Instant Pot Butternut Squash Coconut Curry Recipe

Are you looking for a new curry dish? Maybe you have some leftover butternut squash and have heard you can add it to a curry? Or are you curious and want to know more? No matter the reason that brought you here today, we have the answer for you.

Keep reading to find out how to make Instant Pot butternut squash coconut curry.

Not only do we have a simple and easy recipe for you to follow, but we also have plenty of tips on storing and serving your curry, allowing you to become an expert in no time!

Let’s dive in.

Why We Think You’ll Love This Butternut Squash Coconut Curry Recipe

There are a few reasons why we love this dish, and we are thrilled to share it with you today.

• It is healthy, hearty, and tasty!
• It is easy to make in just one pot, taking less than 30 minutes
• It’s a fantastic meal for meal prep
• It is low in carbs, gluten-free, and vegan
• It can be made keto-friendly if needed

Butternut Squash Curry Ingredients

Now that we have convinced you to make this tasty curry let’s take a look at the ingredients you need to make it. The quantities provided are for four servings. You can adjust the quantities as needed to make more or less of the curry.

Remember, this is a great dish for meal prepping, so you can always make more and enjoy it over a few days!

• 2 cups of diced butternut squash (¾ – 1-inch pieces)
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 1 finely chopped tomato
• 1 cup frozen green peas (optional)
• 1 bay leaf (optional)
• 1 stalk curry leaves (optional)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 cup coconut milk (full-fat preferably)
• ½ lemon (juiced)
• ½ cup of water
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped coriander leaves
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala powder

Most of these ingredients can be found easily in your local grocery store. You might need to head to a larger store or an Eastern supermarket to find some of the spices listed or buy them online.

All of the ingredients are affordable, too, making it the perfect curry to make, regardless of your budget!

We have full-fat coconut milk listed, but you can also use low or reduced-fat coconut milk if you prefer.

When using a different coconut milk, though, you might notice that the sauce is thinner. It should not impact the taste, only the consistency of the sauce.

You can also swap the coconut milk for cashew milk, cashew cream, or almond milk if you prefer.

How To Make Butternut Squash Coconut Curry (Instant Pot)

Now that you have your ingredients, it’s time to make the curry! The following method uses an Instant Pot.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, then skip this recipe and check out our stovetop instructions below.

For those with an Instant Pot, get ready; it is time to make your curry!

Step 1 – Add Your Oil

To start, set your Instant Pot to Saute. Add your coconut oil to the pot and allow it to heat up. Once the oil is hot, add your bay leaf and cumin seeds. Allow the cumins to splutter, stirring them when needed.

Step 2 – Add Fresh Spices

Next, add your minced garlic, ginger, and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds, giving a stir when needed.

Step 3 – Add Onions

Add your onions and saute for roughly three to four minutes. You want your onions to turn a light brown before you move on. Stir your onions to stop them from sticking to the pan, and coat them with the other ingredients.

Step 4 – Add Tomatoes And Dry Spices

Add your diced or crushed tomatoes and the dry spices and salt. Cook for one to two minutes until your tomato softens. When you add your spices, mix well to ensure that your veggies are covered; this will give them some extra flavor!

Step 5 – Add Butternut Squash

Add your diced butternut squash and green peas. Mix to cover them with the onions and other spices.

Pour in your coconut milk and water and mix to ensure all of the spices and veggies are covered. Stir your curry. If you feel there are any bits stuck to the bottom of the Instant Pot, deglaze them. You should be able to do this easily with the liquid now in the pot.

If your mixture looks too thick here, add an extra ½ cut of water. You don’t need to do this if you are happy with the consistency of the curry!

Step 6 – Close The Pot

Once you are happy with the consistency, close your Instant Pot, sealing the pressure valve. Cook on high pressure for four minutes.

After four minutes, the pot should beep. Use quick releases to release the pressure manually.

Step 7 – Add Lemon

Add your lemon juice to the curry and garnish with cilantro if you wish. If the curry looks too thin or wet, don’t worry! Set your Instant Pot to saute and boil the curry for two to three minutes or until it becomes your desired consistency.

Remember, if you used reduced-fat coconut milk, you might not get a thicker consistency.

Step 8 – Serve

Once you are happy with the consistency, it is time to serve your curry! Pour the curry over some basmati rice, quinoa, or jeera rice.

How To Make Butternut Squash Coconut Curry (Stovetop)

Those without an Instant Pot can still enjoy this tasty curry! Instead, you will make it on your stovetop. Check out our step-by-step guide below to see how you can make this delicious curry.

Step 1 – Heat Oil

To start, heat your coconut oil in a large pot. Once your oil is hot, add your bay leaf and cumin seeds. Allow your cumin seeds to splutter, stirring occasionally.

Step 2 – Add Garlic

Next, add your garlic, ginger, and curry leaves. Saute these for a few seconds.

Step 3 – Add Onions

Add your onions and saute for three to four minutes. You want your onions to turn a light brown, stirring them frequently to prevent them from sticking to the pan.

Step 4 – Add Tomatoes And Dry Spices

Once your onions are cooked, add your crushed or diced tomatoes. Add in your dry spices and salt, too, cooking for one to two minutes. Take care here to ensure that the spices cover the tomatoes and onions, stirring to prevent them from sticking to the pan.

Step 5 – Deglaze

If some of your spices or onions are sticking to the bottom of the pan, deglaze them here. If you don’t have any bits stuck to the bottom of your pot, you can skip this step!

Carefully pour a small amount of water into the pan. It will sizzle, and it might spit at you, so be careful!

Once the water is added, stir quickly, removing the stuck bits from the pan. It should look like a runny paste, which you can use to cover the veggies before you add the rest of your ingredients. If this happens again, you can repeat it, taking care not to add too much water.

