Indian Style Pakoras with Pumpkin Leaves

Sometimes ideas are thrown at you and bam, it intrigues you to find out more. This was exactly what happened when I posted the recipe for fried pumpkin blossoms. So today’s recipe is also from my ever spreading pumpkin patch. This time I’ve used some tender leaves and a few flowers.
The recipe is delicious. It is not very often I indulge in fried food but today is an exception. 

Ingredients:

10-12 Pumpkin Leaves, washed, dried, ridge removed and then roughly sliced 

5/6 Pumpkin flowers, washed, dried, stamens removed and then roughly sliced

1/2 cup besan or chickpea flour

1/4 cup rice flour 

1/2 cup of fresh grated coconut or desiccated coconut 

1 tsp nigella seeds

A pinch of baking powder 

salt to taste 

1 onion, roughly chopped 

2 inches of ginger, grated 

1-2 green chilies, chopped 

oil to shallow fry 

Method:
1. In a bowl add all the above ingredients and mix well.
2. Add water a little at a time to form a thickish kind of batter.
3. On a high flame heat oil in a pan. Once  the oil is hot, about 3-4 minutes, reduce the heat to medium and add small dollops of the batter and fry until golden brown.
4. Remove and drain the fritters on a kitchen paper and serve immediately.

Best eaten warm with a few sliced onions and green chilies. 

Allow me to introduce to you my newest Pumpkin recipe. Pumpkin Polenta. Downright luxurious and so utterly comforting. 

3 cups Hokkaido pumpkin, cubed 

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

21/2 cups almond milk or oat milk 

1/4 cup vegan cream

1 cup polenta

1/4 cup nutritional yeast or Parmesan cheese 

2 tablespoons unsalted plant based butter
You can use regular milk products and cheese if you have no dietary restrictions. 

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and line your baking tray with parchment paper.
2, Spread the pumpkin on the baking tray and drizzle it with the olive oil. Season with rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper, and toss to coat the pumpkins. 
3. Roast the pumpkin until very tender for about 25-30 minutes.
4. Transfer the pumpkin to a blender and add the milk. Blend until smooth, and then transfer the mixture to a heavy bottom pot.
5. Stir in 2 cups water and the cream, and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat.
6. When the liquid is hot, not boiling, whisk in the polenta. Start mixing so that no clumps are formed.
7. Keep stirring frequently until the mixture turns into a thick consistency. About 20-25 minutes.
8. Stir in the nutritional yeast and butter, and check the seasoning. The end result should be similar to oatmeal thickness.
9. Add more salt and pepper, if needed.
10 Sprinkle some more chopped rosemary and thyme on top and serve warm.

This is a great alternative to use instead of mashed potatoes! 

It’s so flavorful, it will knock you out. It’s creamy, cosy and so comforting. The naturally earthy flavors of the Pumpkin pairs well with pasta.
You can go completely vegan with this recipe, which makes it so much more lighter or make it with regular dairy and cheese.
Simply swap the ingredients according to your preference, it tastes great both ways! 

Here’s what I did..... 

To prepare the Pumpkin 

200g Hokkaido Pumpkin , skin on , cut into chunks

1 tbsp olive oil

2 large garlic pods, skin on

1/2 an onion, cut into chunks 

1. In a tray lined with parchment paper, lay the Pumpkin cubes, Onions and garlic. 

2. Coat the pumpkin , onions  and garlic pods with olive oil and roast the chunks in the oven  at 200C for 20 minutes.  Hide the garlic under the onions to stop them from burning.
3. Once the pumpkin is soft and the onions are slightly brown,  take it out of the oven, let it cool. once cooled, put it into a blender and purée it.

For the béchamel sauce:

500ml milk of your choice

1 onion halved

2 cloves

1 bay leaf

50 g plant based butter 

50 g flour 

1 cup of sharp grated Cheddar or 

1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast

1 or 2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 tsp of dried thyme 

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp ground Nutmeg

1. In a pan add butter and flour and fry it for a minute.

2. In another pan add the halved onion, studded with 1 bay leaf and 2 cloves. Add the milk and let it come to a rolling boil. 

3. Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for 20 mins.

4. In another pan add butter and flour and mix it thoroughly until a paste forms. This is called the roux. 

5. Remove the onion, bay and cloves from the milk with a slotted spoon and discard it. .

6. Add the infused milk to the roux gradually, stirring as you go until you get a smooth sauce. 

7. Add the thyme leaves

8. Cook for 5-10 mins, stirring continuously, until the sauce has thickened. 

The assembly - 

1. Add the puréed pumpkin to the  béchamel sauce along with the grated cheddar, freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.

