Butternut with Buckwheat Polenta and Tempura Lemon

Butternut Pumpkin features often in our Kitchen in Winter – roasted, in soups and mashed on its own or together with white beans or polenta, in risotto and salads, or in dals and curries. It was a joy to see that Ottolenghi uses it too, of course he does, so another recipe was completed for our project of cooking his books.

This is not a difficult dish, but it does take about 90 mins to bring it together. The pumpkin is baked, polenta is make, tempura batter is made and rested for 45 mins, the lemons are cooked, and then it all comes together. The lemon of the tempura is divine! It is exactly what the dish needs – without the warm, lemony flavours of the flesh and rind the dish falls flat. It reinforces the fact that Ottolenghi’s dishes are meant for all the ingredients to be eaten together. If, for example, there is polenta left over, add lemon juice or other tart ingredients to balance it out. Likewise the garlic that is cooked with the pumpkin – the smoky earthy flavours of the garlic are absolutely essential to the final dish.

This dish is from Plenty More – we are cooking our way through this book. We feel free to substitute ingredients that are not readily available in our local area.

It is Ottolenghi Cooking the Books day on the blog – one of two days per month where we publish the latest recipes we have tried in our project of cooking from Ottolenghi books – those we have cooked directly and those we have been inspired by. Currently we are cooking from Plenty More, but not ignoring his other books completely. Note that I often massage the recipes to suit what is available from our garden and pantry. For the original recipes, check his books and his Guardian column.

Similar dishes include Caramelised Pumpkin and Peter’s Wet Polenta and Tomato Layers.

Browse all of our Pumpkin dishes and all of our Polenta recipes. Our Ottolenghi dishes from Plenty More are here. We have written about our experiences cooking through this book. Or explore our Late Autumn recipes.

We use Australian measurements: 1 tspn = 5ml; 1 Tblspn = 20ml; 1 cup = 250ml.

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Char Grilled Butternut with Labneh and Walnut Salsa

Sometimes the simplest of dishes are just as impactful as the more complex, time consuming ones. Ottolenghi has a reputation for complex dishes with many processes and even more ingredients. That’s true, indeed, and there are some very complex dishes in his book Plenty More, the one I am cooking from at the moment. But there are others (thank goodness) that are *relatively* simple. Rather than flavours layered over and over and over in a dish, the simple contrasts and textures are enough to provide just as much impact, but in a different way.

This recipe recommends pickled walnuts, but they are difficult to find here. So we make a salsa with freshly shelled walnuts, and that is paired with the labneh and butternut pumpkin. It is a delicious combination.

As mentioned, this is an Ottolenghi dish from Plenty More – we are cooking our way through this book. We feel free to substitute ingredients that are not readily available in our local area.

Char-grilled squash with labneh and pickled walnut salsa: A riot of colour and flavour alike. Buy labneh, which is thick, strained yoghurt, from a providore or a Middle Eastern grocer, though it’s quite easy to make your own. Just hang natural yoghurt in muslin for a couple of days. Or use goat’s curd or a very fresh goat’s cheese instead.

In fact it is Ottolenghi Cooking the Books Day on the blog – one of two days per month where we publish the latest recipes we have tried in our project of cooking from Ottolenghi’s books – those we have cooked directly and those we have been inspired by. Currently we are cooking from Plenty More, but not ignoring his other books completely. Note that I often massage the recipes to suit what is available from our garden and pantry. For the original recipes, check his books and his Guardian column.

Similar recipes include Caramelised Roasted Pumpkin, Butternut Pumpkin Cooked with Lashings of Butter, and BBQ’d Butternut.

Our Ottolenghi dishes from Plenty More are here. We have written about our experiences cooking through this book. Or explore our Early Winter recipes.

We use Australian measurements: 1 tspn = 5ml; 1 Tblspn = 20ml; 1 cup = 250ml.

Yellow Pumpkin Soup | South Indian Pumpkin Soup

Today, although it is Mid Summer, it is cooler and wet. It seems right to make soup, although Pumpkin Soup is usually reserved for Winter. This is a South Indian Soup, and the lightness of it suits our Summery wet weather.

Although the South Indian soups are not well known or recognised, I have a love of them which started when they were served each day for 2 weeks in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. Home made and delicious, it was instant love. Luckily the Cook and See series of books has a chapter on Indian Soups in Part 4 by Priya Ramkumar.

This soup is a little thinner than what you might expect from a European Pumpkin Soup, but has a creamy texture because the milk is condensed slightly by simmering for 10 mins. It is peppery indeed, but not as peppery as you might think from the amount in the soup. It also has a little sweetness from the pumpkin and from condensing the milk – that sweetens it a little. I love the soup garnished with coriander leaves.

You might like to have a look at other Indian soups. We have South Indian Cauliflower Soup, South Indian Beetroot Soup, and Tomato and Potato Soup. There is also a wonderful Indian Vegetable Stock to use as a base for soups or to slurp on its own. All of our Indian Soups are here.

