Butternut squash and chickpea curry

This incredible curry boasts a rich, creamy sauce, oodles of flavour and a stunning texture. Sound good? Then this butternut squash and chickpea dopiaza is for you!

Best of all, this curry is totally meat-free. In fact, it's vegan, which means it's a perfect option for a family meal if you're trying to reduce your meat consumption.

Why go meatless on Mondays?

Have you heard of Meatless Mondays? On the most basic level, it means following a vegetarian diet every Monday, of course, but for many people it's also about making a small contribution to the health of the planet.

Search the #MeatlessMonday hashtag on Twitter and you'll see that it's a big thing. Lots of people who would prefer not to go fulltime veggie for all sorts of reasons are cutting out meat once a week the whole world over.

Think of it like doing your bit by using the recycling bin or flicking off the light switch when you leave a room - you know your small contribution isn't going to clear the air, land and oceans of decades of pollutants, but as part of a much larger collective, you know you're making a difference.

Where to start?

If you're used to eating meat with every meal, coming up with something tasty and vegetarian to eat at least once a week might seem daunting. Trust me, it's really not. Most of the recipes on this site are veggie, in fact, and none compromise on taste.

To get you inspired, here's an utterly delicious butternut squash and chickpea dopiaza.

The sauce is rich, thick and perfectly spiced. It smells amazing as it cooks and it tastes incredible.

How to make butternut squash and chickpea dopiaza

This butternut squash and chickpea dopiaza has a very special, exceptionally creamy sauce made with a perfect blend of spices, onion, garlic, ginger and sweet potato.

Meanwhile, the butternut squash is roasted to perfection with black onions seeds, and chickpeas and spinach make the meal complete.

Here's the full recipe for you to try.

Instructions

To make the sauce

Heat the oil in a large pan over a high heat.

Add the onion, celery, garlic, ginger and sweet potato to the hot pan.

Fry for 5 minutes until they start to soften and colour.

Turn down to a medium heat and add the coriander, cumin, garam masala, madras powder, chilli flakes, black onion seeds, black pepper, turmeric and salt.

Cook for 2 minutes, stirring to prevent the spices from catching on the bottom of the pan, which will make the curry taste bitter.

Add the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, coconut milk and sweet chilli sauce.

Add the stock.

Stir well.

Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Blend until smooth using a food processor or stick blender, then transfer back to the pan and keep warm.

For the squash

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan, 320F).

Meanwhile, spread butternut squash on a non-stick baking tray.

Sprinkle with the onion seeds. chilli flakes and salt.

Add the oil.

Mix well.

Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until tender and golden.

To finish

Add the chickpeas, coriander, spinach and roasted butternut squash to your sauce.

Stir through.

Serve into bowls.

Garnished with a sprinkle of onion seeds and coriander leaf.

I recommend serving with paratha or naan bread, popadoms and boiled rice.

Pointers, tricks and troubleshooting tips for the perfect dopiaza curry

Is dopiaza curry easy to make?

This dopiaza is nice and simple, just be careful not to cook the veg in the pan or the tray on too high a heat. You're looking to make them nice and soft and to bring out their sweetness, not brown them. Also, remember to stir your simmering pot of vegetables to avoid anything sticking.

To keep your blended veg warm you can either put the pan on the hob over the lowest heat, and again, remember to give it a stir a couple of times to avoid sticking. If you have an oven-safe pan and lid you can pop it in the oven while roasting your butternut squash. A heat diffuser will also help to avoid hotspots if you have one available.

Will I need any special equipment for this dopiaza curry?

No specialist equipment is needed for this dopiaza, but you do need make sure you have a jug blender or stick blender before you start. Also check you have a saucepan large enough for all the ingredients.

There is a full list of suggested equipment on the recipe card below.

What are black onion seeds?

Black onion seeds, also know as Nigella seeds or Kalonji seeds, are a common ingredient in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking. They offer a unique taste and fantastic aesthetic to many dishes. Perhaps most famously in the UK they can be found inside and decorating the top of many naan breads.

Is dopiaza curry hot?

With plenty of chilli dopiaza curries tend to be hot on the hot end of medium. So, not vindaloo or madras (very hot curries), but certainly not a korma or biryani (very mild curries) either!

Where can I buy black onion seeds?