2.  Boil your macaroni, pour the warm sauce over and serve right away.

You can also go one step further and sprinkle some more cheese and bread crumbs on top and bake it at 200C for 10 minutes.

 I had read about Thai red curry pumpkin soup but never got a chance to try it. With my ever exploding pumpkin patch and the recent cool weather, I jumped at the opportunity! Easy, comforting, spicy, silky and so darn delicious. It’s gluten free, vegan and full of warming curry flavors. 

1 tablespoon oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 tbsp Thai red curry paste

An inch of ginger, sliced 

1 stalk of lemongrass - use only the bottom half

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder 

500 g pumpkin, cubed 

1 cup of coconut cream 

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

Juice of half a lime

Salt, to taste

Cilantro, pumpkin seeds and chili strands for topping! 

1. In a medium-sized soup pot add oil and set the heat on medium. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes or just until they starts to slightly soften.
2. Stir in the ginger, lemongrass, red chili and fry for a minute. Mix in the Thai curry paste, cinnamon and turmeric and combine.
3. Lower the flame and add in the chopped pumpkin cubes. Add the vegetable stock, cover and let it cook for about 15 minute or until the pumpkin is soft.
4. Add the mixture from the pot to a high powered blender and purée until smooth.
5. Add the pureed soup mixture back to the soup pot and turn the heat to medium to low. 6. Stir in the coconut cream and let the soup heat through, about 10 minutes.
7. Stir in the lime juice, taste and add salt if needed.
Serve hot into bowls and sprinkle the topping. 

You won’t find this recipe in any restaurant. This whole steamed baby pumpkin is a unique way of cooking and it’s delicious. 

For a 500g Pumpkin 

Make an octagonal type of cut on the top of the pumpkin to remove the top. It should come out pretty easily. Keep aside.  Using a spoon scoop out the seeds from inside. 

In a mixing bowl add the following :

1 cup ground pork/chicken 

1 Tbsp garlic, minced finely

3 small shallots, minced finely

2 Tbsp oyster sauce 

1 Tbsp light soy sauce 

1 finely chopped chili padi 

Handful of finely chopped coriander (stems and leaves) 

1 teaspoon white ground pepper

Pinch of sugar  

An egg 

1 tsp cornflour 

1. Give all the above ingredients a good mix and stuff the hollow pumpkin with this mixture. Put the pumpkin top back on like a lid.
2. Place the pumpkin in a steamer and steam for 20 - 25 minutes on a medium flame.
3. Let it cool for 5 minutes.
Remove it on a serving dish, carefully slice into wedges and serve.

Spaghetti squash tastes great by itself but when mixed with sauces and seasoning it gets even better.
Done two ways, they both taste great but I’m leaning more towards the artichoke-jalapeño- bell pepper one. The other one is a bit more tangy, done with onion, zucchini, bell pepper, tomatoes, pineapple and some chili for a hint of heat. 

1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C
2. Cut the squash into half, rub some salt, pepper, olive oil.
3. Put it face down in a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Pop this into the oven
Bake for at least 45 minutes.
For my first mix, I chopped onions, garlic, green peppers, jalapeños and artichoke hearts ( pre made from a jar )
4. Fry the onions and garlic until golden. Add flour, mix well and then add some milk - it’s like Béchamel sauce or white sauce.
5. Add the rest of your chopped veggies and mix until the sauce thickens.
6. Add some grated Gouda or a mild Cheddar, mix and keep aside.
For my second mix I finely chopped up some pineapple, onions, yellow bell peppers and zucchini.
7. Fry the onions until golden, add the rest of the chopped veggies. Then add some tomato paste or purée and fry well. Add some oregano, salt and pepper.
The mix shouldn’t be watery.
8. Remove the squash from the oven and cool.
9. With a fork gently pull apart the strands of the squash until it all loosens up from the shell.
10. Now put your mix onto the squash, sprinkle some more cheese (I used Gouda but you should use fresh mozzarella)  
11. Grill for 5 to 7 minutes, depending on how golden you want the cheese.
Done! 

Lal Bhopla chi Koshimbir - literally translates into Red Pumpkin Salad. 

This typical salad is commonly prepared in almost every Maharashtrian home. One taste of this simple yet delicious recipe took me back to my mothers kitchen. 

I think that’s where the magic originally started to happen.

