Roasted Spiced Pumpkin/Acorn Squash

Taking an international approach to pumpkin
Published: November 4, 2015

The only time I have celebrated Thanksgiving where I live in London, it was with a couple of incredibly homesick American friends. Hoping to comfort them, I cooked what I felt was a spirit-lifting roasted tandoori turkey, only to receive steely glances, awkward silences and, “No thanks.”

I learned the painful way that the turkey is not the place for trying new things, as tradition rules at Thanksgiving. Luckily, it seems, the side dishes are given a bit more flexibility.

In India, as in the U.S., the pumpkin — or “kaddu” — is a real favorite at the dinner table, with every region having its own take on how best to cook it. In Uttar Pradesh in the North, pumpkin often is transformed into a spiced sweet curry, or “subzi,” that is eaten alongside a sour pickle that counterbalances it wonderfully. In Kerala in the southwest of India, pumpkin is given a more delicate treatment and paired with sweet onions, black-eyed beans and coconut milk.

For Thanksgiving, it’s important to get the balance right, to have a side that will fit in with the mosaic of other offerings at the table and be quick — or at least easy — to make.

Baking your pumpkin with some garam masala, a classic Indian seasoning blend, adds a gentle warmth that is so welcome this time of year. Serving it with this pistachio-cilantro chutney (which can be made ahead of time) will add some brightness in color, freshness and flavor.

• • •

Garam masala is a widely available Indian seasoning blend. Look for it in the grocer’s spice aisle.

Acorn squash also works well in this recipe.

Roast Spiced Pumpkin with Pistachio Chutney

Start to finish: 40 minutes (15 minutes active)

Servings: 6

For the chutney:

1/2 cup unsalted, shelled pistachios, chopped (plus extra to garnish)

11/2 cups chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons sugar

1 to 2 green finger or other fresh chilies, to taste

2 tablespoons canola oil

For the pumpkin:

3-pound sugar pumpkin (or multiple smaller pumpkins)

5 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil or kitchen parchment.

To make the chutney, in a blender or food processor, combine the pistachios, cilantro, lemon juice, salt and sugar.

Add one of the chilies to start and about 6 tablespoons of water, or just enough to blend.

Process or blend until the mixture is finely chopped.

Taste and add the other chili if desired, then transfer to a bowl.

Drizzle the oil over the chutney, lightly mix, then set aside.

Cut the pumpkin in half top to bottom, then scoop out and discard the seeds and fibers.

Peel the pumpkin halves, then cut each half into 1-inch-thick slices.

Mound the pumpkin on the prepared baking sheet, then drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the garam masala, salt and pepper.

Toss to coat evenly, then arrange in a single layer.

Roast for 30 minutes, or until tender and starting to brown.

Arrange the squash on a serving plate and sprinkle with chopped pistachios.

Serve with the chutney for spooning over.

Nutritional information per serving: 250 calories; 190 calories from fat (76 percent of total calories); 21 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 560 mg sodium; 15 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 7 g sugar; and 4 g protein.

Mushtaq's Zucchini Pakora

Ingredients:
  1 large zucchini, cut into thin slices. Or eggplant. Or potatoes. Or sweet potatoes. Whatever veggie.
  2 ounces of besan (chickpea flour. Bloom Naturally sells it.)
  1 ounce white flour
  1/3 tsp ground cumin
  1/2 tsp tumeric
  1/2 tsp coriander powder
  1 tsp garlic powder
  1 tsp onion powder
  1 pinch chili powder
  Vegetable oil to fry
  Salt to taste.

Mix all ingredients together, add water to make a dipping batter.

Heat oil enough to fry in a flat pan.

Dip zucchini, place it on hot oil, and fry as many as you can fit without overcrowding pan. Turn them over once or twice so each side cooks thoroughly and look golden brown.

Take them out and put them on paper towels to soak excess oil.

Full disclosure - I can't get the batter to coat the zucchini properly. But it can be done - I've seen Mushtaq do it. So maybe you'll have better luck.

Mushtaq's Yellow Rice with Sweet Peas

Ingredients:
  1 pound long grain plain rice
  4 ounces sweet peas
  3 TB vegetable oil
  1 medium onion, chopped
  3-4 large garlic cloves, chopped or sliced
  3/4 tsp. ground tumeric
  1-2 green chilis, sliced or chopped
  Salt to taste

Wash rice in a deep pan. Add 4 C water. Add everything else except peas.  Turn to high heat.
Boil contents 5-6 minutes, stir in peas.
Turn heat to minimum, cover, and simmer 15-20 minutes, or until rice is done.
Loosen up the content in pot to make it look fluffy.

