Pumpkin. Turban. Zucchini. Sweet Dumpling. Japanese Squash. Gold Acorn. Delicata. Buttercup. Pettypan. Can anyone possibly name all the types of squash? There are summer squashes and winter squashes, and even evergreen types. And all those colors and unusual shapes.
In this recipe, I used ‘oriental squashes’, also known as ‘local pumpkins’ in Asia (or what is referred to as Japanese or Chinese pumpkins in the US). They usually come in two colors - green and tan. And because of the tropical climate, the plant grows year-round.
No matter what the color is on the outside, I always love the yellow-orange glow of the sweet, dense fruit inside.
On the quest for eating delicious healthy foods in our hurried lifestyle, I have been cooking up pumpkin once a week.
Sometimes I cut the pumpkin into cubes, stir-fry, and serve with rice, but today I’m sharing a simple recipe of coating the squash with warm spices and herbs and roasting it to a deep yellow color.
There’s no definitive spice blend for roasted pumpkin. I usually work with ground cumin, oregano/ thyme/ basil or bay leaf, olive oil, plenty of garlic, freshly ground black pepper and some fun flavored sea salts. You can also top with a few walnuts for the added flavour and texture. And crunch of course!
When the wedges turn tender, take them out and serve just like that. The roasted spiced pumpkin will warm your stomach and lower any weekday stress.
Roasted Spiced Oriental Squash by Season with Spice
What you'll need:
One oriental squash (or similar squash/pumpkin) - peeled, sliced in half, and cut into boat-shaped wedges (1-2 inches wide per wedge)
½ tsp of Season with Spice's ground cumin
Generous dashes of ground or cracked black pepper
Pinch of sea salt (I used our Curry Spiced Sea Salt)
Dried herbs (I used both bay leaves and oregano. Basil or thyme work well too)
2 to 3 cloves of garlic, diced
Olive oil
Butter (optional)
Handful of walnuts (optional)
The Process:
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 425°F.
2. Place pumpkin (or squash) wedges on a baking tray. Dribble olive oil on each pumpkin wedge, and sprinkle cumin, dried herbs, curry spiced sea salt, black pepper, and garlic on top.
3. Add one thin slab of butter on each wedge (optional).
4. Bake for approximately 40 minutes in the oven, or until the pumpkin is tender and a rich yellow color. Sprinkle on a little more curry spiced sea salt if needed.
Notes:
1. Try out our Sweet & Spicy Curry Powder, garam masala, nutmeg or cinnamon powder for other exciting flavors. But go easy on the amount since the spices should complement, not overpower, the taste of the pumpkin.
2. Pumpkins should take about 15-20 minutes to cook if cut into smaller bite-size chunks.
3. For any leftovers - turn it into a salad by tossing in some onion and chickpeas, and drizzling it with light citrusy vinaigrette.
What you'll need:
One oriental squash (or similar squash/pumpkin) - peeled, sliced in half, and cut into boat-shaped wedges (1-2 inches wide per wedge)
½ tsp of Season with Spice's ground cumin
Generous dashes of ground or cracked black pepper
Pinch of sea salt (I used our Curry Spiced Sea Salt)
Dried herbs (I used both bay leaves and oregano. Basil or thyme work well too)
2 to 3 cloves of garlic, diced
Olive oil
Butter (optional)
Handful of walnuts (optional)
The Process:
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 425°F.
2. Place pumpkin (or squash) wedges on a baking tray. Dribble olive oil on each pumpkin wedge, and sprinkle cumin, dried herbs, curry spiced sea salt, black pepper, and garlic on top.
3. Add one thin slab of butter on each wedge (optional).
4. Bake for approximately 40 minutes in the oven, or until the pumpkin is tender and a rich yellow color. Sprinkle on a little more curry spiced sea salt if needed.
Notes:
1. Try out our Sweet & Spicy Curry Powder, garam masala, nutmeg or cinnamon powder for other exciting flavors. But go easy on the amount since the spices should complement, not overpower, the taste of the pumpkin.
2. Pumpkins should take about 15-20 minutes to cook if cut into smaller bite-size chunks.
3. For any leftovers - turn it into a salad by tossing in some onion and chickpeas, and drizzling it with light citrusy vinaigrette.