Seeing her swift moves adding a bit of this and a bit of that, perfecting the taste of every dish each and every time, I’ve definitely picked up this habit too!! 

I very often stray away from the original recipes as far as adding spices and flavors are concerned. I love to add my own twist and create a dish that I want. 

Isn’t it what every home cook should do? 

Going back to the recipe. 

Steam about 10-12 cubes of pumpkin, skin intact, about 10 minutes or until soft but not mushy. Remove on a plate and with the help of a fork smash it. The texture we are looking for is part smooth part chunky. 

In hot oil add basic tempering; 

1/2 tsp mustard seeds 

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp asafetida  

4 - 5 fenugreek seeds

4 - 5 curry leaves 

Chop a green chili, coriander about half a spoonful and couple of sprigs of dill. 

Toast a spoonful of peanuts and roughly chop them. 

Mix all this together and keep it aside. 

In a serving bowl add two heaped dollops of yogurt. Add the smashed up pumpkin and the tempering on top. Give this a gentle mix. 

Next add some salt and a pinch of sugar (optional). 

Add the chopped green chilies, coriander, dill and peanuts. Reserve some to sprinkle on top. 

Give it another mix and taste. Add some extra chilies to spice it up if you like. 

Sprinkle the remaining dill-coriander- peanut mix on top and serve. 

I thought photographing ice cream is easy. I was wrong. My biggest challenge today, melting coupled with a dark foggy day. 

Photographing delicate product like this one, so fragile with a limited life is no walk in the park. 

Scooping ice cream the way you see in food magazines is an art and to have it stay in that perfect shape, is just like taking part in a dare! 

Well all this aside, I dare you to give this ice cream a try! 

It sounds odd but it tastes really good. 

I am certain you will thank me for it. 

Just as my previous no fail ice cream recipes this one too requires just three ingredients! 

Condensed milk 

Cream 

Pure Organic Pumpkin Seed Oil 

350 ml Condensed milk

500 ml 38% fat cream

4 tbsp of pumpkin seed oil 

1. In a mixing bowl whisk the cream until firm. 

2. Pour in the pumpkin seed oil and the condensed milk and mix gently until well incorporated.

3. Pour into a glass container. Cover it with a lid or cling wrap.

4. Pop it into the freezer for a minimum of 8 hours. 

Pumpkin seed croquant 

3 tbsp of caster sugar 

Pinch of sea salt 

A handful of pumpkin seeds 

1. Line a small tray with parchment paper.

2. On a medium-low heat, melt sugar in a non stick pan until it just starts to turn to a gold color.

3. Add the pumpkin seeds, a pinch of salt and continue cooking it. In a minute the color should start to darken a bit and the pumpkin seeds starting to toast up.  

Take it off the heat and pour it into a tray lined with parchment paper. Let it cool down completely. 

Break the now hardened croquant into pieces and use these as a garnish for your ice cream. 

To serve scoop it into individual bowls. Sprinkle the pumpkin seed croquant on top along with a final drizzle of pumpkin seed oil. 

I wanted to illicit Oohs and Aahs to anyone seeing this image. Not sure if I have done enough justice to this delectable dessert. 

It’s finally ice cream season. Get your scoops ready because summer is coming! 

I’m revisiting my favorite flavor and pushing it notch above. The concept of creating this frozen treat is to put forth a flavor that is normally out of the ordinary. Pimped up with Pumpkin Seeds Croquant this ice cream has turned out delectable. 

There are so many ways to doctor up creative flavors but it is the uniqueness of this recipe that has made it one of my favorite. 

After much success with Pumpkin Seed Oil ice cream, I wanted to get a bit fanciful. 

So easy to pull off and impress your friends at the same time! 

No ice cream maker, no fancy equipment, no churning needed. 

Once you have the base, go crazy and wild with flavors, textures and ingredients, just like I did. 

* Full fat whipping cream

* Sweetened condensed milk

* And a flavor of your choice 

That’s all there is! 

Simply whip up the cream until stiff peaks form, pour in the condensed milk and add in the flavor. 

Pour it into a metal container (it will freeze the ice cream faster than a glass one) 

300ml Condensed milk

500 ml 38% full fat cream

1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds 

3 tbsp of sugar 

1 tbsp pumpkin seed oil 

Pinch of salt 

Let’s start with the Pumpkin Seed Croquant: 

Line a small tray with parchment paper.

On a medium-low heat, melt sugar in a non stick pan until it just starts to turn to a gold color.

