A very simple and easy one-pot butternut squash curry made with coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, and leftover ham or turkey.
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Butternut Squash Curry with Coconut Milk
This butternut squash curry is very simple and is a great way to use up leftovers especially after the holidays when you have extra ham or turkey.
It has a balance of sweet and savory flavor, which comes from the naturally sweet butternut squash and red curry paste and it also has a very comforting creaminess that comes from coconut milk as well.
This curry is a bit on the sweeter and heartier side, if you're looking for a curry that's a bit more creamy with a spicier kick with a lot more aromatics then you definitely should check out my Thai Red Curry recipe which is made with kaffir lime leaves.
If you're looking for more recipes that will use up your leftovers, definitely check out my Easy Udon Noodle Soup, Teriyaki Chicken Yaki Udon (Stir-Fried Udon Noodles), and Stir-Fried Rice Cakes with Kimchi as well which are also recipes I use at home.
Ingredients for Butternut Squash Curry
- Ham/Turkey/Leftover Meat - For protein, you can also switch it up with leftover turkey, chicken, or any type of leftover meat. Keep in mind that ham gives this curry a lot of its savoriness so you may need to add a bit of salt if you are using another protein.
- Butternut Squash - I like to use butternut squash because of how sweet it is, and how much extra liquid that comes out of it once it softens. If you are going to use a drier squash like kabocha, you have to add at least 1 cup of water or stock to the curry.
- Coconut Milk - This gives the curry a wonderful flavour and creaminess.
- Red Curry Paste - You can use any type of Thai curry paste (red, yellow, or green) but I personally find red curry gives the most robust flavor. Green curry is usually the spiciest and very hot.
- Garlic, Tomatoes, and Onions - This trio of ingredients gives you a lot of extra flavour, so don't skip them.
- Curry Powder - Any type of yellow curry powder works great for this recipe. I usually use Madras curry powder.
How to Make Butternut Squash Curry
Toast and Brown all the ingredients for extra flavour
When you brown the curry powder, curry paste with the onion, garlic, and ham you might notice that a lot of the bits will stick to the bottom of the pan and slightly burn and turn brown. Don't panic! This is flavour! 🙂
Once the squash starts to cook and soften, it will releases liquids - use the liquid to scrape the bottom of the pan. The burnt will give the curry a nutty flavour.
Creaminess and Moisture Come from the Butternut Squash
Before you add the butternut squash, the curry will look very dry after you put all the ingredients into the pot. Don't fret -- the squash will save the day. Squash has a lot of water in it. As it starts to cook down, it releases a lot of liquids which creates that saucy creaminess in this dish.
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Recipe Card
Butternut Squash Curry
Recipe Notes
- To easily cut squash, poke multiple holes in it and put it in the microwave for 3-5 mins. This softens this up so it can be easily chopped. Be careful! The squash is VERY hot once it's been microwaved.
- During the cooking process, it may look very dry. Don't worry, the squash will release it's liquids once it has been soften. If you add water, it will make it too runny. Trust the squash! ? If it's too dry for you even after the squash has been soften and fully cooked, you can add a bit of chicken stock.
Ingredients
- 2 cups ham (or any type of leftover meat like turkey, chopped)
- 2 onions (diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 butternut squash (peeled and cubed)
- 1 cup tomatoes (diced - canned or fresh)
- ¾ cups coconut cream (or coconut milk)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (optional, to make it more savory if you're not using ham)
Instructions
Preparation
- Finely mince the garlic and dice the onions and set it aside.
- Cut the tips of the squash off and cut down the middle lengthwise. Scoop out all the seeds and discard them.To remove the skin, I like to cut them into smaller 3-inch chunks and then cut off the skin with a knife.
- Cut the squash into ½ to 1-inch chunks and set them aside.
Cooking the Squash Curry
- Set the stove on to medium-low heat and add oil to a high walled pot
- Once the pot has been heated and the oil shimmers, toast the curry powder and curry paste for about 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. (Be careful on this step, the oil splashes a lot!)
- Adjust the heat to medium heat
- Add the onions and ham to brown and soften. Cook for approximately 3-5 minutes
- Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute
- Mix in the tomatoes and squash. (Don't worry if it looks dry, the squash will release it's liquids once it cooks down)
- Add in the coconut milk
- Adjust the stove back to low to simmer for 60 mins and check every 15-20 mins to stir it.
- Do a taste test. If you like your curry more savory add the soy sauce (or ½ teaspoon of salt)
- After an hour, the squash will get soft. Stir it a few times to break up the squash so that it melds into the curry more. If you like your curry chunky, then it's ready to serve!If you like a smoother curry, cook it for another 10 minutes to soften the squash more and stir it again.
- Serve it up with some rice or some naan and enjoy! (This taste even better the next day!)
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is calculated using online tools and is an estimate*
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Sam says
I wish I read this recipe before making it — it makes no sense! Note: the recipe has no salt or no citrus, and no fresh cilantro at the end. Ultimately it's a very bland recipe that needs a lot of tweaking to make it taste right.
Joyce Lee says
Hi Sam,
Sorry this recipe didn't turn out for you.
The salt for the recipe comes from the Thai red curry paste. This recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of this salty paste so it is omitted you will not get the same flavor.
Since I also use ham, that is also another element of salt as well.
Yes, there is no citrus in this recipe to lighten up the curry - this curry is meant to be a creamy sweet and savory (and spicy from the red curry) dish, which would be on the heavier and cozier side.
Natalia says
Squash and coconut seem to be the perfect combo! Should give it a try as I'm sure it's delicious!
Joyce says
Yay! 🙂
Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine says
What a delicious combination! Love how creamy the squash gets.
Joyce says
Me too! 🙂 I was quite surprised how well the squash made the texture of the curry!
Emily says
This looks delicious and unique, I have never tried ham in curry before.
Joyce says
It's quite nice, adds a touch of saltiness to it. You can also substitute it for a veg or any other meat as well 🙂
Karen @ Seasonal Cravings says
I love the flavor of curry and so does my family so we are always looking for new ways to use it. I love this idea and maybe I could even get my kids to eat squash this way!
Joyce says
Gosh whenever we buy ham, we always have SO much leftovers from it. haha This curry totally changes up the flavour so it's not just ham I'm tasting - a win in my eyes when you've had ham for a week straight. haha
Roxana says
I like the combination of squash with coconut. A lot of flavor with just a few ingredients. I think I will try this with some legumes or chicken as I don't eat ham.
Joyce says
This is a wonderful vegetarian dish as well! Very easy to substitute for 🙂