Black onion seeds, also called Nigella seeds or Kalonji seeds, should be available under one of the above names in all major supermarkets. They are also readily available online and in specialist Indian and Middle Eastern food shops.

How can I tell if a butternut squash is ripe?

If you're buying form a supermarket or grocer it's almost certain that your squash will be ripe enough to use from the day you bought it. If you're buying from a farmer's market they might need some ripening at home.

The easiest way to tell if a squash is ready to eat is to look at the rind - any green spots means it's not ripe yet. You're looking for an even, orange colour that's usually (but not always) quite pale. The texture of the skin should be matte. A glossy, smooth skin means it still needs time to ripen.

When it comes to feel, the squash should be nice and hard. If you've bought the squash you can try to dig a nail into it, if it's easy to puncture the skin it's not ripe yet.

Most verities of squash, including butternut, will continue to ripen off the vine as long as it wasn't too young when picked. To ripen it further place it somewhere with plenty of sunlight. A squash that hasn't begun to change colour before being removed form the vine won't ripen.

Is this dopiaza curry suitable for vegetarians? Is this recipe dopiaza curry for vegans?

This curry it not only meatless but contains no animal products of any kind, making it suitable for both vegetarians and vegans.

As always, it's best to double check all of your ingredients labels just to make sure to check that they are suitable for your dietary requirements and don't forget to also check anything extra you intend to serve the recipe with. Naan bread often contains dairy, for instance.

Is this dopiaza curry gluten-free?

As long as you make sure to use gluten-free vegetable stock this recipe should be free of gluten. While rare, some spice manufactures use gluten containing additives so it's best to double check all of your ingredient labels to make sure to check that they are gluten-free.

Don't forget to also check anything extra you intend to serve the recipe with.

Is this dopiaza curry keto-friendly?

As the butternut squash, chickpeas and sweet chilli sauce are high in carbohydrates, and there's quite a few other ingredients that aren't low-carb. This means each bowl has 92g of carbohydrates, which means it's not a keto-friendly dish.

Is this dopiaza curry healthy?

Being largely made of a mix of different vegetables and legumes this dopiaza is very nutritious, full of fibre and protein and knocks out a huge chunk of your 5+ a day. This makes it a delicious, healthy option for dinner.

If you're watching calorie intake it's worth noting each bowl of dopiaza is about 720 calories. That means it's a healthy, but not a super low calorie meal. Having said that, the bowls are also quite generous so you shouldn't need much, if anything, to accompany this dish.

A lot of the calories come from the natural carbohydrates in the veg and fat in the coconut milk, so you may want to change up, reduce or not use some of these ingredients. Here's a breakdown of how some of the more high calorie ingredients contribute to each serving.

• Coconut milk - 217kcal
• Chickpeas - 164kcal
• Butternut squash - 97kcal
• Sweet potato - 86kcal

The olive oil adds around 75 calories per serving, so if you could reduce the amount used or use a spray oil instead.

Is this dopiaza curry safe to eat while pregnant?

This recipe contains madras powder, a spice mix which often has fenugreek as one of the ingredients. Some studies report that fenugreek should be avoided during pregnancy, so please use a jar that doesn't contain any fenugreek or leave the madras powder out. If leaving it out you can also use more garam masala instead (although I've never seen a garam masala powder with fenugreek in it, it's best to check this too).

Other than that this recipe is safe for pregnant people, but do check the ingredients are all in good condition, and everything is cooked safely and hygienically.

A Mummy Too does not offer medical advice. Please seek help from a medical professional if you need further information or have any concerns.

Is it suitable for babies and toddlers?

With a few modifications this dopiaza can be made suitable for babies and toddlers, although it will naturally quite different if all the steps below are followed.

Firstly, if you are making this for young children or babies, leave out the salt and vegetable stock (which contains salt). The NHS explains why here. You can use water instead of stock, or make your own salt-free stock by boiling vegetable peelings. A good tip is to freeze your vegetable peelings as and when you make them, then cook a big batch of stock once you have a decent amount, which you can then freeze into useful amounts for defrosting later.

As the sweet chili sauce contains a significant amount of sugar (usually somewhere between 40-50%) it should be left out, as children don't need any additional sugar in their diet.

It's also important to always give food in an appropriate size and shape for your baby or child. The butternut squash should be cut much smaller. Usually small, round foods, like grapes or cherry tomatoes should be cut into small pieces, but as this is impractical with chickpeas you can crush them between your fingers to flatten them and discard the skin.