Add the pumpkin seeds, a pinch of salt and continue cooking it. In a minute the color should start to darken a bit and the pumpkin seeds starting to toast up.  

Take it off the heat and pour it into a tray lined with parchment paper. Tilt the tray do it spreads out. It doesn’t need to me perfectly done because we are going to crush it later. Leave it aside to set as it cools. 

The croquant is now ready. 

Break it into pieces and put it into a food processor and blitz. Or use a stick blender. 

Stop just short of turning it into a fine powder. 

In a mixing bowl whisk the cream until stiff peaks are formed. 

Pour in the condensed milk. 

Add the crushed croquant. 

Mix gently and pour it into a container, preferably with a lid. 

Drizzle some pumpkin seeds oil on top and give it one final swirl. 

Pop into the freezer for a minimum of 4-6 hours. 

Scoop out into your bowl and relish your hard work! 

Loaded with healthy fats,  this delicious recipe combines pumpkin, coconut milk and chia seeds. Topped with pecans, an almond butter drizzle and quinoa puffs, it’s the taste of dry ginger powder, cinnamon and nutmeg that hints Autumn is right at my doorstep. 

Coconut and Pumpkin compliment each other in a perfect way. The almond butter adds a level of decadence and the bright orange brings in positive vibes all over. 

Have it for breakfast as a pre work-out snack or a healthy dessert - works perfectly well with  each occasion! 

There are a lot of chia puddings out there but this one made me fall in love with it all over again. 

What you need : 

* 1/4 cup chia seeds

* 1 cup full-fat coconut milk

* 1 cup pumpkin purée 

* 1/2 tsp dry ginger powder 

* 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder 

* 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder 

* 2 Tablespoons maple syrup 

* 2 Tablespoons toasted pecans 

* 1 tbsp quinoa puffs 

* 2 teaspoons almond butter to drizzle 

1. Start by making the Pumpkin purée - In a small pot add a cup of water and place 2 cups of chopped pumpkin cubes. Let the mixture boil, reduce the heat and let the pumpkins poach. 

Stir every couple of minutes. 

As soon as the pumpkins start to soften ( about 10 minutes ) switch off the heat. 

Using an immersion blender purée the pumpkin.

2. In a mixing bowl stir together chia seeds, coconut milk, pumpkin purée, the spices and maple syrup and mix until everything is well incorporated and the chia seeds are not clumped up. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

3. Toast your pecans — Preheat a pan on medium heat. Add the pecans and stir constantly until they turn a slightly darker in color (this will take about 3 - 4 minutes). Remove the from the pan and allow them to cool. Keep these aside to use the next day. 

To assemble - 

Divide the chia pudding into individual bowls. Sprinkle some of the pecans and drizzle some almond butter on top. 

You can also add some puffed quinoa for crunch and an added multi vitamin boost! 

By now you have to agree that Pumpkin is a fabulous vegetable especially during the fall season. With a few added textures and flavors, it is possible for something so simple to taste so good. This is such a great way to enjoy as a side and quite frankly it is a good change from the traditional potato mash. 

This easy to make recipe with a few simple pantry ingredients will be a perfect on any Thanksgiving table or just any other Sunday dinner for that matter! 

Ingredients:

325 g Kabocha Pumpkin 

250 g Sweet Potato

1 small shallot
1 tbsp cranberries
2 tbsp walnuts

2 tbsp hazelnuts
3 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise 

1 tbsp organic white miso paste 

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 

Chopped chives to garnish 

Method: 

1. Wash and peel the Kabocha Pumpkin and cut into 3m chunks.
2. Wash the Sweet potatoes and cut it into 5 cm chunks. 
3. In a Steamer place the sweet potato at the bottom and then put the Kabocha pumpkin chunks on top. This is because the sweet potatoes take a tiny bit longer to cook.
4. Meanwhile in a small bowl combine the miso paste, mayonnaise and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Chop the shallot up very fine. 
6. Roughly chop the hazelnuts and walnuts. Set a pan on medium heat and toast the hazelnuts and walnuts. 
7. Drain the water and put cooked sweet potato and Kabocha pumpkin in a large bowl and roughly mash them. I like to leave it a bit chunky so I didn’t mash mine to an absolute purée. 

• Add cranberries, hazelnuts, walnuts(leave out some for the topping), miso and mayonnaise mixture.
• Mix everything together and top with leftover cranberries, hazelnuts, walnuts and chives. 

Serve as a side with a roast chicken, turkey or even a tenderloin steak!