Thai Butternut Squash Red Curry
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Ultra delicious Thai inspired butternut squash red curry that is creamy, spicy, rich, and comforting! The sweet butternut squash pairs beautifully with all the red curry spices.
And here it is!
Two very different curry recipes delivered to you back to back. You should know that this was seriously poor planning on my part. I didn’t mean to bombard you with curry recipes one after the other. But in my defense, this curry is absolutely worth obsessing over.
Won’t you let me feed you a spoonful of red curry with basmati rice to make it up to you?
Thank the lawwwwd it’s butternut squash season again. The best season there is in my very humble opinion. Because um.. hello! Butternut squash red thai curry is actually a thing. And it’s creamy, spicy, sweet, crunchy, comforting, and just down right addicting. Something i’ve been waiting all summer long to share. But who makes spicy curry in the summertime other than me?
Everything we love about food in general all rolled into one easy curry recipe. What I need you to know is that this is weeknight curry. We’re using store-bought red curry paste and really amping up the flavor with a little yellow curry powder. WHAT. Yes friends. The yellow curry powder adds sooo much spice and flavor to this easy one pot butternut squash curry.
Food like this is my life.
I go a little loopie when I think about all that sweet, tender butternut squash nestled in a slow simmered silky coconut curry sauce. Judging by this and the last recipe i’ve shared, it’s obvious that curries would be on the list of food that I could eat forever and ever. Also, top it with crushed cashews/peanuts and freshly chopped cilantro and i’d think you were after my heart.
And speaking of butternut squash. I’m no longer allowing myself to purchase whole butternut squash anymore. That privilege was immediately revoked last fall when I made a decent sized cut between my thumb and forefinger and then proceeded to almost faint from the ample amount of blood that was gushing from the wound. It’s not that slicing and dicing butternut squash is difficult, it’s that the person behind Little Spice Jar happens to have a ton more accidents than the average human being. ‘Uncoordinated’ can totally be my middle name from now until the end of time. So it’s a rule now. For my own sake, I must only purchase precut butternut squash.
And hey! On the positive side, shortcuts like these are totally welcome. Especially when I want to get butternut squash red curry in my belly in 30 minutes. Found that silver lining. ??
There are two main components to my butternut squash red curry:
1.) the curry base: I’m using store-bought red curry paste and really oomphing up the flavor with a little yellow curry powder. Along with that we need shallots, ginger, a little fish sauce, and some sugar. If you follow a vegan/vegetarian diet, feel free to omit the fish sauce. I know, the stuff smells terrible but what it does for this curry is amazing. It really adds a nice depth that makes the curry taste//smell like it’s been simmering all day. And finally you need a can of coconut milk. I’m not gonna tell you that low-fat coconut milk won’t work, because it will. I’m just going to tell you that full fat coconut milk makes this a more luxurious red curry experience. And to that, i’ll say no more. ?
2.) the veggies: in our case, i’m using butternut squash and baby spinach because I find the combination of the two works really well. We’re big fans of baby spinach and use it for just about everything. Needless to say, we always have some on hand. Kale also works well for this recipe, but keep in mind you’ll have to let it cook with the butternut squash a bit as it takes longer to wilt than spinach. Kabocha squash, acorn, sweet potatoes, and even carrots would work really well in place of the butternut squash. All of these ingredients have that sweet starchy factor that this curry needs.
Grab a bowl, because curries are meant to be eaten in a bowl. Fill it with a nice mound of fluffy basmati rice and top it with that silky coconut sauce loaded with tender squash and top it off with a handful of crushed nuts and fresh cilantro. A squeeze of lime juice wouldn’t hurt either.
This is get snug-on-the-couch-with-netflix food.
Thai Butternut Squash Red Curry
Ultra creamy and delicious Thai inspired butternut squash red curry that is creamy, spicy, rich, and comforting! The sweet butternut squash pairs beautifully with all the red curry spices.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons coconut oil (or any oil really)
- 1 large shallots, chopped (or 2 small)
- 2-2 ½ cups diced butternut squash (about 1.5 pounds)
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2-3 tablespoons red curry paste
- ½ tablespoon yellow curry powder
- 1 (15 ounce) can coconut milk
- ¾ cup vegetables or chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce (omit for vegans/vegetarians)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 3-4 cups fresh baby spinach
- basmati rice, crushed cashews/ peanuts, cilantro, lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add the shallots and saute them for 5-6 minutes or until they just begin to get golden. Add the butternut squash and grated ginger, stir to coat with the oil.
- Add the red curry paste, yellow curry powder and stir until all the butternut squash is nicely coated. Continue to cook the curry paste for 2-3 minutes or until it's fragrant. Add the broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar. Let the sauce come to a simmer before covering. Lower the heat and allow the squash to cook all the way through, about 12-18 minutes. You'll know it's done when you can easily pierce the butternut squash with the tip of a knife. Stir in the baby spinach and allow it to wilt.
- Serve with basmati rice topped with crushed nuts, cilantro, and lime wedges.
Notes
- Kale can be used in place of the spinach in this recipe but keep in mind you'll need to add it in earlier so that it has enough time to wilt.
IS THIS A GOOD CHOICE FOR YOU?
Nutritional facts are for 5 servings. This does not include the nuts, basmati rice, or lime wedges.
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
instant pot cajun butternut squash soup
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97 Comments on “Thai Butternut Squash Red Curry”
Super yum!!! Recipe is perfect the way it is and makes a good amount! I have had 3 meals out of it and am still not tired of it! Def adding this to my recipe list and will be making again soon!
It was great, as is! Unfortunately I followed the directions of commentators and added a bit of peanut butter. DON’T DO IT. Totally changed the dish. Great recipe, I’ll make sure to follow it next time.
