Pumpkin platter

From its flesh and seeds to its skin, pumpkin offers each of its components for culinary experiments. Here are a few...

Pumpkin is one of the most versatile ingredients I have ever come across. Earlier, pumpkins were not the traditionally round, orange, upright fruits that we think of today when you picture a pumpkin. The first pumpkins were of the crooked neck variety, which made it easier to be stored.

The early native Americans roasted pumpkin strips over campfires and used them as a food source, long before the arrival of European explorers. Pumpkins helped the native Americans make it through long cold winters. They used the sweet flesh in numerous ways: roasted, baked, parched, boiled and dried. They ate pumpkin seeds and also used them as medicine. The blossoms were added to stews. Dried pumpkin could be stored and grounded into flour too. They dried the shells and used them as bowls and containers to store grain, beans and seeds. I’ve even read about how they pounded and dried the pumpkin flesh into strips and wove the strips into mats which they used for trading purposes. It’s a high fiber food and definitely good for a fitness freak to add into his/her diet since it’s low-cal. Seeds are great to be used in granola bars, breads, salads, etc. since it gives a supreme crunch alongside the super nutrients.

In today’s time, pumpkin is still a hit because it has natural sweetness. It lends texture to any sauce or dip and it can be hidden easily by blending into food and desserts while serving fussy eaters. In fact, I like making pumpkin risotto for my kids sometimes because it passes of as saffron instead and that way the kids get a good balance of flavour and nutrients from the pumpkin.

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with a twist

Ingredients Boiled al dente spaghetti 100 gm Roasted pumpkin 60gms Pumpkin puree 100 gms Olive oil 2 tbsp Sliced garlic 2 to 3 cloves Cherry tomatoes 2 to 3 Sliced red chilli 1 A pinch of mixed herbs A few springs of chopped parsley Starch 2 tbsp (retained water from the boiling of spaghetti) Black olive 2 to 3 slice Parmesan cheese50 gm

Method Gently heat olive oil in a pan, add garlic, chilli, spaghetti. Next add mixed herbs, cherry tomatoes, pumpkin puree, salt and pepper. Toss well. Add the starch and let it cook till coated well for two- three minutes. Add the grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with fresh parsley and roasted pumpkin.

Roasted pumpkin soup

Ingredients Pumpkin 500 gm Onion 1 small Garlic 2 to 3 cloves Sage leaves 3 to 4 Olive oil 2 tbsp Bacon 2 slices Cream as needed Vegetable stock Salt and pepper to taste Vegetable seasoning 1/4 tsp

Method Roast the pumpkin in a tray with garlic, onion and sage leaves till slightly charred and softened. Peel the garlic, dnion and blend it with the pumpkin. Discard the sage leaves. In a pan, add vegetable stock and season well with salt and pepper. Add cream. Garnish with croutons, a sprig of parsley and drizzle olive oil.

Pumpkin & Caramel No-Bake Cheesecake

Ingredients: For the crust Digestive biscuits 8 to 10 Melted butter 25gms

For the filling Milkmaid 50ml Whipped cream 1cup + a few spoonfuls for garnish Gelatin 5gms Cream cheese 70gms Water to dissolve the gelatin 1 tsp Pureed pumpkin puree 3 to 4 tbsp Caramel jelly filling - 4tbsp

Method: For the caramel jelly filling, mix 5 gm gelatin in 2 tbsp water and microwave till transparent. Add it to 2 tbsp store bought caramel sauce. Add gelatin to a bowl of water over double boiler or in microwave till transparent. Keep aside. Crush the biscuits and add to the butter mix. Line the jars with the biscuit powder and refrigerate it for 10 mins. In another bowl, mix the milkmaid and cream cheese. Fold in the whipped cream and pumpkin puree. Add the gelatin and blend until smooth. Put the cheese cake mixture in the lined biscuits jars and refrigerate it for 20 mins. Once set, pipe a layer of caramel jelly and refrigerate again. Pipe a layer of whipped cream. You can also use strawberry filling or Oreo biscuits. Serve chilled.

Chef Rakhee Vaswani is a celebrity chef and food consultant