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This Pumpkin Lentil Curry with a rich tahini “cream” is as comforting as your favorite Indian-inspired curry but comes with a seasonal fall twist! Easy to make in one skillet. Vegan and Gluten-Free; Tahini-Free Option.
Packed with protein-rich brown lentils, fresh ginger, and a velvety tahini “cream,” this Vegan Pumpkin Lentil Curry is my ideal cozy and nourishing dinner. Even better, it comes together in just one pan, making it one of the best low-effort comfort foods for chilly nights.
Table of Contents
A Seasonal Twist on Classic Lentil Curry
I like to think of this Pumpkin Lentil Curry with Ginger and Tahini as anything but your average pumpkin curry.
For starters, it gets its velvety texture from a quick tahini “cream” instead of a can of coconut milk. I also built this recipe around smart ingredient pairings, like iron-rich lentils and pumpkin with vitamin C powerhouses like tomato paste, bell peppers, and fresh lemon juice. Your body will naturally absorb all those nutrients while you dig into something cozy and delicious.
If you love my Easy Pumpkin Chickpea Curry, you’ll love this recipe, too. It’s easy to make in one pan, ready in less than 1 hour, and seriously comforting. Serve it over a bed of fluffy white rice with fresh cilantro on your next chilly evening.
Ingredients for Pumpkin and Lentil Curry
Simple pantry staples and a handful of seasonal ingredients give this vegan lentil curry its warm flavors and plenty of plant-based protein, fiber, and iron. Here are the key ingredients you need:
- Dry Brown Lentils: the dry lentils are cooked directly in the pumpkin curry sauce and become chewy and tender after about 25 minutes. If you’d like to speed things up, use an equal amount of red lentils instead, or swap the dry lentils for canned brown lentils. Just stir them into the curry when you add the tahini cream.
- Fresh Ginger: there’s really no replacing the fresh ginger here. It has a warming quality and adds a great punch of flavor you just don’t get from ground ginger.
- Canned Pumpkin Puree: remember to use plain pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling. My Homemade Vegan Pumpkin Puree works really well in this cozy meal!
- Tahini: not all tahini is created equal. For the best results, use a high-quality brand of tahini with a runny consistency and a flavor you like. If you store yours in the fridge, take it out a few hours before you start cooking to help it get smooth and drippy.
How to Make Pumpkin Lentil Curry
- Sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger in a large pot over medium heat. Once soft and fragrant, deglaze the pot with the vegetable broth.
- Stir in the bell pepper, lentils, pumpkin, and remaining broth. Simmer the curry sauce until the lentils are tender.
- Meanwhile, combine the tahini and lemon juice in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the water until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Turn off the heat and stir the tahini cream into the curry.
- Divide the warm lentil curry between serving bowls with rice and garnish with cilantro. Serve and enjoy!
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Does your curry taste bitter? It’s probably your tahini (not all tahini brands are good ones 🫣). To balance the flavor, stir a small pinch of sugar (start with 1/4 teaspoon) or another sweetener you like into the curry sauce at the end.
- Getting the tahini cream just right: You want the tahini cream to resemble thick pancake batter—light in color, pourable, and creamy. Skip the stiff, dry paste at the bottom of the jar and stick with the smooth, drippy tahini at the top. If your cream still feels too thick after whisking, just stir in extra water 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
Serving Suggestions
Like this Easy Red Lentil Curry and this Yellow Cauliflower Chickpea Curry, my pumpkin lentil curry is mild, so it’s perfect for any cold-weather family dinner. I love serving it over fluffy basmati rice, but cooked quinoa or brown rice would also be tasty. Fresh chopped cilantro or a handful of toasted cashews on top is a great finishing touch, and scooping it up with vegan naan is so fun.
If you’re looking for more easy vegan curry recipes, you’ll also love this One Pan Vegan Massaman Curry with Potatoes and Tofu, this Best-Ever Thai Green Curry Recipe, and this Vegan Tofu Pineapple Curry!
Or, if you’re craving more savory vegan pumpkin recipes, you should also try this Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Bake, this Cozy Vegan Pumpkin Chili, and this Pumpkin Risotto.
How to Store Leftover Lentil Curry
Store the leftover lentil pumpkin curry in individual airtight glass containers for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer. It’s a perfect recipe for meal prep because the warm, gingery flavors in this pumpkin sauce actually get better over time.
To reheat, microwave the curry in a microwave-safe bowl or add the leftovers to a saucepan on the stove and heat over medium heat until warmed through.
Substitutions and Variations
- Tahini Cream Substitute: A can of full-fat coconut milk can be substituted for the tahini cream, but you’ll need to reduce the vegetable broth to just 3 cups. Pour the coconut milk into the pot with the broth in step 2, skip step 4, and stir in the lemon juice at the end.
- Optional Vegetable Add-Ins: Feel free to combine the bell peppers with small cauliflower florets, diced sweet potatoes, or chopped carrots. Cook any additional veggies with the other ingredients in step 2.
- Protein Substitutions: If you’re not a fan of lentils, you can make this curry with one 15 oz. can of drained and rinsed chickpeas or a batch of my Crispy Tofu. Since both are already cooked, stir them into the curry during step 4.
- Pumpkin Substitutions: If canned pumpkin puree isn’t available to you, replace it with pureed butternut squash, sweet potato, or kabocha squash.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Pumpkin Lentil Curry with Ginger and Tahini
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion fine dice
- 3-5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ” piece of ginger peeled and grated or finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon salt-free curry powder
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 red bell pepper small dice
- 1 cup dry brown lentils, rinsed
- 1 14 ounce can unsweetened pumpkin puree (or sub homemade)
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, plus more as needed
- 1/4 cup drippy tahini*
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)
- Serving suggestions: rice naan
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Warm the oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 7 to 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent and golden. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the curry powder and tomato paste and sauté for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant and beginning to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Lentils: Add a splash of the vegetable broth and scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the bell pepper, lentils, and pumpkin and the remaining broth and mix well.
- Simmer: Bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium (or medium low if it starts to splatter) and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are cooked. If the curry gets too thick for your liking you can thin it out with warm water in 1/2 cup increments.
- Tahini “Cream”: In the meantime, add the tahini and lemon juice to a small bowl. Mix together – the tahini will thicken. Slowly pour 1/4 cup of water into the mixture while you mix; the tahini sauce should lighten and loosen into the consistency of a thick pancake batter. If your tahini is on the thicker side, you may need to add more water. Set aside.
- Final Touches: Turn the heat off once the lentil curry has cooked to your liking, then add the tahini cream and mix well, until combined.
- Serve & Store: Serve warm, topped with cilantro, over cooked rice and with naan, or as desired. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or you can freeze leftovers for up to 2 months.
Recipe Notes
- Tahini: All tahini is not created equally and I suggest choosing a runny one with a flavor that you like! This brand is my current go-to.
- Does your curry taste bitter? This is most likely due to the brand of tahini you used. A small pinch of sugar (start with 1/4 teaspoon) or other sweetener should help balance the flavor profile out
- Nut-Free Substitutions: Replace the tahini with 1 can of full-fat coconut milk, and use only 3 cups of vegetable broth. Add the coconut milk to the pan with the broth in step 2, then skip step 4 and add the lemon juice as a finishing touch at the end
Nutrition