I make this curry every other week, I’m absolutely obsessed! However, I was wondering if the recipe is still ok if I don’t add onion? I know it adds so much flavour but I’ve recently learned that I am all getting to fructose 🙁
Thanks!
Hi Emily! I haven’t tried it myself, so I’m not 100% sure, but I think you could simply omit the shallots from the recipe.
I added shrimp to the curry as well and it was delicious.
SO DELICIOUS!!! I found this via Pinterest and I will DEFINITELY make it again!! It came together quickly and was really tasty!
Additions and substitutions: I added 1 can of chickpeas, as feeding a teenager requires extra protein. I subbed turmeric for yellow curry powder (I didn’t have curry powder on hand) and baby kale instead of baby spinach (our grocery store was out).
My whole family LOVED this dish!!
Wonderful! Absolutely loved it. I only had yellow curry but it was great. Red onions rather than scallions, didn’t have any peanuts but – it was perfect. Don’t over cook it. Served on some brown jasmine rice. I look forward to making it again! Might try the tip on adding some peanut butter next time. Thank you!
All the positive reviews got my hopes up, but I really didn’t like it. The sauce was good, but was too sweet in combination with the butternut squash. It would have been great with chicken, but the squash didn’t do anything for me (and I like squash!), it needed something more filling in it. I also didn’t like the stringiness of the wilted spinach with the thinner curry sauce. I’ll stick with butternut squash soup and chicken curry as separate foods in the future.
OMG!!! It’s soooooo delicious! I just added diced chicken breast. It will be a staple in my home!
This was great! I used the kale substitute because I had it. And I put it over quinoa instead of rice. Hubby liked it and he’s not a curry fan!
Really good. I couldnt get paste so used a sauce. Made it a little soupy, but still goid just not as spicy
SO GEWWWWWDDDDDDD YUMYUMYUM. We made it with Kubocha squash and its was DELIGHTFUL.
I make this recipe almost every other week – so delicious. Add some peanut butter and it really brings it to another level 😉
Made this for dinner tonight and the family liked it. .. 2 Tbsp. of Red Curry Paste makes it pretty spicy.
I saw a recipe online a few days ago after being given a case of butternut squash and got the ingredients printed out, but not how to put them together…The search began. Of course, I couldn’t find it, but I did find this and it had close to the same ingredients, so thought I would give it a try. Boy am I glad! My mouth started drooling as the pot was simmering and I could hardly wait for the first taste!. It is wonderful and warmed me up on this cold winter day without all those calories I have been eating lately. I have enough for dinner tonite and maybe another meal in the near future. Thank you so much for this perfect blend of spices and veggies. I did add a cup of chickpeas to the recipe, as I had them ready for the other recipe. I’m sure it didn’t change the flavor, but added a touch of protein. In fact, I have some chicken I thought I might add to one of my other bowls. Seems like a very versatile recipe that will always taste great.
Wonderful flavor! Loved it, will make again. Added broccoli & cauliflower for more veggies, delicious
BOMB
Best dish ever. Have made it multiple times for friends and family and it’s definitely a fav!
Oh! My! Gosh!!!! Made this tonight and it was AMAZING.
I used frozen butternut squash instead of fresh, 3/4 thawed and 1/4 still frozen. It made it a bit thicker but still delicious. Was good over rice or by itself as a stew. I will be making this again.
Great recipe. I made a triple batch. We had some unusual orange squash from our fall harvest that worked beautifully in this recipe. I did add an entire onion along with the shallots. Didn’t use the fish sauce and certainly didn’t miss it. We will be making this over and over again.
Sorry, this was just okay to me. I tried it before and after adding the fish sauce and sugar (only 1 tsp.) and they did make a positive difference. I have better recipes for this dish so will not likely make again.
Fantastic balance of flavors. Two things, you could, if you have non-vegeterians add salmon or cod or chicken or tofu and it would be very good. I didn’t but added one honey crisp apple diced to the cooking squash.
Also, I needed it to travel fasf, so I added more vegggie broth and turned it into a delicious thick soup to drink while at my desk. I pureed the veggie version in case you were wondering. A true winner! Thank you Marzia, I am a nutritionist too. (used the light coconut milk and MCT oil to saute to compliment the coconut milk.)
Really really wonderful recipe!!
I loved this recipe. Easy to make, and the flavor was robust! I added a can of chickpeas for extra protein. This recipe would also be great with tofu. I will definitely make this again.
Sooo yummy. We eat this every time I buy a butternut squash.
Made it tonight and it was delicious! I tossed in some baby bok choy along with spinach and a few baby potatoes and served it on a bed of multi grain rice and shredded spinach.
Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. Just wonderful! Thanks!
We eat a lot of vegetarian curry meals, as they’re usually a great filling main. Often times, though, we’re disappointed by the results. They all taste fine or okay, but rarely wonderful. This recipe, however, was wonderful. My wife and I loved every bit of it and the kids (five and two and a half) also loved the meal. I will absolutely make this a regular in our home with months of squash coming in the CSA boxes. Thanks for this. (Note: my wife and I added some kashmiri red chilli to our dishes and it gave some wonderful spice).
So good! Ended up with a larger crowd than expected and added double squash amount and 50% more spinach. Raves from everyone:) Definitely a new favorite
Not sure what went wrong because I followed the recipe as is but it was super bland and not good. I was excited to try a new vegetarian recipe but this was not it.
Sorry to hear the recipe didn’t turn out for you. Maybe you can up the curry paste or try a different brand of paste if you decide to make this recipe again. With 3 tablespoons of paste, this curry should definitely not taste bland!
Absolutely amazing! If you’ve never used a rice cooker before (like me) then make sure to start cooking your rice before the curry, so that they’ll both be done at the same time.
Super delicious! Thank you!