Pumpkin Curry With Green Beans, Chickpeas & Coconut Milk

Q: Is this pumpkin curry vegan and gluten free?

It's vegan. There's no meat or dairy, the creaminess comes from coconut milk, and the protein comes from chickpeas and tofu. The pumpkin, beans, chickpeas and fresh spices are naturally gluten free, but curry powders and stock powders vary, so check the labels if you need it strictly gluten free.

Pumpkin Curry With Green Beans, Chickpeas And Coconut Milk.

A Mild, Easy Vegan Curry From The Bali Retreat, Made With Aussie Veg.

It Simmers In About 15 Minutes, Once The Pumpkin And Beans Are Steamed.

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Introduction to pumpkin curry

This pumpkin curry is steamed pumpkin simmered in coconut milk and vegetable stock with shallots, fresh ginger, garlic, turmeric and mild curry spices, then finished with green beans, chickpeas and spring onions. It’s vegan. Once the pumpkin and beans are steamed, it simmers for about 15 minutes. I serve it with red rice and baked, marinated tofu.

I learnt this recipe in the free cooking class at a Flametree Bali yoga retreat. Then I improved on it with delicious Aussie veg.

I first wrote it up when Flametree started teaching yoga at Coolalinga Central, near the Coolalinga markets. So of course I used Coolalinga pumpkin!

If you have any comments or questions, please contact us. Or chat with me at a Flametree yoga or meditation class via these timetables.

Pumpkin curry, ready to eat

Pumpkin curry with green beans, chickpeas and coconut milk

My pumpkin curry with green beans, coconut milk and chickpeas. Yum!

Ingredients for pumpkin curry

Here are the ingredients for this Flametree Yoga Studio dish.

The curry

500 grams of pumpkin, about 3 cups cut into small pieces (I used Coolalinga pumpkin)
3 shallots, finely sliced
Olive oil, for sautéing
2 teaspoons of grated fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon of grated fresh turmeric
1 can of coconut milk
1 cup of vegetable stock (stock powder mixed in a cup of water)
A large handful of fresh green beans
1 can of chickpeas
2 spring onions

The spices

1 teaspoon of cumin
2 teaspoons of a mild curry powder (I used a mild Malay curry powder)
1 teaspoon of coriander powder
Half a teaspoon of chilli powder
1 teaspoon of garam masala

To serve

1 dessert spoon of chopped fresh coriander
Baked, marinated tofu, as a side dish
Red rice, if you like

I used pumpkin from Coolalinga, in Darwin’s rural area, where you’ll find great veggie options at the markets and beyond. Any pumpkin you can find will do.

Coolalinga breadfruit chips, with sauce

Breadfruit chips with sauce, a local Coolalinga find near Darwin

Breadfruit turned into chips, with sauce. Another scrumptious local treat I found around Coolalinga.

How to make pumpkin curry

Use these steps to make this pumpkin curry with green beans and coconut milk.

Step 1: Steam the pumpkin and green beans

Steam the pumpkin (or whatever pumpkin you’ve managed to find) with a bit of water in a steamer. Put it aside.
Cut the green beans into pieces about the length of your finger, and steam them too.

Step 2: Sauté the shallots and aromatics

Sauté the finely sliced shallots in olive oil with the ginger, garlic and turmeric.
When it smells aromatic, add the spices.

Step 3: Simmer the curry

Add the coconut milk, pumpkin and stock. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the green beans, chickpeas and spring onions. Simmer for another 5 minutes.

Step 4: Serve

Sprinkle with the chopped fresh coriander.
Serve with the baked tofu, and red rice if you like.

Pumpkin curry with red rice and baked tofu

Pumpkin curry recipe served with red rice and baked tofu

Pumpkin curry with red rice and baked tofu. Delicious and nutritious.

Is this pumpkin curry vegan and gluten free?

It’s vegan. There’s no meat or dairy. The creaminess comes from coconut milk, and the protein comes from chickpeas and tofu.

The pumpkin, beans, chickpeas and fresh spices are naturally gluten free. Curry powders and vegetable stock powders vary, though, so check the labels if you need it strictly gluten free.

Can you put chickpeas in pumpkin curry?

Yes, and I love it that way. The chickpeas go in for the last 5 minutes, with the green beans and spring onions.

They add plant protein and make the pumpkin curry more filling.

What goes well with pumpkin curry?

I serve it with red rice and baked, marinated tofu.

Red rice is nutty. I think it tastes better than white rice, and I enjoy its texture more.

Baked tofu goes well with many pumpkin curry mixes, with or without green beans. Serve it in sticks, or cut it into smaller, bite size pieces.

Delicious extra protein with your pumpkin curry

Sticks of baked marinated tofu to serve with pumpkin curry

Baked tofu goes well with many pumpkin curry mixes. Serve it in sticks like this, or in bite size pieces.

Red rice goes well with pumpkin curry

Cooked red rice to serve with vegetarian pumpkin curry

In my opinion, red rice is nicer than white rice. It’s nutty. Try it with this pumpkin curry, or whatever you fancy.

Marinated tofu, flat bread and vegetable soup

Marinated baked tofu with home made flat bread and vegetable soup

Marinated baked tofu, home made flat bread and vegetable soup. Another delicious recipe I learnt at our retreat in Bali.

Pumpkin curry: quick questions answered

How long does pumpkin curry take to simmer?

Once the pumpkin and beans are steamed, simmer the pumpkin with the coconut milk and stock for 10 minutes. Then add the beans, chickpeas and spring onions for another 5 minutes.

What curry powder should I use?

A mild curry powder. I used a mild Malay one.

Can I use a different pumpkin?

Yes. I used pumpkin from Coolalinga, but whatever pumpkin you’ve managed to find will work.

How do I prepare the green beans?

Cut them into pieces about the length of your finger, then steam them before they go into the curry.

Where did this pumpkin curry recipe come from?

I learnt it in the free cooking class at a Flametree Bali retreat, then improved on it with delicious Aussie veg.

More Flametree curry and dahl recipes

Love a good curry? Try my pumpkin dahl with chickpeas, my eggplant chickpea curry, or my vegan black bean curry.

Do you have a vegan recipe or dish you’d like to share?

Please contact me with any dishes you’d like to share with me.

Obviously, I’m especially interested in any dish that is already a great Darwin vegan option.

Alternatively, it may be a potential vegan Darwin recipe that I could adapt, or be inspired by, as I did here.

Experience eating alternatives at a Flametree Yoga Retreat

By the way, there are several upcoming Flametree yoga retreats in Bali in 2027.

Contact us for details of our Darwin yoga retreat packages, or our yoga class packages in the orange lines below.

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Meanwhile, start or re-start yoga or meditation with one of the HALF price deals below, or check out the retreat deals.

Learning to eat mindfully, as a result of yoga and pranayama meditation, is a great way to start more of a vegetarian or vegan journey, or simply mindfully eat whatever you choose.