Roasted Pumpkin Sabzi
Photo: Carolina Ayala / Contributor
In much of folklore, the carved pumpkin, a type of orange winter squash with a hard shell is supposed to ward off the evil spirits on Halloween, when the dead were supposed to walk the earth. An edible pumpkin is also one of the oldest domesticated plants of all time. During winter, its use in sweet desserts and drinks is legendary however I had never eaten a sweet pumpkin dish until I arrived in the United States, something I still have trouble reconciling with. When I think pumpkin, my mind goes to salt, chili, garlic and mustard or cumin seeds. While the use of pumpkin in desserts is minimized in my kitchen, pumpkin shows up in plenty of savory dishes like curries, stews and pilafs.
A few years ago, after arriving at a small hotel in Udaipur India, at their rooftop restaurant, I was served a very simple pumpkin sabzi that I still dream about. The natural sweetness of the fruit balanced with the savoriness of the kari leaves, ginger and red chile to perfection. Here is a very simple version of a sabzi, which means ‘cooked vegetable’. The pumpkin is roasted in the oven and then tossed with loads of fresh cilantro with the crunch of toasted hazelnuts. Remember to not add the chile until the pumpkin is cooked or it might burn. Go ahead, surprise your family and serve this with your Thanksgiving meal – it might become a tradition! You may serve this warm or at room temperature or even tossed into a salad.