Creamy Chickpea Butternut Squash Curry

It’s also one of the cheapest dinners I make. Canned chickpeas, a whole butternut, coconut milk and pantry spices. That’s the bulk of the shopping list. Serve it over rice and a family of four is eating well for very little. This is the vegetarian dinner in my budget meal plan and it earns its spot every single week, not because it’s cheap (although it is) but because my family genuinely looks forward to it.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Butternut squash. Buy a whole butternut and peel and cube it yourself. Cut into roughly even cubes so they cook at the same rate. Sweet potato is the closest substitute and works beautifully here if you can’t find butternut or prefer it. Pumpkin works too.
• Canned chickpeas. Drain and rinse before using. Chickpeas add protein, fiber and a satisfying bite that gives the curry substance and makes it genuinely filling. They absorb the sauce and get better the longer they sit in it. Two cans for a family-sized batch. Dried chickpeas work if you soak them overnight and cook until tender before adding.
• Stock. Use any stock you have on hand – chicken or vegetable stock work well.
• Coconut milk. Full-fat canned coconut milk gives you the richest, creamiest sauce. Light coconut milk works for a lighter version but the sauce will be thinner. Shake the can well before opening so the cream and liquid are combined.
• Onion. Finely diced and cooked until soft and golden. The onion forms the aromatic base alongside the garlic and ginger. Yellow or white onion works best.
• Fresh garlic cloves.
• Fresh ginger. Grated or finely minced, if you have it. If I don’t have fresh I often add just a half teaspoon of ground ginger.
• Spices: I used my Indian Spice Blend but any curry powder or garam masala will work. Feel free to add other spices in your pantry if you have them: cumin, turmeric, cardamom, coriander, chilli powder or cayenne will all work well.
• Salt. Season generously.

Variations

• Add spinach. Stir a few big handfuls of fresh spinach into the curry in the last 2 minutes. It wilts down into the sauce and adds color, iron and an extra serving of greens.
• Add sweet potato instead of butternut. Sweet potato cooks slightly faster and has a slightly sweeter, less nutty flavor. Cut it into the same size cubes and reduce the simmer time by about 5 minutes.
• Make it spicier. Add a finely chopped fresh chili with the garlic and ginger, increase the chili powder or stir in a teaspoon of chili paste at the end. A drizzle of chili oil over the finished curry adds heat without changing the sauce.
• Add lentils. A handful of red lentils added with the coconut milk thickens the sauce and adds even more protein and fiber. They dissolve into the curry as they cook and make the sauce richer and more substantial.
• Use it as a base for other proteins. This curry sauce works beautifully with chicken thighs, shrimp or paneer added alongside or instead of the chickpeas. For chicken, sear the thighs first and simmer in the sauce until cooked through. For shrimp, add in the last 5 minutes. For paneer, cube and pan-fry until golden, then stir through at the end.
• Roast the butternut first. For deeper, more caramelized flavor, roast the butternut cubes at 425°F (220°C) for 20 minutes until golden on the edges before adding to the curry. This adds an extra step but the concentrated sweetness and slight caramelization take the curry to another level.