Mushtaq's Dal with Zucchini

Ingredients:
  6 ounces pink lentils - 3/4 Cup. They sell 'em at Bloom Naturally.
  2 medium zucchini, cut into cubes
  1 small onion, chopped
  3-4 large garlic cloves, chopped or sliced
  1/4 tsp. ground tumeric
  1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  Salt and chili pepper - preferably green chili, but ground or crushed chili can be substituted.

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté 2 minutes.

Add tumeric and cumin, stir for one minute.

Add zucchini, stir for 2 minutes.

Add lentils. Cook for a minute or two, then add 1 1/2 C water.  Bring to boil.

Lower heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes, or until lentils and zucchini are tender. You can use less water  or more, depending on if you want your dal thick or soupy.


Sizzling
Here's how to add extra pizzaz.

Ingredients:
  1/2 small onion
  2 cloves sliced garlic
  2 dry chilis.

Heat oil in a deep pan. Add the above ingredients. Fry.

When onion slices are brown, add to to the dal. Be careful - it might spatter when it hits the lentil.

Mushtaq's Chat Masala

Ingredients:
  1 pound of chickpeas. (If dry, wash and soak in warm water for an hour, then boil until cooked.)
  2 TB vegetable oil
  1 small onion, chopped
  1 C colored pepper, chopped
  4 large garlic cloves, chopped or sliced
  1/2 tsp. ground tumeric
  1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  1 inch of fresh ginger root, grated, or ginger powder
  2 inches of cinnamon stick or a pinch of cinnamon powder
  1 medium tomato, diced
  1/2 lemon or 2 TB lemon juice
  A few strings of cilantro leaves, chopped
  Salt and chili pepper, preferably green chili, but ground or crushed chili can be used.

Preparation:
  Heat saucepan until water drops evaporate.  Add oil and heat. Add onion, peppers and garlic, sauté for 2 minutes.
  Add spices and chickpeas, stir for a minute or two.
  Add 1 C water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until chickpeas are tender.
  Add tomato. Stir occasionally.  Turn heat off, add lemon juice and sprinkle on cilantro.

Mushtaq Elahi's Vegetable Curry

I learned this and other recipes from Mushtaq Elahi's cooking class. Mushtaq is from Bangladesh; owns Sakuntala restaurant in Bloomsburg with his wife, Millie; used to be journalist in New York; is a supporter and former board member of Bloomsburg Theater Ensemble; a supporter of local artists, whose work he shows in his restaurant; founder of the Bangladeshi New Year celebration in Town Park, Bloomsburg; a supporter of the local foods movement; and generally an interesting and excellent all-around guy.  I'm posting this and his other recipes with his permission.

This comes out especially good with cauliflower.

Ingredients:
  About 2 pounds of vegetables, such as cauliflower, potato, carrot, cabbage, zucchini, cut into medium pieces and washed.
  2 TB vegetable oil
  1 medium onion, chopped
  3/4 tsp ground turmeric
  1 tsp ground cumin
  1-2 green chilis, sliced or chopped. In a pinch, you can use chili powder instead
  1 tsp roasted ground cumin seeds
  Salt to taste

  Heat oil on medium heat.
  Add onion and green chili, cook until onion looks icy white.
  Add spices, cook until the content becomes aromatic - about 1 minute.
  Add potatoes and carrots, cook for 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Then add other vegetables, which take less time to cook Stir well.
  Add water, 1/2 to 1 C, depending on how saucy you like it.
  Cover and cook 5-7 minutes, until vegetables are cooked.
  Turn heat off.
  Sprinkle roasted ground cumin over the vegetables.  Cover.
  Serve with rice and daal.

  Roasted ground cumin seeds
  Toast 2 tsp of cumin seeds, then use a coffee grinder to grind into a fine powders. Keep the powder in a tightly sealed container.

  Tips - stir the veggies before they're cooked to coat with spices.
          - To cut cauliflower, cut halfway down the stem and break it apart. Soak it in ice water 10 minutes before cooking - then it won't be mushy.