. These will cook more quickly. 
  3. Variations:
    • Substitutes 
      • Use a half inch of freshly grated ginger instead of ginger powder.
      • Instead of quinoa or rice, try serving the squash curry over nutritious bulgar or farro.
      • Replace the spinach with swiss chard or kale.
    • Add-ins
      • Add chopped cilantro or parsley before serving.
      • Stir in a tablespoon or more of peanut butter.
  4. Make Ahead/Reheat/Freeze
    • Make the squash curry recipe up to 2-3 days ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. If you want the spinach to look vibrant, add it only when you are reheating the dish.
    • Reheat leftovers on the stove (with a bit of liquid to thin it out) and stir in the fresh spinach until wilted. If you're not fussy about the color of the spinach turning dull, just make the whole thing and warm it up in the microwave.
    • Freeze the squash curry if you like - up to 3 months. Some say the coconut milk can get a bit grainy but the taste won't be affected.
 
Nutrition values are estimates and do not include rice or quinoa. 
Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Sodium: 1284mg | Potassium: 1416mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 20809IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 5mg