Recipe 8
Pumpkin cubes in mild/spicy pumpkin cream
2 people
Did you know that the garden squash was named medicinal plant of the year in 2005? By the way, the medicinal plant of the year was the common flax. Both have in common that they are excellent suppliers of α-linolenic acid. This is the vegetarian representative of the group of omega-3 fatty acids. The garden squash has a lot of potassium and calcium and has beta-carotene, the precursor of vitamin A’s. But also iron, magnesium and a lot of fiber, of which we nowadays unfortunately get too little, complement the good properties of the pumpkin. The cell-protective properties of the pumpkin are based on the flavanoids and their antioxidant effect. Spiced with curry or chili, pumpkin is said to have thermogenic properties, so it warms from the inside out.
For this recipe you will need:
1 small, firm garden squash
2 tbsp. ghee or clarified butter
1/4 tsp. ground cumin seeds
1 pinch ground pepper
1 pinch of ground cinnamon
1 pinch of ground cloves
1 tsp. curry (for the spicy version)
1 tsp. chili flakes (for the spicy version)
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric (for the mild variant)
1/2 tsp. mild ground paprika (for the mild version)
1 sprig fresh coriander
2 tbsp. cream or coconut cream
salt to taste
1 tbsp. brown sugar or coconut blossom sugar
250 l hot water
For variation 1 you will also need:
250 ml hot water
1 tbsp. lemon juice and some lemon zest
2 tbsp. honey
Variation 1
marinated pumpkin cubes in mild/spicy pumpkin cream
Peel, seed and cut the pumpkin in half. One half is cut into cubes. To the 250 ml of hot water add lemon juice and lemon zest, then dissolve honey in it. To the boiling liquid add the pumpkin cubes and cook on reduced heat for about 15 – 20 min. If you like the cubes a little softer, then extend the cooking time a little.
Variation 2
baked pumpkin cubes in mild/spicy pumpkin cream
Peel, seed and cut the pumpkin in half. Cut one half into cubes. Preheat oven to about 180° C. Place cubes on a baking sheet with baking paper and bake for about 30 min. They may be lightly browned. Shorten the baking time if you prefer the cubes a bit more al dente.
Pumpkin cream for both versions
While the cubes are simmering or baking, prepare the pumpkin cream in parallel. Put on a pan and heat the ghee or clarified butter. Add the ground spices, depending on your constitution type, or if you prefer spicy or mild. Coarsely chop half the pumpkin and add it to the spices. If necessary, lightly brown the pumpkin before deglazing everything with 250 ml. of hot water. Simmer everything for about 30 min. at reduced heat. For the pumpkin cream, the pumpkin should be soft. Add the cream, or coconut cream. Season the pumpkin cream with salt and sugar. Chop the fresh cilantro (tip: remove the stems). To serve, put the pumpkin cream in a deep plate/soup cup add the marinated or baked pumpkin cubes and garnish everything with the chopped cilantro.
Variation suggestion:
You can also vary this recipe with Hokkaido squash (in which case please use unpeeled) or butternut. By adding 1/2 tsp. ground allspice (also known as four spice or clove pepper) you can give the dish a new character – a worthwhile change!