A Sri Lankan Pumpkin curry recipe for fall and pumpkin season.

If you are looking for the best pumpkin coconut curry with creamy, perfectly balanced flavours then you won’t be disappointed with this vegetarian curry.

This Sri Lankan pumpkin curry is also known as “wattakka curry” in Sinhalese.

Enjoy the simple flavours of this Pumpkin curry cooked in Coconut milk and turmeric powder then tempered with onions and mustard.

The vegetarian and vegan curry is always great with a steaming plate of rice.

You won’t even need any extra dishes to compliment your bowl of rice as the coconut pumpkin curry with its creamy gravy is more than enough to satisfy you.

It’s another Sri Lankan dish you can easily recreate at home.

Sri Lankan yellow pumpkin curry

I often have to cook this pumpkin coconut curry for my kids at home.

It’s mildly spiced and gives you a creamy gravy that the kids love to mix with rice and some poppadams.

meal plans to serve with pumpkin curry

1. White rice,
   • Pumpkin curry
   • beef curry,
   • batu moju,
   • poppadom,
   • beans curry and a raw cucumber salad.
2. If you love to try a village-style menu,
   • serve red rice,
   • canned salmon curry,
   • this spiced pumpkin curry,
   • pol sambal,
   • devilled potato
   • And some thibbatu stir fry.
3. White rice
   • chicken curry,
   • tomato-onion raw sambol,
   • beetroot curry,
   • pumpkin curry,
   • and a Gotu kola sambol.

How to cut the pumpkin for the curry.

• Wash the pumpkin.

• Place the pumpkin over a hard surface and use a heavy knife to cut through the ridges you already find in the pumpkin.

• You will be cooking the pumpkin with the skin. As the pumpkin has a hard, thick skin use a sharp, heavy knife to cut through the thick skin. 

• Remove all the seeds and then cut the wedges into 2-inch thick cubes.

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Utensils and appliances needed.

• Chopping board and knife

• Medium-sized cooking pan to cook the pumpkin coconut milk curry.

• Small bowl to hold the tempered onions and mustard once it is done.

More Pumpkin recipes

Pumpkin curry cooked in toasted coconut.

Vegetarian pumpkin-mushroom chickpea curry

Pan-fried turmeric mustard pumpkin

Sri Lankan beef and pumpkin curry.

More Sri Lankan recipes

Sri Lanka dhal curry

Sri Lankan potato curry

Sri Lankan cashew curry

Storing

Store in air-tight glass containers, as the spices will stain. can be refrigerated and consumed within 2 days.

Freezing

Can be frozen but because of the coconut milk, there will changes to the texture and taste.

Reheating

Remove from the freezer, let the curry reach room temperature and then reheat over a stovetop or microwave. use microwave cover to avoid splattering.

Stop food waste by

Cook only as much as you need any leftovers can be refrigerated.

recipe difficulty- easy

The ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.

For tempering

4-5 tablespoons of Oil

A handful of curry leaves

1 large onion sliced fine

2 garlic cloves sliced fine

1/2 teaspoon of chili flecks

1/4 teaspoon of turmeric Powder

1 teaspoon of mustard seeds

To cook the pumpkin curry

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

500g of Pumpkin, Cleaned and cut into the required size.

3 Garlic cloves finely sliced

3 Cardamom pods

1-inch cinnamon piece

1 cup of water(keep 1/2 a cup more just in case you would need more water to semi-cook the pumpkin before adding the coconut milk)

1/2 a cup of thick Coconut milk

How to cook Sri Lankan pumpkin curry

Please make sure to read the recipe instructions carefully to avoid mistakes.

Tempering.

In a pan over medium heat, using three tablespoons of oil.

Temper the chopped curry leaves, onion(1 large), and garlic(2 pods). 2-3 minutes.

While the onions are tempering add the turmeric(1/4tsp), chilli flecks(1/2 tsp), and mustard seeds(1 tsp).

Continue cooking for another 2 minutes over low heat. transfer ingredients to a bowl and set aside.

Tempering is what gives the creamy coconut curry more flavour.

Make sure to do the tempering without burning the mustard or the red chilli flakes.

Burnt mustard and chilli flakes and ruin this pumpkin curry if not done correctly over low-medium heat.

cooking the pumpkin curry.

Use the same pan you used to temper the ingredients.

Add the pumpkin and pour in the water(1 cup, keep 1/2 a cup more just in case you would need more water to semi-cook the pumpkin before adding the coconut milk).

The pumpkin cubes should be soft before you add the coconut milk.

If this means adding extra water than mentioned in this recipe then please do add to reach the correct consistency.
For this purpose add water in 1/2 a cup.

Set the heat to medium while the pumpkin is cooking.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, garlic(3 cloves), cardamom pods(3), and cinnamon(1-inch piece).

Mix well with the pumpkin and let it slow simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the pumpkin turns soft.

While the pumpkin cooks, you can either cover it with a lid or leave it open.

leave your wooden spoon in so that the water doesn’t spill over but use caution when touching the spoon again as it will be hot.

Once the pumpkins are tender, reduce the heat.

Pour in the coconut milk, taste again, and season with salt if needed.

Slow simmer over medium heat for a further 15 minutes.

Cook until the desired consistency is reached which is a milky, thick gravy and soft Pumpkins.

Add the tempered ingredients to the pumpkin curry, mix and serve warm with your rice and curry.

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It’s free and on the blog, for you to try anytime.

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