You’ve arrived at the easiest, creamiest, coziest pumpkin chickpea curry recipe around. If you’re a pumpkin lover – and a lover of easy dinners – this hearty chickpea and lentil curry is for you!
Seriously, this pumpkin chickpea curry is so easy, yet so good. Throw it all in the Crock Pot in the morning, and with a pot of rice added to the mix, you’re good to go in the evening.
The lentils add heft and protein; the chickpeas are just plain awesome as always; the pumpkin contributes to a creamy, slightly sweet base that pairs so perfectly with the curry spices.
This recipe came about one morning not long ago when I was prepping for this Slow Cooker Pumpkin Red Lentil Chili. The lentils were in, the pumpkin puree was in, the onion was in … and then I realized I really wasn’t feeling chili. What I was really craving was something akin to this chickpea curry, a recipe a friend had recently tried and enthusiastically described and I couldn’t get it out of my head.
And so I decided to go that direction instead. The result was incredible, and with a couple of minor tweaks to the original experiment, this creamy, satiating curry recipe was born. And this it’s been a family favorite ever since.
So what’s in this Pumpkin Chickpea Curry recipe?
Slow Cooker Pumpkin, Chickpea, & Lentil Curry Ingredients
- Chickpeas – protein!
- Split red lentils – MORE protein!
- Pumpkin puree – vitamins, creaminess, and deliciousness
- Onion
- Garlic
- Vegetable broth – can substitute water for a more budget-friendly but still delicious result
- Curry powder – of course
- Cayenne – for a smidge of heat
- Coconut milk – for a comforting creaminess
To make this delicious curry, it’s just a matter of dumping all of the ingredients except the coconut milk into your Crock Pot, and letting it simmer all day. About 30. minutes before dinner, stir in the coconut milk and start some rice. Spoon your chickpea lentil curry over the rice, green it up with some cilantro, and dig in.
I really like to double this recipe, adding all of the ingredients (except coconut milk) to a freezer bag. Then I label, freeze, put it in the fridge the night before a hectic day, and then add it to the Crock Pot that morning for just about the easiest dinner around. Plus, who doesn’t need a bowl of creamy, hearty comfort at the end of a busy day?
More Chickpea & Bean Curry Recipes
- These Curry Baked Beans are fast and easy, cooking up completely hands-off in the Crock Pot.
- This chickpea tomato curry recipe is super delicious. We love this one!
- Slow Cooker Red Lentil Chickpea Curry is my everyday version of this same recipe. It has potatoes and peas and some readers like to stir in spinach which is a delicious addition!
- Summer Coconut Chickpea Curry with corn and zucchini is light yet so full of flavor.
Slow Cooker Pumpkin, Chickpea, and Red Lentil Curry
Ingredients
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas (drianed)
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 2 medium cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup split red lentils (rinsed)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon curry powder*
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
- 1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk (I use full-fat for this recipe; lite will probably still taste great but might result in a thinner curry)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except the coconut milk to a 3-quart or larger slow cooker. Cook on low 8-10 hours or in high 5-6 hours. Stir in the coconut milk and cook on low for another 30 minutes.
- The curry will be a bit thin at first; it thickens up as it sits.
- Scoop over rice and serve with cilantro and fresh lime wedges to squeeze over the top.
I’m so glad you’re here! I’m a vegetarian home cook, certified plant-based pro, and mom. I’m married to an enthusiastic carnivore, and my mission is to achieve peace in the kitchen – one tasty recipe at a time. These days, with a name like mine, I also try not to ask to speak to the manager.
We’re in the throes of spring here, but it doesn’t stop me from craving hearty curries and we love Indian food in our house. Although, I think I might have this curry all to myself because I’ve got a pumpkin hating man too. Oh what a pity, I guess that means there’s more for me 😉
Just printed this recipe to make some night this week! Love the idea, girl. It sounds soooo delicious!
-Katerina 🙂
Hi Katerina, I hope you loved it as much as we do! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! Should the lentils be dry or already cooked?
Hi Sarah, thanks for asking this. The lentils should be dry and I’ve updated the recipe to clarify. Thanks again!
