Extra cosy slow-cooked Pumpkin Lentil Curry with Sesame Tamari Cashews. Using healthy ingredients like pumpkin, sweet potato, lentils and baby spinach this one pot dinner is nourishing and sure to make you feel great. Served on a bed of basmati rice and topped with crunchy salty sesame tamari cashews, this simple curry makes the perfect comfort food for a night in.
With everything going on in the world, now is the time to nourish our bodies, hearts and families with really healthy, delicious and totally good-for-you food. That’s why I’m so excited to share today’s SUPER SIMPLE recipe for Pumpkin Lentil Curry with Crispy Sesame Tamari Cashews. This curry is delicious!
Every Friday night during Lent, I cook up a big batch of this curry for my family and it’s a small traditional we’ve all fallen in love with. And it’s easy to see why. This curry is spicy yet creamy, tangy yet sweet, warm, cosy and layered with amazing texture (hello crunchy cashew nuts). It’s simple. Wholesome. And so heart warming good. For our little family, this curry is our soul food.
I love making this curry because yes, it’s delicious but it’s also really easy to make! The entire curry comes together in one pot that simmers gently on the stove top (requiring very little attention from me) over the course of an afternoon with the added BONUS of filling the house with it’s sweet yet savoury aromatic fragrance.
I love peeking under the lid from time to time to see the curry thicken as the pumpkin and lentils yield and soften creating the most amazing creamy and luscious texture.
Now let’s chat pumpkin lentil curry ingredients…
- I love using store-bought thai curry paste in the recipe, it saves so much time whilst adding just enough spice and heat! I use 2 tablespoons in this recipe, if you prefer less/more heat – adjust accordingly.
- The fish sauce and tamari season the curry perfectly whilst the peanut butter adds a nutty/satay kind of vibe. Sounds odd but trust me, it’s absolutely yummy.
- The coconut cream mellows the spice and heat ever so slightly whilst adding to the curries luscious creamy texture.
- And finally the lime juice brightens the entire curry with a little zingy tang.
Crunchy Sesame Tamari Cashews
Yes, the pumpkin curry is amazing but trust me, the cashews are everything. Nestled on top of the creamy curry, the toasted, salty, sesame cashews add the perfect amount of crunch that makes each bite something truly special.
The sesame tamari cashews are also super simple to make. Just toast the cashews in a hot pan until golden, add the sesame oil and tamari, cook for 1 minute and voila. Done. I suggest doubling the cashew portion of the recipe as these babies are delicious and so hard to stop eating! I’ve also started sprinkling them over salads! YUM!
For the night’s your staying in and crave a nourishing, hearty and satisfying curry begging to be mopped up with a side of warm naan bread, this Pumpkin Lentil Curry is for you! It’s not only a pleasure to cook but pure joy to eat. Ladled over a bed of rice, topped with crunchy cashews, coriander leaves and spritzed with fresh lime juice, this curry is everything! Oh and leftovers taste even better the next day! There’s nothing not to love about this dinner!
MORE FAMILY-FRIENDLY DINNER RECIPES:
Spicy Soy & Sesame Chicken Noodles
Peanut Sesame Soy Noodles with Crispy Tofu
Sweet Cherry Tomato Spaghetti with Crispy Breadcrumbs
Wholemeal Spaghetti with Roast Capsicum Pesto & Crispy Chorizo
Pesto Prawn Spaghetti with Oven Roast Cherry Tomatoes
I know you’re going to love this Pumpkin Lentil Curry with Sesame Tamari Cashews, please let me know if you make them by leaving a comment and rating the recipe. I’d love to hear from you and it helps encourage others to make the recipe too! Kayla xo
★ DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING BELOW!
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Pumpkin Lentil Curry with Sesame Tamari Cashews
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 Serves 1x
Description
Extra cosy slow-cooked Pumpkin Lentil Curry with Sesame Tamari Cashews. Using healthy ingredients like pumpkin, sweet potato, lentils and baby spinach this one pot dinner is nourishing and sure to make you feel great. Served on a bed on basmati rice and topped with crunchy salty sesame tamari cashews, this simple curry makes the perfect comfort food for a night in.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Lentil Curry
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 1 kg pumpkin, peeled and chopped
- 2 small sweet potato, chopped
- 2 tablespoons store-bought Thai Red Curry Paste
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- 1 cup dried french style lentils
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons tamari (or dark soy sauce)
- 1 heaped tablespoon smooth natural peanut butter
- 400 ml can coconut cream
- 3 cups baby spinach (or baby kale leaves)
- juice of 1 lime
- fresh coriander leaves, to serve
- Cooked basmati or jasmine rice, to serve
- Lime wedges, to serve
Sesame Tamari Cashews
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons tamari (or dark soy sauce)
Instructions
To make the pumpkin lentil curry:
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add ginger and cook (stirring continuously) for 1 minute.
- Add pumpkin, sweet potato and curry paste and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the paste is fragrant.
- Add the stock, lentils, fish sauce, tamari and peanut butter and stir to combine.
- Bring to the boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook covered for 1-2 hours or until the lentils and pumpkin are tender.
- Add the coconut cream, spinach and lime juice, stir to combine and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
To make the sesame tamari cashews:
- Heat a fry pan over medium-high heat, add cashews and cook (tossing occasionally) until the cashews are golden and toasted.
- Add the sesame oil and tamari and stir to combine.
- Cook for 1 minute, remove pan from heat.
To serve:
- Divide rice among plates, ladle over the curry, top with fresh coriander leaves and sesame tamari cashews. Squeeze lime wedges over the curry just before tucking in. Enjoy x
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
My family and I LOVED this recipe! I always seem to miss something when I make curries, but that wasn’t the case with this one. This is my new ‘go-to’ curry. Thanks so much 🙂
I made this tonight and my family thoroughly enjoyed it. Very tasty. Thank you
Loved this recipe!! Thank you Kayla, this one is definitely going on the regular dinner list for winter. Quick, healthy, satisfying and delicious!
Hi Kayla, this is on the dinner planner for tonight but I couldn’t find any french style lentils – can I use regular red lentils instead? Thank you, Melissa
Hi Melissa, you absolutely can. Happy cooking xo
Tasty, creamy, delicious! Pretty much stuck to the recipe, but had some kaffir lime leaves so I added them when I put the pumpkin and sweet potato in. The addition of the nuts is genius.
My hubby made this recipe and it was absolutely delicious! I must admit I have never had lentils (I’m not a fan) but this recipe with them was amazing! Our new go to curry recipe. Thanks so much.
This was delicious comfort food!