Written by: James
Ah November, the eleventh month of excitement, hot beverages and officially (oh yes, Christmas jumper fans) sweater season. As we say sayonara to kids dressed as things that go bump in the night, pre Bonfire night fireworks and the last dregs of summer, few things rollover from the month of October. That is, besides some two to three humongous pumpkins. You’d bargained on carving it or using it as a candle at most, but now you’ve got to cook the orange things - but where on earth to begin? Fear not, spice fans and pumpkin hoarders! I’ve searched high and low, wide and far and delved deep into our archives to bring you the best 3 recipes for upcycling this season’s tastiest (and scariest) produce: pumpkin.
Pumpkin Biryani
A mild and wholesome vegetarian dish, sure to warm you right to the cockles
Whilst you might’ve been privy to the wafting smells of pumpkin spiced lattes and muffins, something a little more exotic in our Pumpkin Biryani awaits. This tasty dish, coming soon to our Meat Free Magic subscription, is a tasty spread of palak (spinach) dahl, Kashmiri raita, and winter vegetable salad, not to mention the main dish itself. Although this humble crock pot meal seems nothing more than a mixed rice dish, in traditional Indian style, Biryani is filled with the more expensive spices of saffron and cardamom; as well as heavenly spice blends such as Garam Masala to give you a truly warm winter glow from within. We let the Biryani cook in it’s own steam and seasonings for a plate you can’t resist. See how for yourself below:
You will need:
1 small pumpkin (about 800g) - peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces
2 tomatoes - chopped into bite-size pieces
2 cloves of garlic - finely chopped
2 onions - thinly sliced
¼ large red cabbage - thinly shredded
1 cooking apple - cored, peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces
350g natural yogurt (not Greek yogurt or set yogurt)
75g butter
200ml milk
300g basmati rice
50g pumpkin seeds or flaked almonds
A handful of raisins (sultanas are also fine)
200g frozen spinach
50g red lentils
30g sugar
45ml vinegar (white wine or cider vinegar is best)
105ml cooking oil
Method
For the Biryani:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.
Fry ¾ of the onions in 75ml oil for 15 minutes or until thoroughly brown and crispy and drain using kitchen paper.
Toast the pumpkin seeds in the oven for 5 minutes or until they start to brown.
Mix 150g yogurt with two teaspoons of garam masala, turmeric, garlic, ½ tsp salt and the butternut squash then leave to marinate.
For the Kashmiri Chilli Raita:
Soak one tablespoon of paprika and mild chilli powder in 45ml boiling water.
For the Apple Chutney:
Cook the apple with 2 tbsp vinegar, the sugar, a couple teaspoons of garam masala and chilli, plus a pinch of salt and 50ml water for 10 minutes - or until the apple has broken down into a chutney like paste.
For the Biryani:
Fry a cinnamon quill in 25g butter for 1 minute. Add the rice, stir to coat and then add 350ml water and ½ tsp salt. Bring to the boil and cook uncovered for 5 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed then remove the quill and discard.
Spread the marinated squash over the bottom of a deep ovenproof dish and sprinkle the raisins and ½ the crispy onions over the top
Mix a single pinch of saffron into the milk then stir into the rice.
Pour the rice over the squash and add a generous knob of butter on top.
Cover the dish very tightly with foil then bake for 45 minutes or until the squash and rice are cooked through - the rice should have crisped on top.
For the Palak Dahl:
Fry some mustard seeds in the remaining butter for approximately half a minute.
Add the lentils, 150ml water, the tomatoes, a tablespoon of curry powder and garam masala, plus a pinch of salt. Cover and cook for 15 minutes until you have a thick pulpy sauce
For the Winter Salad:
Mix the red cabbage with the remaining onion, ½ tsp salt, and a tablespoon of cumin.
For the Palak Dahl: Add the spinach to the dhal then cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the spinach is soft and silky.
Serves: 4
Good ole’ fashioned spiced Pumpkin Pie
The favourite, reinvented with a little help from our top spicerers!
