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This pumpkin curry is my weeknight, one-pot version of kaddu ki subzi, made in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker with pumpkin and aromatic Indian spices. It’s a simple North Indian sweet-and-spicy curry ready in under 30 minutes for a warm weeknight dinner. Vegetarian and gluten-free.
Is it pumpkin season yet? Oh…yes! Fall is here, and we enjoy the abundance of pumpkins in our grocery stores.
I am going to share a very simple North Indian pumpkin curry. It has the sweetness of pumpkin, the spiciness of Indian spices, and the tanginess of lime juice. Pick out a pumpkin, kabocha squash, or butternut squash and try this easy curry in your Instant Pot.
Pumpkin is also known as kaddu or petha in Hindi, so another name for this delicious curry is kaddu ki subzi or Punjabi pethe ki subzi. Pair this pumpkin curry with something spicy. Enjoy it with paratha or naan, or even better with poori.
Another way I have been using all the pumpkins is by making pumpkin puree, which you can use in various dishes. I have used it in pancakes, parathas, and pies already.
“Thanks Meeta for this lovely recipe. I just cooked it following the exact same steps u mentioned. Just added few 2 potatoes too as I didn’t have that much pumpkin. It turned superb yummy. That makes me also think that one can make ‘dam aloo’ too using the same ingredients. Thanks once again.”
– SRILEKHA
Ingredients
You need pumpkin, a few aromatics, and everyday Indian spices.
Pumpkin: Use a small sugar pumpkin or butternut squash. I’ve made this curry with both, and both work. The hardest part of this recipe is peeling the pumpkin. I use a peeler to peel it, then cut it into 1-inch cubes. You don’t have to cut very small pieces, since you can mash some of it after pressure cooking. If you’re short on time, you can use pre-cut, store-bought butternut squash or pumpkin cubes.
Ghee or oil: Ghee adds a lot of flavor. You can also make ghee at home in the Instant Pot. To make this vegan, use your favorite plant-based oil.
Cumin seeds: These start the tempering in hot ghee or oil.
Aromatics: Onion, ginger, garlic, and a green chili pepper. The chili is optional.
Tomato: Sautéed with the spices, it makes the base of the curry.
Spices: You’ll need turmeric, coriander powder, red chili powder (or paprika), garam masala, and salt.
Water: Just a little. Pumpkin releases its own water as it cooks, so the curry doesn’t need much.
Sugar: Optional. Add it only if your pumpkin isn’t very sweet.
Lime juice: It goes in after pressure cooking and gives the curry its tang.
Cilantro: For garnish.
Variations
Pumpkin aloo curry: Add potatoes cut into ¾- to 1-inch cubes along with the pumpkin. Pressure cook for the same 4 minutes.
Coconut milk: For a creamier curry, you can stir in a splash of coconut milk after pressure cooking.
Chickpeas: You can add drained canned chickpeas along with the pumpkin before pressure cooking.
Pro-Tips
Taste for sweetness: If the pumpkin is not as sweet, add some sugar. This is completely optional.
Mash to your liking: You can eat the pumpkin curry as is, or mash some pieces using a masher. I prefer the in-between, so I mash some pieces but not all.
For a thicker curry: Switch to Sauté mode and cook off any residual water for a couple of minutes.
What to Pair with Pumpkin Curry?
Flatbreads: Enjoy it with paratha or naan, or even better with poori.
Rice: Serve it over basmati rice.
Raita: A side of raita goes great with this curry.
Dal: You can pair this with moong dal, dal tadka, or green moong dal.
Below is my original photo from 2018 for this recipe, where I enjoyed this pumpkin curry with methi or fenugreek parathas for lunch 🙂
How to Store?
If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days. You can also freeze the curry in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Pumpkin curry thickens as it sits, so add a splash of water when you reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
This pumpkin curry is my weeknight, one-pot version of kaddu ki subzi, made in the pressure cooker or Instant Pot. It's a simple North Indian sweet-and-spicy curry ready in under 30 minutes for a warm weeknight dinner. Vegetarian and gluten-free.
Start the Instant Pot in SAUTE mode and heat oil in it. Add cumin seeds and sauté for 30 seconds.
Add green chili, onions, ginger, and garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and spices. Stir and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add cubed pumpkin pieces and water. Give it all a good mix. Press Cancel and close the Instant Pot lid with the vent in the sealing position.
Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook for 4 minutes on high pressure. When the Instant Pot beeps, manually do a quick pressure release.
Add sugar and lime juice, then gently stir them into the pumpkin. You can eat this curry as is or mash some of the cooked pumpkin pieces with a masher in the pot.
If you prefer a drier consistency, change the setting to SAUTE mode and cook for a couple of minutes.
Garnish with cilantro, and the pumpkin curry is ready to be enjoyed. Serve over rice or enjoy with roti or naan.
Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method
Follow the same steps in a stovetop pressure cooker on medium heat. After adding the pumpkin and water, close the lid and cook for 1–2 whistles. Let the pressure release naturally. Then add sugar and lime juice, and finish as above.
Stovetop Pot Method
Follow the same steps in a heavy-bottomed pot. After adding the pumpkin and water, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 10-12 minutes, until the pumpkin is tender. Add more water if needed to adjust consistency. Stir in between at regular intervals. Then add sugar and lime juice, and finish as above.
I strongly believe that each one of us has a chef inside us, we just need to explore the ingredients and create great food. My passion is to share easy, and wholesome recipes made using Instant Pot & Air Fryer, that are well tested, so you can cook with confidence.
I plugged in all the ingredients to MyFitnessPal and it’s actually 176 calories per serving, not 100. Keen to make this though 🙂 Please just make sure the nutrition panel is accurate
Hi Cate – I use an automated calculator which uses the “Spoonacular API” to get the nutrition values. Please do check with your preferred calculator if you are on a diet. I try my best to give accurate information, but unfortunately it is not possible for me to confirm the facts with multiple calculators. Hope that helps!