Oh my gosh, that photo with the coconut milk being poured… I want to dive in headfirst. This sounds unbelievably yummy!
Ha, thanks Becca!
Your post made me laugh so much! My guy hates pumpkin too, and butternut squash, and basically anything “fall” flavored. I’ve almost given up cooking pumpkin in an obvious format because he doesn’t want to eat it. But if I disguise it in this curry, I might just get away with it!
I love slow cooker meals, because I’m always rushing about like a crazy person with too much to do. Set it to cook and come back after work sounds perfect to me. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Oh man, that’s got to be tough! Fall is the BEST food season! The pumpkin is pretty subtle in this curry, so you might just get away with it! 🙂
I just made this and it was AMAZING! Can I freeze the leftovers?
I’m so glad you liked it, Melissa! I have not tried freezing it – I’m a little wary because of the coconut milk. I will give it a try next time I make it and I’ll report back!
I tried this today. It was really so good, I couldn’t stop eating it. I followed the recipe exactly, and I wouldn’t change one thing. Hearty and full of flavor, this will become a staple in my house.
Yay! So glad you like it! 🙂
Made this for dinner tonight. Cook time was a little too long on high. Cut back an hour. I think without the chick peas would taste better. Over all pretty good.
Thanks for your comments! Crock Pots can definitely vary, which can be frustrating for us recipe writers!
Karen, this was incredible! I tweaked the recipe slightly by adding 1 cup of water (it seemed a little dry to be left for 8 hours), and I also added in 2 tsp freshly grated ginger, 2 sweet potatoes, and 2 tsp turmeric. The lime and cilantro put it over the top. I love how they taste with it.
Great post! I laughed out loud.
Featuring this in a recipe round-up on my blog soon. I’ll make sure to backlink to you. Cheers!
This has well-balanced flavours and tastes great. A big win for Meatless Monday. Looking forward to leftovers!
I laughed to tears reading “Like in, maybe January”
I feel totally the same 🙂
Hi,
do you think I could add 2 or 3 chicken breasts to cook along with the other ingredients?
Hi, I’ve not tried it, but I’m sure it would work just fine! Crock Pots are magical that way. 🙂 Maybe just be sure to immerse the chicken pieces so they don’t dry out too much.
Can I use dried chick peas in the recipe? I don’t have any canned and I’m trying to stick to a budget!
Absolutely, I would just cook them first. I’m sure you could start with dried chickpeas in the Crock Pot and add more liquid to compensate but having not tried it I’m really not sure what the measurements would be. I actually have a huge bag of dried chickpeas in my pantry so I will give it a whirl at some point and report back when I can! 🙂
Did you ever try it with dry chickpeas? I want to make it now and I only have dry too!!
I haven’t started with uncooked chickpeas no. If it were me I’d cook the chickpeas first then add them. Not a fun extra step but dried beans in the Crock Pot can be tricky and will need extra liquid. Sorry!
This was so good, thank you! I added a cubed Russett potato and 2 chopped carrots. I think it was because of those additions that I needed to add some extra broth/water and added some curry paste but it was fantastic and lasted for a week!! I am also curious about freezing it because it made so much for just my boyfriend and I – if anyone does this, please share the result!
Do you think it’s possible to cook this yummy recipe without a crockpot?
Yes. See my review below. Just add more broth. Delicious!
5 stars — Made this last night and loved it! Didn’t have time for the crock pot and it worked well on the stove top. I did end up adding more broth to sufficiently cook the lentils. I always use curry paste, not powder, because it has a much more complex flavor. Served over Jasmine rice with a lime wedge. Yummy and satisfying! Thanks for the recipe!
I recently found your wonderful blog which I’ve suggested to several foodie friends. I was searching for information on freezing beans and you provided that. I have just decided to switch to purchasing no canned foods because I’ve had breast cancer and can linings have BPA. So I have just purchased a small freezer to store items that I normally get in a can since some of those foods are seasonal. The Indocrine Society has just released an important statement on endocrine disruptors and why it’s important to avoid exposure, especially if you want to have normal children. Perhaps the information may be helpful to your health:
https://www.endocrine.org/news-room/current-press-releases/chemical-exposure-linked-to-rising-diabetes-obesity-risk . And a NYT article on chemical exposure:
This was really good! I made it tonight and the whole family loved it (all 5 of us). We never eat Indian food (we always get drawn to Vietnamese) so this was a super introduction to the cuisine. My 18 year old is vegan…the rest of us are carnivores….but I could see us being convinced if it can be this delicious.