This classic American dessert is perfect for leftover, slightly overripe pumpkins and candy-stuffed little ones with a sweet tooth. A quick and easy pie, the pumpkin can be quickly softened before being beaten with eggs, flour and sugar to make a steaming hot treat for the entire family. Looking to change your classic up? Why not try a touch of our cassinamon, freshly grated whole nutmeg and a touch of ground cloves alongside your allspice and ginger. Let us know how you get on @thespicery
You will need:
500g whole pumpkin (about ½ a standard supermarket one)
40g sugar plus 3 tbsp for the caramel
generous handful of pecan nuts or almonds roughly chopped
1 medium egg plus 1 yolk
80ml double cream 1 x 20cm (8 inch) diameter pre-baked pastry case
Whipped cream to serve
½ tsp cassinamon
½ tsp ginger
1 whole nutmeg
Method:
Cut the pumpkin in half then scoop out the seeds and fibrous bits in the centre.
Score the flesh and microwave on a high heat for 5-10 minutes or until the flesh is soft. Leave to cool then pour away any excess water.
Heat the oven to 180C / gas mark 4. Heat 3 tablespoons of sugar (without stirring!) in a small dry pan until it starts to turn liquid in places (be very careful as the sugar gets incredibly hot and burns quickly).
When you can see a consistent hazelnut-brown colour then add the chopped pecans. Stir round to coat in the caramel and add half a teaspoon of cassinamon and ground ginger.
Stir, then immediately pour the mix into the pie base. Smooth it round evenly as best you can – if it cools and goes hard just break it into pieces and scatter around the base of the pie. Scoop the cooked flesh from the pumpkin skins and blend or mash to a smooth puree. You should have 250g of puree.
Mix the other spice blend, 40g sugar, the beaten egg plus the extra yolk, and the cream into the pumpkin puree then pour into the tart case. Grate over a dusting of nutmeg – about 15 scrapes should be plenty.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool then serve with a spoonful of the whipped cream.
Trinidadian curried pumpkin
Bringing a little taste of the sunny Caribbean to your winter kitchen
What better way to start winter than with a steaming bowl of freshly prepared pink rice and peas, plus a fiery Trinidad inspired curry? A truly global cuisine, Caribbean cooking combines the best of West African influence, fresh fruit and greens and slightly European twist. In this dish you’ll find a little bit of all. In Trinidad, Chandon Beni is a sauce used in various meals and the equivalent of an Italian pesto, but instead made with freshly roasted herbs and pungent cumin. It makes for a divine side dish of zesty apple chow, but that’s hardly the best part of this meal. The curry itself, filled with a variety of spices such as fenugreek and coriander, fragrant curry powder and hot habanero is the perfect way to round off the mellow month of October and introduce you to the richness of November feasting. Try it for yourself with our recipe below:
You will need:
1 small pumpkin (approx 600g) - peeled, deseeded and chopped into bite size pieces
1 large banana (not too ripe) - peeled and chopped into 2cm chunks
5 cloves of garlic - 4 cloves left whole, 1 finely chopped
1 small bunch of coriander (approx. 20g) - finely chopped
1 handful of thyme
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 eating apples - cored and cut into thin segments
2 limes
2 bunch of spring onions - finely chopped
200ml coconut milk (1/2 a standard size tin or a pouch)
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
400g tin of kidney beans (or pigeon or gungo peas if you can get them)
300g easy cook long grain rice
Sugar
Method:
Fry 1/2 the spring onion for 2 minutes until just beginning to soften. Add the butternut squash, banana, tomatoes, two tablespoons of curry powder, 200ml of water, 1 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp salt then cover and cook for 40 minutes until the vegetables are beginning to break down and the sauce is rich and thick.
Fry 1/2 the remaining spring onion in 1 tbsp of oil with half a teaspoon of thyme and ground allspice for 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the rice, coconut milk, beans, 1/2 tsp salt and 300ml of water then cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the rice is cooked through and all the liquid has been absorbed
Blend a handful of roughly chopped parsley and a few sprigs of thyme with the juice of 1 lime, the coriander, remaining spring onions, finely chopped garlic and a big pinch of salt together to a smooth sauce and leave to one side
Stir 1 tbsp of the green seasoning, the juice of 1/2 a lime and a pinch of sugar into the apple segments and leave to one sideFry the whole garlic cloves in 3 tbsp of oil until dark brown. Add the cumin seeds and fry for 2 minutes until dark brown. Pour the oil and cumin over the pumpkin curry (but discard the garlic cloves)
Serve the curry and rice with the apple chow, green seasoning and remaining lime cut into wedges on the side
Serves: 4
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