Most of the water will evaporate, so you don’t need to worry too much about this impacting the consistency of your curry.

Step 6 – Add Butternut Squash

Add your butternut squash, green peas, water, and coconut milk to the pot. Mix well to ensure that all your ingredients are mixed in.

Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir the curry occasionally to prevent it sticking to the bottom.

The curry should be cooked when your butternut squash has softened and absorbed the flavors.

Step 7 – Add Lemon

To finish, squeeze your lemon juice into the curry and garnish with cilantro. You can then serve and enjoy!

Tips For The Best Butternut Squash Coconut Curry

Now that we have shown you two easy ways you can make this tasty butternut squash coconut curry let’s take a look at some tips that will enhance the curry. These tips are super simple but will make the cooking process easier and deliver a super tasty curry!

Deglaze Your Pot

We mentioned this earlier, but it is a tip that needs to be talked about! Your minced garlic, ginger, onions, and spices all run the risk of getting stuck to the bottom of your pan, burning, and leaving you with burn marks that are hard to remove.

But by deglazing your pot while you cook, you can prevent this from happening! Add some liquid to your pan, either water or a small amount of the coconut milk, and use your spoon to gently scrape the stuck bits off. This should stop them from burning and save your pan, too!

Cut Your Butternut Squash Evenly

You should also try to cut your butternut squash into even bite-sized cubes. You want them to be roughly the same size so that they all cook at the same time. You don’t want mushy butternut squash mixed in with hard chunks, do you?

It might take a little longer while you prep, but spending the time to cut the butternut squash evenly will ensure that every mouthful of this curry is fantastic!

Serving Suggestions

You can serve this butternut squash coconut curry in a few ways. We have listed them below for you to check out now!

• Serve with poori, parathas, naan, or rotis. These can be served alongside the curry to use to dip into the curry.
• Serve poured over basmati rice, coconut rice, quinoa, or jeera rice.
• Serve with an Indian cucumber salad on the side.
• Served with cubed sweet potatoes, fries, or spiced potatoes and a side salad.

If you are planning to use the leftovers of this curry for meal prep, why not try out each of these serving suggestions? That way, you will still have some variety with your meals and can see what serving suggestion you like the most!

Storage Tips

As we mentioned earlier, this curry is great for meal prepping and gives four generous portions that make wonderful leftovers. But what can you do with those? Well, we have some storage and make-ahead tips for you to follow.

Make Ahead

The curry can be made the day before eating, making it ideal if you have some spare time on your hands. You can reheat the curry on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving with your favorite sides.

Storing the Curry

The curry can be stored for up to three days in the refrigerator. Place your leftover curry into an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to eat it, remove and re-heat it.

Freezing The Curry

If you don’t think you will eat the leftovers within three days, you can freeze them! Simply portion out your curry into freezer-safe containers or Ziploc bags. Seal them and place them in your freezer.

The frozen curry can remain in your freezer for up to three months.

Re-Heating The Curry

To reheat the curry, you can either warm it through on the stovetop or use the microwave. The microwave tends to be the quicker option, taking just two minutes, depending on the power of your microwave.

For frozen curry, we recommend defrosting it first before reheating it. This can be done in the refrigerator.

Simply remove the curry from the freezer the night before and place it in the refrigerator overnight. The curry will then thaw and can be reheated and enjoyed within 24 hours.

Butternut Squash Coconut Curry Variations

Although we think this recipe is lovely as it is, we do have some variations listed below for you to check out.

All of these can be used with the steps we provided you with earlier and will add some extra protein, nutrients, or flavors to the curry.

Plus, these variations are a fantastic way to use up any veggies you have that are about to go bad.

Check out our variations now to see if there is one that interests you!

Butternut Squash And Sweet Potato

Adding sweet potato to this curry works incredibly well! It adds a sweetness to the dish and compliments the spices well. If you are out of butternut squash, you can use the same amount of sweet potatoes to replace it or add some sweet potato alongside your butternut squash.

Add the potato to the curry at the same time you add the squash, and keep the cooking times the same.

Butternut Squash With Spinach

Spinach adds some extra iron to the curry without you having to cook anything extra! You can also add kale to the curry if you prefer. Simply add the spinach or kale a few minutes before the curry is done and allow it to wilt. You can use fresh or frozen spinach or kale here too.

Chickpea Butternut Squash

Canned or pre-cooked chickpeas can also be added to the curry. They add some vegan-friendly protein to the curry without any extra work from yourself!

Drain canned chickpeas before adding to the curry. Add them at the same time as the tomatoes and coat them in your spices before adding the rest of your ingredients. The cooking time remains the same when you add chickpeas to the curry.

Butternut Squash And Lentils

Lentils are another way to add some extra protein and fiber to the dish! Add your red lentils while adding the butternut squash. We recommend doubling your water quantity to one cup, though, if you aren’t using cooked lentils.

Lentils absorb a lot of water while cooking, so if you don’t add more, you might find that your curry becomes quite dry. For 200 grams of uncooked red lentils, add 200-250 ml of water in addition to the water in the recipe.

The cooking time remains the same when lentils are added; they should be soft and have absorbed the extra water when they are cooked. If you use cooked lentils, you don’t need to worry about adding extra water.

Thai Butternut Squash Red Curry

You can add Thai red curry paste to your curry instead of your tomatoes. This changes the taste slightly, but you will love it! It isn’t too spicy either, so you can enjoy it without sweating! Add your paste when you add your coconut milk, and cook as normal.

Final Thoughts

And there you have it, everything you need to know about making a delicious Instant Pot butternut squash coconut curry.

As you can see, the recipe is super simple to follow and will leave you with a tasty curry that can be enjoyed for days.

Frequently Asked Questions