Instant Pot Butternut Squash Curry

5 from 2 votes

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Curry

Want to eat something healthy tonight? Try Instant Pot butternut squash curry for dinner! This easy-to-make curry is packed with nutrient-dense ingredients and flavored with heart-warming spices. It's so delicious that it will have you coming back for seconds!

Prep: 20

Cook: 35

Total: 55

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: SERVINGS

Calories: 124.1kcal

Author: Ruchi

Ingredients

GRILL THE VEGETABLES

1 medium Red Bell pepper
3 small Tomatoes
- - Avocado Oil to brush on top

CURRY INGREDIENTS

1 small Butternut Squash appx. 2 cups
3.5 tablespoons Tomato Puree
1 tablespoon Avocado Oil
2 - Bay leaves
½ teaspoon Black Peppercorns
¾ teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 cup Onion peeled, rinsed, and chopped
1 teaspoon Ginger paste
1 teaspoon Garlic paste
1 small Green chili chopped
½ teaspoon Turmeric
½ teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Curry Powder
- - Salt to taste
1 small Zucchini peeled, rinsed, and cubed
2 cups Vegetable stock
2 cups Fresh Spinach leaves rinsed, pat dry, and chopped
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice

GARNISHES

- - Cilantro leaves
- - Scallions
- - Lemon wedge

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

ROASTED RED BELL PEPPER AND TOMATO SAUCE

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the baking tray with oil. Cut bell peppers in quarters. Discard the stem and the seeds. Likewise, cut tomatoes into quarters. Arrange tomatoes and bell pepper on the greased baking tray.
Place the halved side down on the baking tray. Brush with oil. Roast the bell peppers and tomatoes until tender and slightly charred. It will take about 20-22 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely. Transfer the roasted bell peppers and tomatoes to a blender.
Pour in the tomato puree and blend until smooth and creamy. Set it aside

CUT THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Clean butternut squash with a wet towel to remove dirt or grits. Poke holes in the squash. Microwave on HIGH for 3-4 minutes. Microwaving it will soften the skin and make it easy to peel.
After the cooking time is over, carefully remove the squash from the microwave.
Lay the butternut squash on a chopping board. Allow it to cool. Once the butternut squash is cool enough to handle, peel the outer layer with a sharp peeler.
Slice the top and end off. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and flesh attached to the seeds. Cut the butternut squash into cubes and set it aside.

PREPARE THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH CURRY

Turn the Instant Pot to ‘Saute mode.’ Once it displays ‘hot,’ add avocado oil to the insert. Add cumin seeds, bay leaves, black peppercorns to the oil. Sauté for 1-2 minutes. This way, the spices will release more flavor.
Stir in ginger-garlic paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in chopped onions. Cook until it’s soft and translucent.
Add green chilies to the cooking onions. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the spices. Add the roasted bell pepper and tomato sauce (that was prepared earlier in the recipe). Mix to combine.
Pour in vegetable stock to deglaze the Instant Pot insert.
Add chopped zucchini. Mix until incorporated in the sauce.
Add the butternut squash. Make sure the squash pieces are submerged in the sauce. Do not stir.
Turn the Instant Pot off. Close the lid and seal the pot. Press the Manual or pressure cook button and cook the Instant Pot Butternut squash curry for 6 minutes on HIGH.
Once the cooking time has elapsed, turn off the Instant Pot. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then do a quick pressure release. When the pin drops, carefully open the lid.
Stir in chopped spinach leaves. Spinach leaves will wilt in the hot curry.
Taste and adjust the recipe to suit your preferences.
Add lemon juice to the curry. Lemon juice will enhance the flavors more and add a burst of freshness.
Bring the curry to a light boil until all the flavors are blended together.
Serve the Instant Pot Butternut squash curry over rice and enjoy!

Video

Notes

How to store leftover Butternut Squash Curry?

This curry makes excellent leftovers because of how well it reheats. Store the cooled butternut squash curry in the fridge in an airtight container. It will last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Reheat the curry on the cooktop. To reheat, transfer the cold curry to a pan. Over medium heat, bring the curry to a light boil and serve. If needed, add a tablespoon of vegetable stock to thin the curry.

Can I freeze Butternut Squash Curry?

Absolutely! You can store the leftover squash curry in an airtight container for up to 2 months. When thawed and reheated, butternut squash will also taste just as good as next-day leftovers.

Can I cook this curry on the cooktop?

Yes, you can! For the cooktop method, follow the recipe to step 6. After that, heat oil in a heavy bottom pan, add cumin seeds – and follow the recipe to step 16.

Cover the pan with a lid. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook the butternut squash and other vegetables until tender. This may take somewhere between 30-40 minutes. Remove the lid and adjust the seasonings if needed.

Stir in spinach leaves and serve.

What to serve alongside butternut Squash curry?

I like to serve this curry with long grain basmati rice, but other amazing options that go well with this curry are:

Brown rice
Jasmine rice
Quinoa
Millets
Cauliflower rice
Naan or any crusty loaf of bread.

A perfect shortcut to this recipe!

This recipe can come together in less that 30 minutes. for that follow the shortcut below-

Buy store-bought roasted bell pepper, drain and set aside
For tomatoes, use canned fire-roasted tomatoes
Puree roasted bell peppers + fire roasted tomatoes + tomato puree in a blender.
But pre-cut butternut squash from the store.
Saute the onion-ginger-garlic in the Instant Pot. Dump the rest of the ingredients and set the timer. Let the Instant Pot do the cooking for you.

Nutrition