Made this recipe and it tasted great. Just wondering what I could substitute instead of the pumpkin?
Loved this, so yummy! I used 2 tsp red curry paste and 1 tsp curry powder, but I ended up needing an additional teaspoon of both in the end, as I felt the flavor wasn’t quite there without it.
I also added one tablespoon ground raw cashews (cashew flour)- which a great addition to curry recipies to thicken it up and also add a bit of flavor. Will be making this again!
This is a fantastic recipe. It’s difficult to find vegan crock pot recipes, let alone one where you can just dump in all of the ingredients and walk away. For both of those reasons this was worth a try, but the result was even better than expected. The whole family loved it and I was surprised with the complexity of the flavors considering how few and how simple the ingredients are. It won’t win any beauty contests, but it sure is delicious. This is a keeper.
Hi Jennifer, I’m so glad you and your family liked it! Ha, I agree about the beauty contest. When I created and photographed it for the blog I was telling a friend about how it was nearly impossible to photograph and make it look decent. She insisted it turned out pretty but I think she was just being kind. 😉
This is freaking DELICIOUS! Where has this recipe been my whole life?!
I just found your blog, and wouldn’t typically comment, but had to add this just knocked out socks off last night (and again at lunch today).
My carnivore husband and almost two year old both asked for seconds. This has got to be the best chick pea curry dish I’ve ever made (and we usually have one about once a week).
I tossed it in late in the day and it was absolutely done in 3 hours. Instead of 1tbsp of one curry powder I mixed it up, 2tsp Garam Masala and 1tsp Madras curry powder. I was a bit short on red lentils and tossed a few green ones in too and you’d never know.
This is going into our regular rotation for sure. Thanks so much! This is a winner!
I just made this for the first time today and daaaang it turned out good. So creamy and filling and rich! I’m serving it over roasted cauliflower. I’m sure it would have been absolutely perfect if I had followed the recipe exactly, but I added extra cayenne and threw in the rest of the can of pumpkin (just so I didn’t have to store it). Adding this to the rotation for sure. Thanks for sharing!
Yay! Glad you like it! Love the idea of serving it over roasted cauliflower; I am going to borrow that idea!
Absolutely delicious!
I didn’t have any pumpkin puree, so I just used 2 cups of cubed butternut squash. I also doubled the curry powder, added a tablespoon of garam masala, and used 1/4 C of greek yogurt because I didn’t have coconut milk.
Would it be possible to use canned organic pumpkin?
Yep! 🙂
Fantastic recipe! I use have used Chackalaka spice from South Africa instead of the Curry and it also yummy. Was wondering if you have the nutritional facts for this recipe?
I found this recipe through pinterest sometime last year, made and loved it. Loved it so much I realised I forgot to save the pin and remember hunting for it again (found it again). A year later, I still remember how good it is and had to search AGAIN! I am excited to make it tomorrow for this unseasonally cold Australian spring. I never usually comment but thanks so much, I love this recipe!! (Saved it this time!)
😀 Love it; so glad you like it! I haven’t made it yet this year and this comment reminded me I need to do so stat. 🙂 Thank you!
do you happen to have the nutritional facts on this meal? thanks!
Did not expect to love this as much as I did!!
I made it in my instant pot on the “slow cook” setting. Only took one hour, added the coconut milk, waited maybe 5 or 10 min while I heated my rice, and it was absolutely perfect.
I’m glad you were pleasantly surprised! I SO need an Instant Pot.
I just made this and it is delicious. I used almond milk because my husband does not like coconut milk. It is a delicious, delicious meal.
?
Hi,
I started making this recipe tonight and accidently put in the coconut milk at the beginning instead of the last 30 minutes. Is there anyway I can save it?
Thanks for your help!
It should be just fine. Might get a little burnt/weird around the edges but otherwise it should be good!
is it possible to cook the rice in the crock pot alongside the curry?
