Before we get to this roasted squash, I must tell you – this is not actually Indian roasted butternut squash as I call it in the title of this post. It’s actually curried butternut squash, made with a spice blend reminiscent of Indian flavors but not actually Indian. Curry powder is a bit complicated, I know. That’s why I wrote an entire post about it if you want to check that out. Basically curry powder is a British invention.
If you’re cutting a whole butternut squash, be prepared to work out those finger muscles – peeling them is… tricky. While the sweet buttery treasure inside these little squashes is worth the effort, thankfully it’s easy to find pre-cut squash in stores these days.
If you do plan to cut it yourself, the secret (it’s not so much a secret as it is common sense) is to cut off both ends of the squash. This allows you to stand it up, which makes it easier to cut in half lengthwise. This trick works with all round fruits and vegetables (watermelon, other squash… and well, that’s all I can think of at the moment).
To make life even easier, before you slice the squash in half lengthwise – first chop the squash into two pieces: skinny neck part and the bulb:
Then, slice the squash open and remove the seedy stuff inside. Use a sharp vegetable peeler to peel away all of the skin before you dice the squash into cute little cubes.
Put your little cubes of squash in a bowl and then add oil, salt, pepper and curry powder. Curry powder is a great ingredient to have on hand because it’s basically a pre-made spice mix that you can toss on whatever. I use it with veggies all the time when I’m trying to make a quick and tasty side dish. It’s also my go-to spice when I’m making fish on a weeknight. Just toss some fish in olive oil and curry powder and pan-fry.
Curry powder includes spices like coriander, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, etc. It’s a great savory and slightly spicy contrast to this sweet squash.
Once you have the squash nicely bathed in oil and spices, the only thing that’s left is to roast it, which will help bring out the sweet and nutty flavor in the squash.
Ingredients
- 1 medium-large butternut squash approx. 2 pounds
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 teaspoons curry powder adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven on convection setting to 425F.
- Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. (you can see details/pics of how to cut squash above).
- Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler.
- Cut the squash into cubes and toss with oil and spices.
- Bake in the oven 40 -50 minutes, stirring the squash at the halfway mark.
Dian says
Thanks for sharing your experiences with foods. I meant to buy spaghetti squash, but, I forget which squash was which and brought home the butternut. Took me a awhile ( a couple of days looking at itto figure out my mistake). So thank you for so many interesting recipes to try
Victoria Murray says
Total revelation!! So simple. So delicious.
Served with tandoori salmon.
Will definitely make again.
Yum.
My Heart Beets says
Victoria, that’s so great to hear! Glad you liked it 🙂
Ramya R says
What is the brand of the curry powder do you use?
My Heart Beets says
I usually use Simply Organic but also like the ones by 24 Mantra and Pure Indian Foods 🙂
John Barstow says
I added Kashmiri red pepper powder (deggi mirch) in place of the black pepper to give a little heat, and drizzled some melted ghee over the cooked squash and tossed to coat. Our teenagers took second helpings, so I rate this recipe a success!
My Heart Beets says
John, that’s great! Sounds delicious 🙂 I’m so glad you and your teens liked this!
Kate Lawless says
I riffed a little, using curry powder, curry leaf, turmeric, and salt, plus olive oil. It was amazing! Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Awesome! Glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
aneesah says
If i dont have curry powder, what spices can I use and what quantity?
Lynn_M says
Another winner recipe. This has become my favorite site when I’m looking for recipes.
I really dislike the challenge of peeling raw butternut squash. So I placed my whole butternut squash on a trivet in my Instant Pot, added a cup of water, and cooked it on manual for 3 minutes. I did an instant release and removed the lid but then put the lid back on and cooked it on low for another 15 minutes or so. Because I had something come up, I didn’t get around to making this recipe until the next day. But the peel was then soft and a pleasure to peel. And it was easy to discard the seeds and chop the flesh up too. I then followed the recipe as written above but shortened the baking time about 10 minutes I broiled the squash at the end to give it a bit more bite. In the future, I’ll be experimenting to see how little time I need to cook the squash in the IP first and still have it easy to peel.
My Heart Beets says
Lynn, I’m so happy to hear that!! And love that you used your instant pot!
Lucy Myerz says
Thanks for the great recipe — this is totally delicious! I replaced the olive oil with melted ghee and it turned out perfectly. Wonderful substitute for potatoes alongside roast chicken!
My Heart Beets says
I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you!
pat mogey says
I don’t peel skin and its really delicious. Not tough, just like eating potato with skin on. Saves a lot of bother, lol.
My Heart Beets says
Oh wow, I’ve never tried that… I just assumed the rind would be tough even when cooked? Hm, I’ll have to give this a try – thanks for sharing, Pat!
Claire says
I liked this recipe so much, I have already made it twice! It’s so simple yet so delicious. I bought pre-cut butternut squash to make it even easier. Thanks for your recipes! I love Indian food, and I love your healthy twist on it.
My Heart Beets says
Claire, that’s so good to hear! Thank you for letting me know how much you liked it 🙂
Kelly @ A Girl Worth Saving says
I’m getting curry powder stat so I can make this. Yum!
My Heart Beets says
Kelly – curry powder is such a time-saver! It’s one of the spices I use most when I’m in a rush to throw dinner together.
SarahP says
I just found your website today, when I followed a link on an Amazon.com review for what looked like an amazing book, but was actually the product of intellectual theft according to all three reviewers. I AM SO GLAD I FOUND YOU! Your recipes look amazing and I cannot wait to try them at home. My husband and I both adore Indian food, as do my parents, but due to various health and location factors, eating at Indian restaurants isn’t always an option. You are now in my bookmarks bar, and I plan to come back regularly.
My Heart Beets says
Sarah, thank you so much for this comment! You totally made my day. It looks like there is good coming from all of this 🙂 I hope you enjoy the recipes – let me know if you ever have any questions. Happy to have you as a reader!