Another option would be to blend everything, including the chickpeas and roasted butternut squash to end up with a smooth, easy to eat dopiaza.

Finally, be mindful of too much spice or heat, as children's palettes can be quite different to an adult's and this curry is both hot and spicy. For this reason I would forgo using the chilli flakes and madras powder (which contains chilli powder) and tone down the spices as you feel necessary.

Always keep babies supported upright while eating and supervise your baby when they’re eating in case they start to choke.

A Mummy Too does not give medical advice. If you have any questions or concerns please speak to a health professional.

The NHS has some fantastic resources on their website on what to feed babies and young children.

What goes well with this dopiaza curry?

This is a very hearty curry that can be enjoyed all by itself, but I think it's best enjoyed along with a warm naan bread or some poppadums and dips.

It also goes very well with some fluffy white or brown rice.

Can I make this dopiaza curry without some of the spices?

While naturally it will change the flavour of the curry you can alter or not use whichever spices you don't want to use or have available.

I haven’t got a ground spice, can I use whole spices instead?

If you don't have any ground coriander or cumin available but do have dried seeds, you have a couple options.

The first option is simply throw them in whole. I would double the amount the recipe calls for if using whole spices as they won't be as flavourful as ground spice, but they will still impart plenty of flavour. They will remain whole even after cooking, but will soften up considerably. However, the coriander seeds might be a little large/tough for your liking.

The second option is to grind or blend the seeds. Freshly ground spices will be more flavourful than ground spices that have been sitting on a shelf for several months as the oils and flavour compounds in them begin to break down. For this reason many people prefer to keep whole spices and grind only what they need.

The easiest open is to use an electric spice grinder, then you can go from whole seeds to fine powder in just a few seconds. The next best thing is to crush the seeds in a pestle and mortar, although you may find the cumin seeds don't yield particularly easily so small batches may be required.

Can I add extra spice to this dopiaza curry?

You can add more heat or more spice to this recipe as you see fit. I find cardamom seeds, garam masala powder or fresh chilli can all give this dish an extra kick.

Can I make this dopiaza curry without fresh ginger?

The fresh ginger in this dopiaza adds warmth and freshness to the dish, so it's a shame to leave out, but if you don't have any, you can make your curry without it. You might like to add a little extra chilli or other spice instead.

If you keep buying ginger only for it to go bad in the vegetable drawer, it's worth noting that you can buy pre-chopped, frozen ginger, garlic and chilli in most supermarkets these days. You can also buy them preserved in jars or in tubes of puree, so there are lots of options to avoid waste and make it even speedier to whip up a spicy meal.

Can I make this dopiaza curry with beans instead of chickpeas?

If you don't have any canned chickpeas to hand or simply don't enjoy the taste you can substitute it a can of almost anything else, from kidney beans to cannellini beans.

How should I store this dopiaza curry?

If you have any leftover dopiaza it should be cooled down and stored in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking and ideally a lot sooner. Store in an airtight container.

How long does this dopiaza curry keep?

If stored correctly this dopiaza will last for up two days in the fridge. It's best served thoroughly reheated (don't reheat more than once), and I find as with many curry dishes the flavour develops and changes a little if left for a period of time.

Can I leave this dopiaza curry out on the counter?

You can't leave dopiaza on the counter, it must be stored in the fridge and eaten within two days. It can only be reheated once, so you anything you can't eat after reheating must be thrown away.

Can I make this dopiaza curry ahead?

You can make this whole dopiaza ahead and keep it stored in the fridge overnight or freeze it for longer periods and thaw it in the fridge overnight. It can be reheated in just a few minutes in the microwave or on the hob.

There will be a very slight textural change to the chickpeas and butternut squash if refrigerated and a more pronounced, but not unpleasant, change if frozen.

Can I freeze this dopiaza curry?

Yes, this dopiaza curry freezes well.

Firstly, make sure to completely cool the curry down to room temperature before placing it in the freezer, as the heat from the curry can thaw and defrost the outside of other foods in the freezer that are near it, or even drop the temperature of the freezer below freezing, which can lead to dangerous bacterial growth.