Other similar recipes include Turnip Soup with Yoghurt and Coriander-Walnut Paste, Pumpkin Soup with Red Peppers, Adzuki Bean, Barley and Pumpkin Soup with Miso and Parsley, and Cream of Pumpkin Soup.

See other Pumpkin Soup recipes here. All of our Indian Soups are here for you to browse, and our whole range of Soups here. Other Indian dishes are here.  Or take some time and explore our Mid Summer recipes.

Miso Sesame Dressing – with Roast Pumpkin

Miso is an underused ingredient. These days mostly relegated to Japanese cuisine, it was a darling of the macro-biotic movement of last century. You still find the odd recipe that uses it and the occasional blogger who is confident enough to use it often (have a look through Lucy Nourish Me’s recipes).

It was nice to find it mentioned in Nigel Slater’s Kitchen Diaries – such an English approach to food he has, that the incorporation of miso was a surprise. A minor mention indeed, but a mention nevertheless.

This is a fairly standard miso dressing, but Nigel credits Nigella with its creation. No matter the origin, it is a cracker. Use it with Roast Pumpkin, green beans that have been quickly sauteed, steamed or boiled, or Japanese noodles (as Nigel does). It can be used as a dipping sauce.

You might like to try our Miso Soup, a nourishing, comforting, beautiful dish, and our Miso Soup with Wakame. Or perhaps you might like our Roast Pumpkin Salad with Chilli Jam.

Similar recipes include Miso and Tahini Sauce, Spread and Dressing,  Chilli Soy Sauce, and Broth and Dipping Sauce for Noodles and Tofu. Try Chargrilled Pumpkin Salad with Labneh and Walnut Salsa and Butternut with Buckwheat Polenta and Tempura Lemons too.

Explore our other Miso recipes here and have a look at our Salad Dressings. We have some other Dipping Sauces too. Browse our Japanese recipes and our simple, Early Summer dishes.

A Special Pumpkin Soup

You can never have too many pumpkin soup recipes. They abound, to be sure. But, comforting and nourishing, they are frequently on the menu at our place. Also, they are perfect dinner items from Autumn through Winter and into Spring, which means they are very versatile. We always make a large pot, and then vary the soup each meal by adding chilli or pesto, tomato paste or milk/cream and adding different herbs – basil, parsley, coriander (cilantro).

This pumpkin soup has a tang to it with the addition of sweet sherry! An old ingredient indeed, but that does not mean that it doesn’t have the occasional place in the modern kitchen.

This is a great dish for Thanksgiving, if you celebrate that US festival. Other Thanksgiving recipes are here.

Similar recipes include South Indian Pumpkin Soup, Cream of Roasted Swede Soup,  French Cream of Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Soup with Red Peppers, and Pumpkin Cooked with Lashings of Butter.

You might like to browse other Pumpkin Soup recipes, and all of our Pumpkin recipes. Try other Soup recipes too. Or simply explore our easy Mid Winter recipes.

Indian Style Slightly Sweet and Sour Pumpkin and Sweet Potato | Kaddu ki Sabzi | Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Subzi

The challenge of every xmas – and Thanksgiving, for that matter – is how to use the left over roasted pumpkin. I have found the solution.

Inspired by The Back Yard Lemon Tree, I took the Delhi Style Sweet and Sour Pumpkin and mixed it up a little to use up several different xmas leftovers. It was delicious. Do read the original recipe – it is from Madhur Jaffrey.

Are you looking for similar recipes? Try Pumpkin Curry, Pumpkin Soup and Pumpkin Risotto. And try these Sweet Potato dishes: Sweet Potato Subzi with Yoghurt, and Potato and Sweet Potato Spicy Curry.

Try other Subzis – Kohlrabi Subzi, Carrots and Green Peas Subzi, and Potato and Spinach Subzi.

You might also like to explore all of our Subzi recipes, all of our Pumpkin recipes and all of our Sweet Potato dishes.  Have a look at all of our Indian Vegetable Curries, and all of our Indian recipes. Or simply explore our Early Autumn dishes.

Pumpkin Soup with Red Peppers

A chilli pumpkin soup that can be eaten hot, at room temperature, or frozen for another day. It is one of our great collection of Pumpkin Soups – you can check out the other ones here.

Are you looking for similar dishes? Try Special Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Risotto, and Ginger, Garlic Lentil Soup.

You can browse  all of our Soup recipes and check out our collection of pumpkin dishes. Or explore our Mid Winter dishes.

Caramelised Roast Pumpkin Risotto

When caramelised pumpkin and risotto come together it is a beautiful partnership. The deep intense and slightly sweet flavours of butternut pumpkin with the creaminess of the risotto rice create a dish that will feature in your kitchen again and again.

Risotto is made by meditatively stiring risotto rice as it cooks, which brings out its creaminess. Read more about the Risotto Basics, and how to caramelise pumpkin.

You might also want to try Asparagus Risotto, Tomato Risotto, Eggplant Risotto and Beetroot Risotto.

Browse all of the Risotto recipes, our Italian recipes and our Pumpkin recipes. All of our Rice recipes are here. Or explore our Late Autumn dishes.