Comforting butternut squash curry with kale and fresh herbs. Served with perfectly cooked basmati rice, this curry is healthy, cosy and delicious. Ready in just 30 minutes.
Butternut squash curry
I am beyond excited for the squash season! The weather is getting colder everyday, and that means that Autumn is around the corner! And Autumn means cosy bowls of curries, pumpkin spiced lattes, and pumpkin desserts. Who knew that I’d miss Autumn so much?
So my first squash dish of the season that I’m sharing on my blog, is my awesome butternut squash curry with kale. It’s vegan, it’s health and it’s delicious.
Plus it’s super and quick to make!
So let’s jump into the ingredient list and the recipe…
Butternut squash curry ingredients
You will need simple ingredients to make this curry:
A butternut squash (or any other squash that you have on hand).
2 stalks of fresh kale, or spinach. If you don’t have either, then you can skip it all together. But I find adding leafy greens to curries a great way to eat my greens.
Olive oil.
Onion, garlic, ginger and chili. The usual for all curries. As well as turmeric root if available to you.
The spices; and that includes ground coriander, ground cumin, and ground turmeric (unless you’re using fresh turmeric root).
Salt and pepper.
A tin of chopped tomatoes.
A tin of creamy coconut milk.
Lemongrass or lemongrass paste if available. Totally optional but I love the taste it adds to the curry.
Basmati rice.
Fresh herbs to garnish.
How to prepare butternut squash curry
Start by heating the olive oil and sautéing the onion on medium heat until it’s soft and translucent.
Add garlic, ginger and chilli. As well as turmeric root if using. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the spices, crushed tomatoes and coconut milk.
Add the butternut squash and cover with the lid. Let it simmer on medium-low heat until the butternut squash is cooked but not too soft.
Once the butternut squash is cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the kale. It will wilt and that’s what you’re looking for.
Serve the curry over rice and enjoy!
How to cook basmati rice?
The recommended portion of rice per person is 70 grams.
You need rinse the rice well under running water (I use a stainless steel sieve). Then soak it in cold water for about 20 minutes.
To cook, put the rice in a pot and cover with cold water. The water must be covering the rice by 1 inch. Add a little bit of salt and bring the water to a boil.
Once it boils, turn down the heat to the lowest possible and with the lid covered let the rice cook for 7-10 minutes.
Check the rice and see if it’s cooked, if you end up with too much liquid left then simply strain it using a sieve and put it back in the pot. The heat must be off at this point, just fluff the rice with a fork and cover with the lid until you’re ready to serve it.
Also check out my sweet potato curry recipe, it’s super creamy and delicious! And if you’re looking for more butternut squash recipes, then try my 3 ingredient butternut squash soup – it’s amazing!
If you make this recipe, please don’t forget to rate it and share a picture on social media. Tag #LittleSunnyKitchen in your posts as I would really love to see what you make! Thank you for supporting Little Sunny Kitchen, so I can keep sharing my family recipes with you for free.
Butternut Squash Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 cm ginger root peeled and grated or diced
- 1 cm turmeric root peeled and grated or diced
- 1 green chilli deseeded and diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 large butternut squash peeled and cubed
- 1 (400ml) tin (1 3/4 cups) coconut milk
- 1 (400ml) tin (1 3/4 cups) crushed tomatoes
- 2 tsp lemongrass paste optional – if available
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ cup kale shredded
For the basmati rice:
- 280 grams 10 oz basmati rice
- water water must cover rice by 1 inch
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pot, then saute the onion until it's soft and translucent.
- Add the ginger, turmeric, garlic and chilli. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add cumin and coriander and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add butternut squash, crushed tomatoes and coconut milk. Cover with a lid, and simmer until the the butternut squash is cooked but not too soft. Turn off the heat.
- Season with salt and pepper. Then add the kale, and give the curry a gentle stir for the kale to wilt.
To cook the basmati rice:
- Wash the rice under running water until water is clear, and soak it in cold water for 20 minutes.
- Add rice to a pot, and cover with water. The water must cover the rice by 1 inch. Season with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to the lowest possible and with the lid covered simmer for 7-10 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork when it's done (if you accidentally end up with too much liquid and the rice is already cooked, then simply strain it and pot the rice back in the pot with the heat switched off).
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