Kabocha Squash Red Curry
on Sep 21, 2021, Updated May 09, 2026
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This vegan kabocha squash curry is incredibly delicious and can be whipped up in 30 minutes for a healthy meal any night of the week. The recipe features kabocha squash and veggies in a coconut red curry sauce and has the most delicious sweet and spicy flavour.
5-Star Review
Spectacular! I had gotten a kabocha squash at my local produce stand and needed a recipe since I hadn’t eaten it before. I made the recipe exactly as written and it was seriously one of the best meals I have ever had!! Thank you so much for this recipe; it’s a keeper! I will be making it over and over!
Though kabocha squash takes a bit of work to prepare, once the squash is ready the rest of the recipe is quick and easy to make. Kabocha squash is wonderful in curries due to its natural sweetness and melt-in-your-mouth texture when cooked.
Why You’ll Love Kabocha Squash Red Curry
- The recipe is vegan and can be gluten-free and oil-free.
- It’s deliciously creamy and comforting.
- It makes an excellent use for nutritious kabocha squash.
- It’s amazing served over rice to soak up the coconut curry sauce.
- It’s easy to customize or you can make the recipe with butternut squash, pumpkin or acorn squash too.
If you love this recipe, this Butternut Squash Curry and Chickpea Cauliflower Curry are delicious too. If you’ve got an extra kabocha squash, you can use it in this Kabocha Squash Soup. Hope you enjoy them all!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make the recipe and any substitutions you can make. Use the recipe card with the full list of ingredients and measurements at the bottom of the post when you’re ready to make the recipe.
- Ginger: Adds a lovely flavour but can be replaced with 1 tsp ground ginger if that’s all you have.
- Kabocha Squash: You’ll need 1 medium-sized squash. Butternut squash, acorn squash or pumpkin also works or you could do sweet potato for a variation similar to this Sweet Potato Red Lentil Curry.
- Red Curry Paste: I used Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste, use any brand you like or switch it up with a yellow curry paste.
- Coconut Milk: Light or full-fat coconut milk both work. Use full-fat coconut milk for an extra rich and creamy curry or light coconut milk to reduce the fat in the recipe. The kabocha squash does thicken and add creaminess to the curry so you can definitely use light and still get a delicious result.
- Sweetener: Maple syrup, coconut sugar or brown sugar work.
- Soy Sauce: Use low-sodium soy sauce or if needed, gluten-free tamari.
- Miso: Optional but adds a delicious umami flavour that goes great with the squash. Use white or yellow miso.
How to Make Kabocha Squash Red Curry
Step 1: To prepare the squash, cut it half as shown below then cut each half into two pieces. Cut the pieces into wedges and cut the skin off. Cut the wedges into half inch cubes (keep them on the smaller side for a quicker cooking time).
Chop the bell pepper, carrot, garlic and ginger as well so you’re ready to go.
Step 2: You can use coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil, water or broth to saute the veggies. Cook them for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until softened and fragrant.
Step 3: Add the carrot, bell pepper and red curry paste, stir well, and cook for a few more minutes.
Step 4: Add the rest of the ingredients and cook over low to medium heat at a light simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Remove the lid and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the squash is tender and the curry is starting to thicken.
Serve the curry over rice and topped with cilantro, cashews and lime for a delicious plant-based meal.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. You can use butternut squash, acorn squash or pumpkin instead but I love the kabocha squash for this curry. It adds a beautiful sweetness and creaminess to the recipe.
Sure. For added protein, stir in baked tofu, tempeh or chickpeas at the end!
I love this recipe with basmati or jasmine rice but it’s perfect served with any kind of rice, grain or noodles. It’s also just delicious on its own.
For toppings, try peanuts, toasted cashews, fresh chopped cilantro or a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
This recipe is flavoured with red curry paste, which is quite mild, so not the curry is not spicy. If you want to add some heat to it, you can use red chili flakes or add 1 small serrano pepper or red chili pepper when you saute the ginger and garlic.
