My butternut squash chana masala has all the spicy, saucy goodness of the classic Indian curry, made even better with chunks of sweet, tender butternut squash. This delicious vegan meal is a flavor-bomb of a dinner that's easy enough for a weeknight.
Butternut squash isn't something you'd find in traditional chana masala. In fact, I haven't seen it in many (any?) Indian dishes at all. That doesn't mean it shouldn't be, though. Think about it: all that tender sweetness goes great with rich sauces and warming spices. Butternut squash chili is great, butternut squash Thai curry is equally delicious, and even butternut squash hummus totally works. Butternut squash chana masala needs to happen.
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With that in mind, I adapted my classic vegan chana masala recipe to include butternut squash. In addition to the squash, I added extra spices, like cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. You'll actually find these spices in lots of Indian dishes, and they complement the mellow sweetness of butternut squash beautifully.
This dish tastes like it came from a restaurant, only better (because no restaurant ever put squash in my chana masala). It's also pretty darn easy to make and comes together in one pot. It's totally doable on a busy weeknight, and will warm you up from the inside out.
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Vegetable oil. Any neutral, high-heat oil will work.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Fresh ginger.
- Serrano pepper. Just use this if you'd like a little heat in your chana masala. You can also substitute another variety of chili pepper, like a jalapeño, if you'd like.
- Spices. You'll need quite a few spices for this one, but it's totally worth it. We're using garam masala, cumin seeds, cinnamon, ground cumin, turmeric, cardamom, cloves, and black pepper. A well-stocked supermarket will have them all.
- Canned tomato sauce.
- Water.
- Brown sugar. Use organic brown sugar to keep the dish vegan, since conventional brown sugar is often processed using animal bone char.
- Butternut squash. While this recipe is for butternut squash chana masala, there's really no reason you couldn't substitute another type of winter squash, like acorn or kabocha.
- Canned chickpeas.
- Salt.
- Fresh cilantro.
- Basmati rice.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Cook the onion. Heat your oil in a large pot, then add diced onion. Cook it for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want it to soften and just begin browning.
Step 2: Cook the aromatics. Stir in minced garlic, grated ginger, and, optionally, a minced serrano pepper, along with all your spices. Cook the mixture for about 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
Step 3: Simmer the squash. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, brown sugar, and diced butternut squash. Get the mixture to a simmer, cover the pot, and let it cook until the squash softens.
Step 4: Add chickpeas. Stir in your chickpeas and let the curry continue to simmer, this time uncovered, just for about 10 minutes, to thicken up the sauce.
Step 5: Finish the dish. Take the pot off the heat and add salt. I use a tablespoon, but add as much as you like.
Step 6: Serve. Serve your butternut squash chana masala with some rice and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro. It's also great with some vegan naan on the side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, as long as you follow the recipe as written!
The serrano pepper adds some heat. If you prefer a milder dish, simply omit it. For extra heat, use two!
You can! Substitute water for the oil in step 1. The onion may not brown, but it will soften.
Leftovers of this dish keep great. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Indian-Inspired Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Butternut Squash Chana Masala
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
- 2 tablespoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (14 ounce/397 gram) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon organic brown sugar
- 3 cups diced butternut squash (½-inch pieces, you'll need about 1 ½ pounds, or half of a medium squash)
- 2 (15 ounce/425 gram) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
For Serving
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Cooked basmati rice
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat and add the onion. Cook the onion for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it softens and just begins to brown.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, serrano pepper (if using), garam masala, cumin seeds, cinnamon, ground cumin, turmeric, cardamom, cloves, and black pepper. Cook the mixture for about a minute, stirring constantly, until it becomes very fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, water, brown sugar, and butternut squash. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover the pot and let the mixture simmer for about 20 minutes, until the squash is tender, occasionally uncovering the pot to give it a quick stir.
- Uncover the pot and stir in the chickpeas. Let the mixture continue simmering, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
- Remove the pot from heat and season the mixture with a teaspoon of salt, or to taste.
- Divide onto plates and sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Serve with basmati rice.
Notes
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I made this last night with one main modification, butternut squash. Followed the steps for quick soaking 1lb of dried chickpeas. Peeled and cubed the butternut squash. After the beans were done add everything back to the pot in the order described including the butternut squash. Needed more water to make sure everything was covered and cooked on HIGH for 30 min. Because of the extra water I had to thicken with corn starch.
Great recipe. Thanks again
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Ain't Angelina Jolie but is it BABY? BABY? BABY? Happy for you even if there're no diapers involved...In my world, skip the bread, make it brown Basmati Rice and add some of PlantaeTivoli house salad w/ orange-ginger-freshturmeric and cashew dressing. Awesome and
reassuring recipe. I'm not alone on the rewarding "rice and beans" plane afterall.Much Peace and Love, ALWAYS.
Lol. No, there are no diapers involved! Brown basmati and a salad would be awesome with this, and that dressing sounds fantastic. :)