VEGETARIAN: PUMPKIN
I’ve been cooking more meatless meals lately. I felt as though we were consuming too much meat; every meal has some sort of meat. I made a favorite of mine which is pumpkin. I usually make it with a meat so this was quite a challenge as I used to the flavor that meat gives this dish. Surprisingly I didn’t miss the meat in this meal as it was delicious! I served it with roti and we enjoyed it tremendously.
Pumpkin
5 cups West Indian Pumpkin (calabaza) cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small onion, diced
2 tsp crushed garlic
2 plum tomatoes, diced
10 sprigs thyme
1 tsp finely chopped cilantro
½ scotch bonnet pepper, seeds removed
1 tbsp sugar
¾ tsp salt
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp margarine
Add oil and margarine to a medium pot over medium fire. When margarine melts add onion and tomatoes and sauté for 5 minutes. Add pumpkin, garlic, thyme, cilantro, scotch bonnet, sugar and salt and cook for 15 minutes until the pumpkin is soft but not mushy. Remove from heat and serve with rice or roti.
I don’t ever use margarine, so will swap it out for butter or ghee. I usually cook pumpkin with shrimp or tiny pieces of salt beef for flavor.
Pamela I also do use shrimp or beef but was decided to make a vegetarian option for all my non meat-eaters.
I’ve never had nor heard of pumpkin cooked this way with meat. Always had it vegetarian, but I am influenced by my Caribbean environment I suppose. That’s what I’ve been exposed to.
Lee we make it with meat in Guyana just like any other vegetable.
I’m gonna try this soon. I usually maked curried pumpkin. I love this vibrant color. Can’t wait. Your number one fan. Fa real!!!
I love curry pumpkin! I think I have a recipe already posted for that. Thank you so much for your support Natasha.