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Sharing my (almost vegan) fall twist on a classic Indian inspired dish with these 30 Minute Indian Pumpkin Butter Chickpeas. I’ve swapped the chicken for autumn pumpkin and chickpeas and replaced the heavy cream with rich and creamy coconut milk. These pumpkin butter chickpeas are the perfect healthy, but still super cozy and delicious, alternative to the classic Indian dish we all love. It has a quick 30 minute cooking time and uses all pantry staple ingredients. This is the perfect warming fall dinner for any night of the week.
This hands down the healthiest bowl of fall comfort food I’ve ever created. It’s almost vegan, so insanely creamy, a touch buttery, seasoned throughout with warming spices, and SO GOOD.
What is it about Indian inspired food that’s so warming, cozy, and just what’s needed on a chilly fall day?
Maybe it’s all the spices, the warming cinnamon, cardamon, and turmeric that really scream fall. In fact, the very first time I ever made butter chicken my older brother said it tasted like a fall candle. Granted I think I may have doubled the amount of spices and not had nearly enough sauce in that first attempt at butter chicken many years ago. But honestly? He wasn’t really that far off. Indian butter sauce truly does incorporate all the same spices as my very favorite pumpkin spice candle.
Which is exactly what inspired this recipe. Yes, I was inspired by a candle to make this dish. Is that weird? Yeah, it kind is. But is it good? YES. SO very GOOD!
And easy too, because it’s October, and we all really just need more no-fuss recipes during this busy time of year.
The details
Seeing as this recipe takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish, the details are pretty simple. You need just one pan, a whole lot of spices, and a couple cans of chickpeas and pumpkin. Then add fresh homemade naan and steamed rice for serving.
Start by cooking the onion, garlic, and ginger. Add the chickpeas to get them a little crisp and then toss in the spices to really give them amazing flavor. Add the coconut milk, pumpkin, tomato paste, and just a touch of butter.
Simmer 5 minutes and DONE. Seriously the easiest dinner you might ever make. And it comes together in the exact amount of time it takes you to make the rice. And did I mention all the pantry staple ingredients? Because everything, even the pumpkin, comes from the pantry.
Does not get easier, or more delicious.
Bonus points if you make these butter chickpeas in your Staub Pumpkin Cocotte, it’s very fitting for this dish.
A few notes…
First up, this is no way traditional Indian. It’s more Indian inspired and just my personal twist on the classic butter chicken. I love playing with flavors and Indian inspired dishes are some of my favorites to share.
As mentioned, this is almost vegan. The only non-vegan ingredient is butter, which I think adds a really nice, silky, richness that mimics classic butter chicken. Of course, if you’re vegan, you can use coconut oil in place of the butter, which will work great too.
For serving, you need rice, and ideally some naan as well. If I’m being honest, half of the reason I make Indian food as often as I do is to have another reason to make naan. Well, that and for the leftovers of both the next day. Just trust me here, your pumpkin butter chickpeas need a side of naan for scooping. They just do.
This is one of the best Indian recipes I’ve ever created, and it’s actually from the very first year of HBH. The original photos are horrible, but it’s a tried and true recipe, and it’s pretty PERFECT.
Oh, and meal prepping…these chickpeas are great for that. Make a double batch on Sunday and keep portioned out in the fridge for quick lunches or dinners.
So your Wednesday night plans should be as follows… check the pantry for chickpeas, pumpkin…and butter.
Start making your naan (perfect for scooping). Steam some rice. Then make this one-pot, 30 Minute Indian Pumpkin Butter Chickpeas. Each and every bite is full of cozy fall flavors, tender chickpeas, and sweet creamy pumpkin.
It’s quick, super simple, healthy, and beyond delicious. Fall dinner perfection.
Also, a fall candle really helps to set the mood…
If you make these 30 minutes Indian pumpkin butter chickpeas be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
30 Minute Indian Pumpkin Butter Chickpeas
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 827 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 inches fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 cans (14 ounce chickpeas drained
- 1 can (14 ounce) full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons salted butter (coconut oil if vegan)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
- steamed rice and naan for serving
Instructions
- 1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add the garlic and ginger, cooking another 2 minutes. Stir in the garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, cayenne, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chickpeas and toss to coat with the spices. Cook 5 minutes.2. Stir in the coconut milk, pumpkin, tomato paste, butter, and 1/2 cup water. Simmer 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.3. Serve the chickpeas and sauce over bowls of rice with fresh naan and additional cilantro.
Notes
Calories are calculated without the addition of steamed rice or naan.
I made this recipe but the color of my dish isn’t as deep, dark brown as in your photos. I have a lighter orangy color to my dish. Mine also lacked some flavor. Any ideas on why the color may be off? I used the exact ingredients listed in the recipe.
