pumpkin Archives - Page 3 of 4

Split Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup

18|10|2014

Split red lentils mean pure and simple comfort to me. They are the reminder to me of how a simple meal of dal and rice can appease my hunger instantly, even though I have eaten them all my life. They also stands for convenience when fresh vegetables are not available at hand and a quick meal is what I want to put together in the middle of the week. I’ve probably eaten them in dal/dahl form since the time I started on solids as a baby, a good few decades ago.. Only recently I discovered that using it in a soup is not uncommon. As you know, unlike many of you I have not been a big fan of pumpkin but I’ve started enjoying it lately when I pair it with my favourite ingredients.

This is one soup I have not just enjoyed but totally loved and made several times in the past one month.Since it is quick and easy to make and nutritionally wholesome, it ticked all the right boxes for me. The creamy texture and mild sweet flavour from the pumpkin appealed to my kids so it was a win-win all throughout. Admittedly, it is really the dal we eat with pumpkin added to it which is blended in the end to give it a soup like texture. Onion, garlic and ginger always makes it for me. They are power ingredients that if used in the right measures can pack so much flavour into your soup base. I’ve used ground cumin to spice up the soup, even curry powder would work. To include a bit of heat, you could garnish with finely chopped chillies.

The temperatures on our side have been so fluctuating followed by heavy downpour that we are unable to put away our wollies yet. It leaves me impatient to see a change in the fresh produce at the markets. I cannot wait to get hold of plums and peaches and of course heaps of raspberries. Hope you all have a great weekend.

Split Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup
Serves 4

I tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 inch ginger, finely grated
1/4 cup finely diced tomatoes (I used canned tomatoes)
1 tsp powdered cumin
500 g butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, chopped into cubes
1/2 cup split red lentils, rinsed
3 cups vegetable stock
salt, to season
Greek yoghurt or sour cream, to serve
fresh coriander, to garnish

Heat oil a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook till softened (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a minute till aromatic. Add the cumin and tomatoes and cook for a further minute
Add in the pumpkin, lentils, and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the pumpkin and lentils are soft. Set aside to cool.

With a stick blender or in a food processor (in batches), blend the mixture until smooth .Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, warm up the soup and ladle into serving bowls. Top with the yoghurt or sour cream and garnish with coriander.

Red Kidney Bean and Pumpkin Stew

24|09|2014

I think we all have heard the story. Cinderella, her step-sisters, her fairy Godmother and the pumpkin carriage. To be able to transform into the most glamorous carriage, I couldn’t love the pumpkin more! But I literally couldn’t love it more than that. My parents love pumpkin and so do my children (how?). I couldn’t get past the mushy texture. As a colour-driven individual I love the way it looks and so last year, I made a few genuine attempts to start cooking with it. I did not fall in love. Nope. I know my readers love it too, gauging by the responses to my posts in the past. And since I love my readers, I decided to lock my eyes with pumpkin again. This time around I thought I would add it to recipes that are big on flavours and pumpkin is an addition. Non-pumpkin loving souls (if you exist?) could benefit from removing them, enjoying the rest of the dish if they wanted to. As it turned out, I actually liked the dish, along with the pumpkin. I did not have to remove any.

The stew is inspired by an Indian dish from my childhood.,’Rajma Masala’. The red kidney bean is the star here. We moms have a natural tendency to add ‘things’ to the meals we feed our children, so the addition of pumpkin is a no-brainer. What is great however, is the way the ingredients work together! The contrast in textures and flavours, makes the stew really delicious. And filling. A quick and hearty weeknight meal. Whilst being equally healthy.

Feel free to increase the heat in the stew by adding either a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, powdered chilli or chopped green chillies.

Red Kidney Bean and Pumpkin Stew
Serves 4

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/2 inch ginger, finely chopped
11/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
3/4 cup canned, diced tomatoes
3/4 cup vegetable stock/chicken stock
1 can red kidney beans (400 g)
400 g butternut pumpkin, chopped into 3 cm cubes
salt, to season
fresh sprigs coriander, leaves picked, for garnish

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and wait for 30 seconds. Cook the onion, stirring, for 2-3 mins or until softened. Add the garlic, ginger and spices. Cook, stirring, for 1 min or until fragrant.