Hmm … probably not in the same Crock Pot (that would make it so easy if you could!) The rice would throw off the moisture level. Maybe in its own Crock Pot, but I’ve never had much luck with rice alone in the Crock Pot!
I was “searching” for red lentil recipes and found yours. Made a copy and I will be making it as soon as I get the coconut milk.
We are giving our Halloween pumpkins a second life by using them for this dish! I’ve just put them in the oven, per your pumpkin puree instructions, and will be making this stew after that! I only have 1 can of garbanzo beans, so it’ll have to be aduki beans as well. Looking forward to it!
Thanks!
Skye
Can I use cow’s milk or water in replace of the coconut milk?
I would suggest maybe 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream if you want that creaminess. Really coconut milk is the best as it’s a curry but if you can’t use it, try the whipping cream. Or even go without! 🙂
This is amazing!! My family enjoyed it 😉 It will clear out your sinuses, lol!
This recipe was so easy and my meat-loving husband is obsessed! Any time I can get my husband to eat something this easy, healthy, and vegetarian is a win. I couldn’t find red lentils so I used regular lentils and they turned out just great. I also used dried garbanzos I had soaked overnight.
The only thing I will mention is that I had to add the coconut milk a little earlier. After about 5-6 hours on low, the recipe was starting to get “burned” from lack of liquid. The extra cook time for the coconut milk didn’t hurt it.
Anyway, I plan on making this again and perhaps adding some carrots or peas at the end! Yum! Thanks for a great new meal for the slow cooker!
Did the regular lentils cook through and stay whole? Red lentils get so soft. Thanks.
Made this yesterday! Added twice the red curry powder and baked a pumpkin and a Kabocha squash and added the pulp from half of each because I didn’t have time to puree it. But they were soft enough to do so. Family LOVED this. But guess what, I forgot to add the coconut milk to it and it was still delicious! There’s tons of leftovers today, so I will try it today for lunch.
So good highly recommend yummy!!!
Lite coconut milk was fine. Great meal for a cold day. Added some spicy peanuts on top when served
This recipe didn’t get much easier or tastier! I wish all dinners were this easy to prepare.
This is the 1st recipe that I try from this website and it was terrific! My husband & I both thoroughly enjoyed it!
Yay, so glad you liked it! I hope you are inspired to try more. 🙂
I have a ton of pumpkin puree in my pantry that I’ve been looking to use up! This recipe looks SO good! I may alter it a bit and include it on my food blog, if that’s OK with you? Looking forward to tasting this recipe!
Any chance you’ve tried this with Thai red curry paste? I was thinking this was a Thai recipe when I bought the ingredients, but turns out it’s Indian.
Oh man, this is eating-it-straight-out-of-the-slow-cooker good. Delicious! I actually like it better without the lime and cilantro, and used a little less coconut milk, though all the options would be good.
I halved my recipe and it made 4 meals for me including rice (smallish person), so I’d guess you could feed 6 adults with it.
Hi can you please tell me what 7/8 of chick peas is? I live in Australia and havent heard that measurement before?
I made this today. I used sweet potato instead of pumpkin because I couldn’t find my pumpkin. I also had to use a can of great northern beans along with garbanzo because I was short there also. It came out delicious but a bit mushy due to beans. I too am a vegan/vegetarian living among carnivores!
Delicious!!! This recipe was flawless and I wouldn’t change a thing. So creamy and the flavours were perfect. 11/10
I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂 Thanks so much for the review.
I feel like it needs a little something — more salt? Peas? Diced tomatoes? But considering how easy this is, I’m not complaining. Dumped everything in the slow cooker and walked away and dinner is served. If I figure out how to tweak it I will add another comment. Maybe I need more expensive curry powder? Turmeric? Cumin? Spinach?
I made this for dinner tonight. It couldn’t have been easier! My only change was to add a cup of frozen peas and a bag of baby spinach when it was done cooking. I served it over brown rice after I let it sit for half an hour. It was rich and creamy. Thank you for a delicious and satisfying recipe that I’ll be making regularly!
Love the idea of adding some green! So glad you liked it.