So good! So easy! I baked the pumpkin upside down on a baking sheet at 350F convection for 40 minutes and the skins slid right off – perfect. I didn’t have coconut milk (who am I??), so I boiled 1 cup of coconut and 2 cups of water for 5 minutes, then immersion blended which yielded about 2.5 cups of coconut milk. I also followed your advice regarding the overheating, and added 1 cup of vegetable broth. It worked. Thanks for this recipe!
Hi Saba – I use a small sugar pumpkin and do cut it up first before using in this recipe. I have not tried this recipe with baking the pumpkin first. This recipe could work well with cut pieces of butternut squash too, in case that is easier to get. I see cubes of butternut squash available at Whole Foods and Trader Joes frequently. I hope that helps!
Blew my mind. So quick, so delicious. Thank you for this genius recipe, it’s going to be a winter staple of ours now! I will say that I added a bit of vegetable broth as I had a recipe similar to this and was really just looking for a technique with the instapot when I found your recipe. But now that I know how great this turned out, I’ll try it without the vegetable broth.
Thanks Meeta for this lovely recipe. I just cooked it following the exact same steps u mentioned. Just added few 2 potatoes too as I didn’t have that much pumpkin. It turned superb yummy. That makes me also think that one can make ‘dam aloo’ too using the same ingredients. Thanks once again.
Hey Srilekha – So happy to hear you enjoyed the pumpkin curry with potatoes. Please do share if you try dum aloo with this recipe. Thank you for sharing back your review!
How can something this delicious have so few calories!! I cannot imagine serving this and getting anything but raves (especially because all I get are raves). Cannot say enough good things. Heavenly!!
Hey Amy – I have never tried chickpeas with this curry. But it could work well with canned chickpeas. No need for extra cooking time or liquid with canned chickpeas. Please do let me know if you try it.
Hi -thanks so much for your recipes. Question for you- is there any draw back to cooking the pumpkin in the instantpot first to make peeling it unnecessary (the cooked pumpkin can be removed pretty easily that way) What do you think?
Hey Maryanne – you can add cooked pumpkin too. It might be a bit mushy that what I show, but the taste would be the same. You do not need to pressure cook again if you are already cooking the pumpkin. Just cook it on sauté to mix well with the onion, tomato & spices.
I plugged in all the ingredients to MyFitnessPal and it’s actually 176 calories per serving, not 100. Keen to make this though 🙂 Please just make sure the nutrition panel is accurate
Hi Cate – I use an automated calculator which uses the “Spoonacular API” to get the nutrition values. Please do check with your preferred calculator if you are on a diet. I try my best to give accurate information, but unfortunately it is not possible for me to confirm the facts with multiple calculators. Hope that helps!
So good! So easy! I baked the pumpkin upside down on a baking sheet at 350F convection for 40 minutes and the skins slid right off – perfect. I didn’t have coconut milk (who am I??), so I boiled 1 cup of coconut and 2 cups of water for 5 minutes, then immersion blended which yielded about 2.5 cups of coconut milk. I also followed your advice regarding the overheating, and added 1 cup of vegetable broth. It worked. Thanks for this recipe!
Hi Tracey – So good to hear that you enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing back 🙂
The pumpkin is so hard, how do you cut it up- oven time first?
Hi Saba – I use a small sugar pumpkin and do cut it up first before using in this recipe. I have not tried this recipe with baking the pumpkin first. This recipe could work well with cut pieces of butternut squash too, in case that is easier to get. I see cubes of butternut squash available at Whole Foods and Trader Joes frequently. I hope that helps!
Blew my mind. So quick, so delicious. Thank you for this genius recipe, it’s going to be a winter staple of ours now! I will say that I added a bit of vegetable broth as I had a recipe similar to this and was really just looking for a technique with the instapot when I found your recipe. But now that I know how great this turned out, I’ll try it without the vegetable broth.
Hi Sarah – Happy to hear you enjoyed the Pumpkin Curry 🙂
Thanks Meeta for this lovely recipe. I just cooked it following the exact same steps u mentioned. Just added few 2 potatoes too as I didn’t have that much pumpkin. It turned superb yummy. That makes me also think that one can make ‘dam aloo’ too using the same ingredients. Thanks once again.
Hey Srilekha – So happy to hear you enjoyed the pumpkin curry with potatoes. Please do share if you try dum aloo with this recipe. Thank you for sharing back your review!
How can something this delicious have so few calories!! I cannot imagine serving this and getting anything but raves (especially because all I get are raves). Cannot say enough good things. Heavenly!!
Hey Diana – Yay! Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing back your review 🙂
Nice and interesting recipe. Will give it a try.
Hey Punam – Thank you ?
Would you ever add chickpeas to this and if so, would it require more time and liquid? Thanks!
Hey Amy – I have never tried chickpeas with this curry. But it could work well with canned chickpeas. No need for extra cooking time or liquid with canned chickpeas. Please do let me know if you try it.
Hi -thanks so much for your recipes. Question for you- is there any draw back to cooking the pumpkin in the instantpot first to make peeling it unnecessary (the cooked pumpkin can be removed pretty easily that way) What do you think?
Hey Maryanne – you can add cooked pumpkin too. It might be a bit mushy that what I show, but the taste would be the same. You do not need to pressure cook again if you are already cooking the pumpkin. Just cook it on sauté to mix well with the onion, tomato & spices.
Just wondering about the little amount of liquid. Will this be enough for all the pumpkin?
Thank you!
Rachelle
Great question. Pumpkin also releases a lot of intrinsic water, which helps to cook it. This was for 1.3 lbs of pumpkin.