Thai
Thai Pumpkin Coconut Curry
Sweet pumpkin simmered in a fragrant red coconut curry with basil — a cosy vegetarian Thai curry in 25 minutes.
About this recipe
Thai Pumpkin Coconut Curry is a thai lunch for 2 that is a gentle, mostly hands-off simmer. It’s built around fish, and it takes about 25 min total but only ~15 min of hands-on work — the rest is waiting. We sized it for a small household and ranked it on OneToCook by how much of it you already have in the fridge.
Good to know
* Dietary flags are derived from the listed ingredients — always check labels and your own needs for allergens.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 100ml water
- 2 bowls, cooked rice
- 400g, cubed pumpkin buy
- 200ml coconut milk buy
- 2 tbsp red curry paste buy
- small handful basil buy
Equipment
Method
- 1
Fry the curry paste in oil until fragrant, then add the pumpkin and coat, 2 min.
~4 min
- 2
Pour in coconut milk and water with fish sauce and sugar; simmerSimmer.Cook in liquid with gentle bubbling, just below a boil.Glossary → until the pumpkin is tender, 15 min.
~16 min
- 3
Fold through basil and serve with rice.
~2 min
Smart swaps
Out of something? Try one of these.
- Coconut milk
- evaporated milk or any unsweetened plant milk + a little oil for richness.
- Curry paste
- curry powder bloomed in oil — start with half the amount and taste up.
- Fish sauce
- light soy sauce with a tiny pinch of salt — less funk, still savoury (also the vegetarian swap).
- Thai/sweet basil
- regular basil, or a little mint — the perfume changes but it works.
Cook's notes
- Rinse the rice until the water runs (mostly) clear for fluffier, less gummy grains. How to wash & cook rice →
- Do your chopping first (mise en place). With everything prepped, the actual cooking here is only about 15 min.
Storage & leftovers
Cooked rice needs care: cool it quickly (within an hour), refrigerate in a covered container, and eat within a day — reheating it until piping hot all the way through. Don’t leave cooked rice at room temperature.
Frequently asked
How long does Thai Pumpkin Coconut Curry take to make? +
About 25 min from start to finish, but only roughly 15 min of that is hands-on — the rest is cooking or resting time.
How many people does this recipe serve? +
As written it serves 2. To cook for 4, roughly multiply the ingredients — but cook in batches if the pan gets crowded, so things sear instead of steaming.
What equipment do I need? +
You’ll want: induction hob, pot. OneToCook only suggests recipes that fit the equipment you tell it you have, so you can filter these out if your kitchen is more minimal.
What can I use if I'm missing an ingredient? +
Common swaps for this dish: Coconut milk → evaporated milk or any unsweetened plant milk + a little oil for richness; Curry paste → curry powder bloomed in oil — start with half the amount and taste up; Fish sauce → light soy sauce with a tiny pinch of salt — less funk, still savoury (also the vegetarian swap). See the full list of smart swaps above.
Can I make Thai Pumpkin Coconut Curry ahead of time? +
Cooked rice needs care: cool it quickly (within an hour), refrigerate in a covered container, and eat within a day — reheating it until piping hot all the way through. Don’t leave cooked rice at room temperature.
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