Add the tomato and stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 mins. Add red kidney beans and simmer a further 10 mins or until pumpkin is just tender. Season with salt. Garnish with coriander. Serve warm

Cardamom Chicken Skewers with Pumpkin Salsa

10|09|2014

Little pods of cardamom are powerhouses of flavour and aroma. Bruise a couple of them and add to milk and you will know what I am talking about. They are like vanilla essence or pods in baked goods for me…they make everything better. Sweet or savory, the warm earthy tones can complement both flavour profiles. As a little girl, I enjoyed the addition of cardamom in almost all Indian dishes but I also vividly remember how I much disliked if I happened to bite into one. It tasted strong…too strong for my liking and would always make me wonder why it could not be removed once it’s role in the dish was over. Then I discovered ground cardamom. I found it more convenient and the flavour more intense to work with. Simply by cracking the pods open and passing the seeds through a food processor, you have a magical ingredient to liven up your food.

The flavours in these chicken skewers are subtle. They are meant to be like that. But the chicken is soft to the point of falling off the skewers. The marination tenderises the meat while leaving behind soft notes of cardamom and a creamy base to flavour it.

The salsa is great accompaniment to the chicken with relatively bold flavours. This reminds me of a pumpkin-potato stir fry my mother makes with mustard seeds. Mustard seeds have a lovely nutty taste. You could substitute with cumin seeds if not available at hand.
Ground cardamom is mostly available in India supermarkets. Making it at home is easy as well by crushing the seeds in a food processor. Use the skins to flavour tea.

Cardamom Chicken Skewers with Pumpkin Salsa
Serves 4

Chicken thigh fillets 500 g, chopped into cubes
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 inch ginger, finely grated
1 tbsp. green cardamom powder
2 tbsp. sour cream
2 tbsp. tasty cheese/mozzarella, grated
1 tbsp. corn starch
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1/2 cup coriander leaves, finely chopped
Salt for seasoning

Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Add the garlic, ginger and cardamom powder and mix together with the chicken so it is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and add in the sour cream, cheese, corn starch, chillies, coriander and salt. Mix gently until the chicken is evenly marinated. Refrigerate for an hour for the flavours to develop.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil. Thread chicken onto skewers.(If using bamboo skewers, soak skewers in cold water for 30 minutes). Bake for 25 minutes, turning the skewers once in between.

Pumpkin Salsa (adapted with variation from Taste.com)

500g butternut pumpkin, chopped into small cubes
Olive oil cooking spray
2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
coriander leaves, to serve

Preheat oven to 220 degrees C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Arrange pumpkin, in a single layer, on prepared tray. Spray with oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until pumpkin is tender
Meanwhile, place mustard seeds in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook for 2 minutes or until seeds begin to pop. Combine seeds, onion, vinegar and oil in a bowl. Stand for 20 minutes to let flavours develop. Place pumpkin in a bowl. Add the mustard and onion mixture. Stir to combine.

Easy and Healthy Pumpkin and Rosemary Bread

3|11|2013

We were so busy with our Diwali celebrations this weekend that despite visits to the bakery and supermarket, we forgot to stock up on a few of our essentials. One of them was bread. That was just the perfect excuse I needed to make this pumpkin bread.

The pumpkin puree was ready sitting in my refrigerator thanks to all the work I did the last week. So all that was required of me was to throw in the ingredients into a mixing bowl, mix and bake. The smell of rosemary wafted in the air as the baking progressed reminding me of the winter that was. Before the children woke up and I could put together the rest of breakfast, the bread was ready! Yes, a great looking and smelling, delicious, healthy loaf of bread.

The best thing about this bread is that there is no waiting…proofing etc. No added fat..no eggs either…and a handful of ingredients. Who doesn’t like a simple, one bowl recipe!. If you have been visiting this space regularly, you would know that I seldom replicate a recipe. I would always add my own personal touches and little twists to make it my own. But this time I haven’t changed a thing except reducing the quantity of salt. The original recipe is just perfect the way it is with a mellow pumpkin flavour in the bread, saltiness from the parmesan, earthy notes of rosemary and the crunchiness from the pumpkin seeds.

Though we tried the bread with various dips and spreads, I thought the best accompaniment was pesto.

Pumpkin and Rosemary Bread
Adapted from Taste.com

500g butternut pumpkin, peeled, chopped OR 11/3 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
2 cups self-raising flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup polenta
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Pesto, to serve

Cook pumpkin in a saucepan of boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return to pan. Mash until smooth. Cool. Ignore this step if using ready pumpkin puree.

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 6cm-deep, 9cm x 19cm loaf pan. Sift flour into a large bowl. Stir in rosemary, polenta, parmesan and salt. Make a well in centre. Add pumpkin and milk. Stir until just combined. Spoon into prepared pan. Top with pepitas.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown and hollow when tapped on top. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve with Pesto.