Thanks!
Hi Huey! It’s probably due to a difference in spices. I have found the spices can really vary from brand to brand, so my guess is that we are using different brands. What brand spices are you using? Do you feel they have good flavor and are high quality? Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ???
This was so good! I swapped yellow curry powder for red curry paste based on my preference and it was awesome! Big hit with both me and my bf.
Thank you Vanessa! I am so glad you both loved this recipe so much! xTieghan
I made this for dinner last night and eating leftovers tonight. DELICIOUS!!!!!!!! Thank you for this recipe!
Thank you Danielle! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Would whole milk be an ok substitute for the coconut milk? Thank you, so excited to try this!xx
Hi Michaela! Yes, whole milk will be great. Or you can try half whole milk and half cream for a creamier sauce. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ???
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a absolutely delicious. Quick and easy to put together once I had measured the spices, grated the ginger and minced the garlic. I skipped the onion since my husband doesn’t eat them but instead added some onion salt. Not the prettiest dish but so good. A lot of flavor and a little spicy with the cayenne pepper. We didn’t eat it all which I’m quite happy about since now I get to have it for lunch tomorrow plus we will have it for dinner again in a few days.
Hi Annika! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! Thank you! xTieghan
Loved this recipe although – despite loving spicy foods and having a pretty high tolerance for heat – I found it quite spicy. I did a scant 1 tsp of cayenne. Perhaps my garam masala is a bit more “spicy” – I didn’t add the black pepper the recipe calls for since my garam has black pepper in it. Still yummy, I just put a dollop of plain yogurt on top to calm the spice. If you don’t love spice, be careful and maybe err on the lighter side with the cayenne!
I also added a potato (cubed into small chunks) and it was delicious, added some nice texture.
I am so glad you enjoyed this Caroline! Thank you so much! xTieghan
My 10 year old son made this recipe for our family and we all thought it was great. Substituted Miokos vegan butter for the dairy butter.
Thanks for the recipe!!
I love that! Thank you so much Tammy! xTieghan
I made this tonight! It was really good and so simple to pull together 🙂 We can’t WAIT to have it for leftovers tomorrow.
I did find it was lacking a little bit of umami flavour… is there something that you could recommend adding to achieve a bit more depth?
Hey Maddy! For additional flavor, try sautéing wild mushrooms in olive oil until caramelized, then add 1 tablespoon soy sauce. I would do this before you start cooking, then add all the remaining ingredients right into the mushrooms. This will add a lot of additional flavor. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ???
Very easy to make. I added chicken as well. Cooked the chicken in a separate pan and tossed it in at the end when the sauce was thickening. Without the chicken, I think it would have been pretty soupy or taken awhile to thicken. I felt the recipe was lacking some flavor, then I searched around and most butter chicken recipes ask for cumin. I added a teaspoon and that did it!
Hi Monica! I am glad you enjoyed this recipe and the cumin added a great touch! Thank you for trying this! xTieghan
I was surprised to have all the ingredients in my pantry for this.
And since I’d been feeling down from a bad cold, it is just what the doctor ordered-spicy chickpeas without dairy!
YUMMY.
Yes so perfect! Thank you so much Anna! xTieghan
I just wanted to ask about the calories. When I just entered it into myfitnesspal it is coming up as around 500 calories, not 164. That’s also not including any rice or naan. Am I doing something wrong or is there an error in the calorie count? Thanks!
Hey Jen! I think your calculations are correct. I am going to look over ours and re-do them as I think our calculator is a bit off. I am so sorry for any trouble or confusion. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ???
Delicious! Made it last week with brown rice and my hubby keeps talking about it. He actually said it’s his new favorite meal, wow! Had leftovers the next day, but was out of rice, so I used penne pasta and surprisingly it was just as delicious. Definitely going to the top of my meal rotation.
That is so awesome! I am so glad you loved this recipe Sherry! xTieghan
Made this for my family for lunch on a weekend, everyone loved it! I’m Indian and my family and I loved this version of a chickpea curry. A warm and cosy recipe which is super easy to put together 🙂
Thank you so much Farheen! I am so glad this turned out so well! xTieghan
How is this recipe tagged as 164 calories per serving? When I put all the ingredients into a calorie counter it’s coming up more around 515 per serving, and that’s not even with rice or naan!
Hi Lauren! We use an online calculator for our nutrition facts and this is how our numbers came out. I will look over all the numbers to be sure it’s correct. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ???
I made this last night and it was sooooo delicious and easy. I made it with lentils because I didn’t have chick peas and it worked beautifully. Can’t wait to eat my left overs. Delicious!!!!
Thank you so much Judith!! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan