Jamie Oliver's Fragrant Squash Curry Recipe With Chickpeas, Ginger, Spices & Coconut Milk Vegetarian Dinner

This creamy vegetarian butternut squash curry recipe is from Jamie Oliver's new cookbook, Together: Memorable Meals Made Easy. Fragrant spices will entice you even before the first bite. It makes a delicious lunch or light dinner – and it's also vegan.

Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time:  1 hour and 10 minutes or 2 hours and 10 minutes if made ahead
Total Time:  1 hour and 20 minutes or 2 hours and 20 minutes if made ahead
Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash (2 1/2 pounds)
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 teaspoon medium curry powder
• 10 ounces ripe cherry tomatoes
• 2 canned pineapple rings, in juice
• 1 can (14 ounces) light coconut milk
• 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas
• 2 sprigs cilantro, to serve (optional)

Here's how to make it: 

GET AHEAD: You can make this on the day, if you prefer. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Scrub the squash (there’s no need to peel it), carefully halve it lengthways and seed, then chop into 3/4-inch chunks. Place in a roasting pan, toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then roast for 1 hour, or until soft and caramelized.

Meanwhile, peel and roughly chop the onion, peel the garlic and ginger, and dry-fry in a nonstick frying pan on a medium-high heat with the coriander and fenugreek seeds and the curry powder, stirring until lightly charred all over. Add the tomatoes and pineapple rings (reserving the juice), and cook for 10 minutes to soften and char, stirring regularly. Tip it into a blender, add the coconut milk and blitz until very smooth. Return to the pan, tip in the chickpeas, juice and all, and simmer gently until the sauce is thickened. Stir in the roasted squash, then season the curry to perfection, tasting and tweaking, and loosening with the reserved pineapple juice. Cool, cover and refrigerate overnight.

TO SERVE: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Place the covered pan of curry in the oven until hot through, about 1 hour. Nice with picked cilantro leaves.

Excerpted from TOGETHER by Jamie Oliver. Copyright© 2021 by Jamie Oliver. Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books. All Rights reserved. Photography by David Loftus, Levon Biss and Paul Stuart.

Take 30 seconds and join the 30Seconds community and follow us on Facebook to get recipes in your newsfeed daily. Inspire and be inspired.