Storing Leftovers
- This recipe isn’t ideal for freezing but it can be if needed. To freeze, let cool then store in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Leftovers are best stored in the fridge. Let cool then store up to 5 days in a sealed container.
If you make this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I love to hear from you. Thanks for trying my recipes! – Deryn
Kabocha Squash Red Curry
Ingredients
- 2 tsp coconut oil, water, broth or another cooking oil of choice (10 mL)
- 1 small white onion, diced (about 1 cup, 150 g)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (15 g)
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced (10 g)
- 3 tbsp red curry paste, 45 g
- 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed and roughly chopped
- 1 heaping cup peeled and chopped carrot, about 2 carrots, 170 g
- 4-5 cups peeled and cubed kabocha squash, approx. 600 g
- 1 14 oz can full-fat or light coconut milk
- 1 cup vegetable broth or water, 250 mL
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar, brown sugar or maple syrup (15 mL)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or gluten-free tamari, 15 mL
- 1-2 tbsp lime juice, to taste (15 mL)
- 1 tbsp white miso paste, optional (15 g)
Instructions
- Prepare the squash, vegetables, garlic and ginger so you’re ready to go. To prepare the squash, cut it half from top to bottom, then cut each half into two chunks. Cut the chunks into wedges and then cut the skin off. Cut the wedges into half inch cubes (keep them on the smaller side for a quicker cooking time).
- Heat 1 tbsp oil, water or broth in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and saute for 5-6 minutes until soft and fragrant.
- Add the carrot, bell pepper and red curry paste, stir well and cook for a few more minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a low simmer. Cover and cook over low to medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the lid and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the squash is tender and the curry is starting to thicken.
- Serve over rice topped with fresh cilantro and chopped peanuts or toasted cashews.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published December 4, 2016.
Yum! This was amazing. I used a little (1-2 T.) red miso paste and curry powder instead of paste. So creamy. I will add shrimp next time.
Sounds perfect! So glad you loved it.
This is absolutely amazing, it’s perfect meal prep for packed lunches. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much! So happy to hear you enjoyed it. It is such a cozy recipe for fall and winter!
Excellent dish! I used green curry paste, sweet red pepper, cashew cream, added chickpeas, omitted the sugar and oil. Delicious. Definitely becoming a staple dish for me. Thanks!
You’re welcome! Happy to hear you enjoyed it.
Turned out great! I used Mae Ploy yellow curry and added tofu at the end. Really delicious!
I made this today and it was very satisfying and delicious. I didn’t have any bell peppers so I threw in some cauliflower. Also used a Tablespoon of hot curry with the low fat coconut milk. I love kabocha squash, it was perfect in this recipe
Love the recipe! Made it last night and made sure to make enough for two more lunch meals. Love when the flavors set in overnight. I did add 1/4 cup of chickpeas and some seasons to make more of a tikka masala twist. Overall it was great flavor and first time using Kabocha Squash.
Im just starting my vegeterian/pescatarian journey and after reading some SM posts see a lot of relapsing meat eaters saying they aren’t satisfied with *No Meat* but this dish was FULLY satisfying, I actually only had one serving and was more than enough with the buttery squash, the full fat from the milk and of course the rice 😅.
11 out of 10!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Brian! Thanks for the review.
Another lovely veggie curry from Deryn 🙂 I used butternut squash as I could not get kombucha but it was still tasty. Topped with toasted cashews and coriander, plus a squeeze of lime and added 1/3 of a red chilli chopped for a bit of a kick.
10/10!!! So delicious. This will be a regular on my weekly meal plan.
I’m so glad to hear that, Miriam! Thank you very much for the review!
I made this the other night and my entire family loved it – They actually cleared the plate! I only had unsweetened vanilla almond milk on hand, so I substituted it for vegetable broth. As it was running really low on liquid, after simmering for 5 minutes, the liquid was all gone so I placed it in the oven at 350F for 20 minutes and mmmmm! So good!! Thank you so much!!
This looks amazing! I love kabocha and often leave the peel on. I actually quite like eating it with the skin on cos it becomes so soft and tender especially when you get the Japanese variety 😉