I find pumpkin the easiest to incorporate into my everyday cooking, as it can be peeled, cut into medium-sized cubes, tossed lightly with salt, added crushed black pepper and roasted cumin, and then put in the oven. I sometimes cook them in a skillet on low heat for 8 to 10 minutes and garnish well with some lemon juice, chopped fresh coriander or mint leaves for a light meal with some brown bread toast. However, I also use attractive pies, pastries, healthy gravies and vegetables like pumpkin coconut curry, sauce to accompany pasta, purees and various continental dishes.
You can also try some of the following simple recipes:
Dahiwala pumpkin fry can be prepared by tempering it with dry red chillies, asafoetida, curry leaves, mustard seeds; add some water, pumpkin cubes, and slightly whipped thick curd. Next, add kasoori methi, salt to taste, a little turmeric and cumin powder, cook on low flame for a few minutes, and add roasted ground peanuts and roasted sesame seeds for garnish. Eat hot with roti.
The stir fry pumpkin with capsicum and peanut butter sauce is a must-try. First, sauté the pumpkin cubes in a little olive oil, add garlic, green onions, salt, red chilli powder, a little readily available peanut butter and a little hot water to adjust the texture. Then add chopped capsicum to it and cook for 6 to 8.
Sweet potato and pumpkin chaat are great ways to serve something different; chop the vegetables into cubes and boil them. Then mix it with desi chutney, tamarind-saunth, green chutney, garlic chutney, and essential chaat ingredients. Garnish with toasted makhana to add crunch to the chutney.
Pumpkin and soya keema parathas can be a great combo as a stuffing for your favourite parathas. Make the filling using boiled and mashed pumpkin and cooked soya mince with powdered spices. Add some freshly chopped fenugreek, coriander and amchur powder, mix well and stuff the parathas.
Pumpkin and raisin raita often enjoy this bowl with my theplas or khakhra. Use boiled pumpkin in a mixture of powdered curd with rock salt, a little honey, chopped green chillies, mint and ginger powder or dry ginger. Serve it with roti, naan, paratha and kulcha of your choice.