Get it in cooled and in the freezer within two hours of making it, and ideally much sooner. You can store your curry in a freezer safe lidded container or in a freezer safe bag. Remember to label and date it so you know what it is and when it was made.

I find it helpful to freeze my leftovers in individual portions, rather than in one big portion. That way, it's easier to defrost only what I need - perfect for nights when everyone fancies something different!

How do I defrost curry?

You can freeze this dopiaza curry, although you may notice a slight change to the texture of the chickpeas.

The easiest way to defrost it is to leave it in the fridge overnight, and once thawed must be consumed within 24 hours. You can't re-freeze the dish for a second time or reheat it for a third, so anything you don't eat must be discarded.

What is the best way to reheat this dopiaza curry?

You can either reheat this curry on the hob or in the microwave.

To heat on the hob, pop the curry into a saucepan. If your curry seems very thick, you can add a tablespoon or two of water to help loosen it. Place the pan over a low-medium heat, stirring gently until the curry is hot and just starting to bubble.

To microwave, transfer the curry into a microwave-safe bowl and cover loosely. Heat on full for 2 minutes, stir, then microwave for a further 2 minutes. Stir and check to make sure your curry is piping hot all the way through. If it's a large portion, it may need a third burst.

Can I make this dopiaza curry in a different quantity?

If you want to make more or less of this recipe then go right ahead, just make sure you have a pan big enough, or split your curry into multiple pans.

Look for the recipe card below. You'll see the servings near the top left. To change this to the number you want to make just click on it and a little slider will pop up. You can move the slider up or down to get the amount you want to make.

All the ingredient quantities will update automatically for you so that everything is in the right ratios.

How can I make sure this dopiaza curry is perfectly cooked?

When the sauce has thickened, the lentils have softened and almost melted into the sauce, and the carrots are tender, then your curry is done.

This should take about 20-25 minutes of gentle simmering on the hob. You can stir the pan occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom. Don't be afraid to add a splash more stock or water if it's becoming dry before the carrots are cooked.

Why did my dopiaza curry turn out wet?

If your curry turned out wet it's possible that you used too much stock or other wet ingredient, so double check your ratios are correct.

All is not lost if it is wetter than you would like, as you can continue to cook on the mixture on the hob until the desired consistency is reached, although you may find the butternut squash breaks down a tag more during this time.

Why did my dopiaza curry taste bland?

This dopiaza curry is full of a variety of flavours thanks to the veg, legumes and spices, plus quite a strong kick from the chillies, so it shouldn't taste bland.

While already hot, if you prefer an even hotter curry you can serve the dopiaza with a little bowl of chopped red chillis or chilli flakes. That way everyone can adjust the heat of the meal to their tastes. Alternatively, you could serve the kids portions to bowls, then add another pinch of chilli to the pan and stir it in before serving the grownup's portions.

How can I add/change the flavours in this dopiaza curry?

This dopiaza curry is really easy to adapt to different tastes and perfect for using up whatever you have in the cupboards.

While onions are rather crucial for a dopiaza you could try varying the other vegetables each time you make it. Mushrooms work well when fried off with the onions and other veg at the start, as would cubed aubergine or courgette.

Got a spare can of kidney beans or cannellini beans? They would be a great addition to this curry, and help to bulk it and go a bit further.

You can also play around with the spices you want to add, so have a look at your spice rack for inspiration.

Can I add meat to this dopiaza curry?

Yes, you can add meat to this curry if you wish. Chunks of beef, chicken breast pieces, lamb and mutton all work well, as does shrimp. Season and fry separately while your butternut squash is roasting and your sauce is reducing, then add to the sauce at the same time as the chickpeas etc.

Can I add a vegetarian meat substitute to this dopiaza curry?

Yes, you can add Quorn, soya chunks or tofu to this curry if you wish. Season and fry separately while your butternut squash is roasting and your sauce is reducing, then add to the sauce at the same time as the chickpeas etc.

What is the origin of dopiaza curry?

Dopiaza is a Persian word and means "two onions". It's now the name of two dishes, one in the Greater Iran region and one in South Asia. This recipe is inspired by the South Asian version.

Where does a dopiaza's name come from?

Dopiaza is a Persian word and means "double onions", as it's generally made with onions that are cooked in the spices and also in the curry or used as a garnish, hence the name.

Print this vegetarian dopiaza recipe

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Don't forget to check out my other spicy mains too!