Roasted Butternut Squash with Pumpkin Seed Masala

120 Min

GF

Roasted Butternut Squash with Pumpkin Seed Masala

One day, I had a large chunk of butternut squash left over, so I drizzled it in olive oil and sprinkled it with salt, wrapped it in a piece of foil, put it in the oven and then forgot about it. Two hours later, I took it out and it had turned into this glorious piece of roasted, caramelized squash like I had never seen before. Here is the recipe that followed.

Share this recipe

Cook Time

2 Hours

Serves

4

Directions

Step 1

Heat the oven to 350°F. Rub the butternut squash in olive oil and salt, wrap it tightly in foil and place it in the oven. After an hour, turn the heat down to 250°F for another 30 minutes.

Step 2

In a small frying pan, heat the olive oil and pop coriander and mustard seeds. Turn the heat off and add the pumpkin seeds, herbs, and salt.

Step 3

Drizzle the pumpkin seeds masala over the butternut squash, alternating with the plain yogurt. Serve immediately.

Notes & Variations

Replace the yogurt with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Replace the ghee with coconut or olive oil.
Depending on how accurate your oven temperature is, the squash may need less or more time, so check on it halfway through the baking process.
Use reserved portion of a large butternut squash or one whole squash.

Ingredients

6-inch thick piece of butternut squash (roughly 1 pound)

2 tablespoons ghee

Generous pinch of sea salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

2 tablespoons chopped herbs

Pinch of sea salt

2 to 3 tablespoons plain whole-milk yogurt

Step 1

Heat the oven to 350°F. Rub the butternut squash in olive oil and salt, wrap it tightly in foil and place it in the oven. After an hour, turn the heat down to 250°F for another 30 minutes.

Step 2

In a small frying pan, heat the olive oil and pop coriander and mustard seeds. Turn the heat off and add the pumpkin seeds, herbs, and salt.

Step 3

Drizzle the pumpkin seeds masala over the butternut squash, alternating with the plain yogurt. Serve immediately.

6-inch thick piece of butternut squash (roughly 1 pound)

2 tablespoons ghee

Generous pinch of sea salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

2 tablespoons chopped herbs

Pinch of sea salt

2 to 3 tablespoons plain whole-milk yogurt

Notes & Variations

Replace the yogurt with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Replace the ghee with coconut or olive oil.
Depending on how accurate your oven temperature is, the squash may need less or more time, so check on it halfway through the baking process.
Use reserved portion of a large butternut squash or one whole squash.

Tags:

120 Min

Stock Your Pantry

Essential Masala Dabba

$235

A handmade spice box containing red chile, turmeric, black pepper, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, amchur and garam masala.

Ghee

$10

Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in ancient India.

Ghee Pot

$40

A solid brass pot with steel lining. Ideal for ghee or other kitchen ingredients.

Nut & Seed Masala Dabba

$250

A handmade spice box containing masala cashews, spiced walnuts, pumpkin & sesame seeds, pine nuts, masala pistachios, hazelnuts & almonds.

Tags:

120 Min

Stock Your Pantry

Essential Masala Dabba

$235

A handmade spice box containing red chile, turmeric, black pepper, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, amchur and garam masala.

Ghee

$10

Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in ancient India.

Ghee Pot

$40

A solid brass pot with steel lining. Ideal for ghee or other kitchen ingredients.

Nut & Seed Masala Dabba

$250

A handmade spice box containing masala cashews, spiced walnuts, pumpkin & sesame seeds, pine nuts, masala pistachios, hazelnuts & almonds.

What's that? Oh, it's a pumpkin seed!

If you like pumpkin seeds in your food, try these out next!

ALWAYS A NICE SURPRISE

Yogurt Rice

Beet Mushroom Salad

120 Min

GF

Black Turtle Bean Curry with Butternut Squash

These turtle beans are not typically seen in India, however like most other beans they are delicious with spices. The butternut sqush adds a sweet, creamy flavor and makes for strikingly beautiful presentation.

40 Min

DF

GF

V

Roasted Butternut Squash

When you see a beautiful local butternut squash, buy it!

35 Min

GF

NF

Roasted Squash

Squash is one of those plain canvas kinds of vegetables that can absorb any flavor you put on them.

30 Min

DF

GF

V

Roasted Squash Curry

This curry is inspired by the stews of South India and can be prepared with other root vegetables also.

70 Min

DF

GF

V

Roasted Squash with Austrian Pumpkin Seed Oil

Emerald green, shiny, almost tarlike cold-pressed oil that tastes of smoky dark walnuts and pumpkin seeds, which pairs beautifully with roasted squash. I have also used it to top yogurt, chopped salads, roasted figs and to dip warm bread in.

60 Min

GF

Roasted Summer Squash with Avocado Raita

This is a quick and easy recipe to extract the best flavor out of summer squashes.

55 Min

GF

Roasted Zucchini with Blossoms

Every summer I watch as zucchini flowers — or squash blossoms — appear at farmer’s markets. Despite the excitement they evoke and entire menus at some restaurants dedicated to this delicate flower, I often wonder what the fuss is all about. They are visually beautiful but, flavor-wise, for me it’s like biting into a wisp with mild zucchini flavor. When I do buy them, they get tossed into salads or used as a garnish for something related. A couple of weeks ago an old friend, Ben Berryhill, who now owns and operates the Red Drum Café in Charleston, S.C., texted me a photo of the dinner he had prepared for his family: roasted zucchini topped with squash blossoms. Ben was the executive chef at Café Annie back in the late ’90s, where I learned everything. Needless to say, he inspired me to pick up some beautiful, pungent, yellow and green zucchini with bright-yellow blossoms at Gundermann Farms that weekend and cook them in a way to incorporate the blossoms. I still could not taste any real flavor from the blossoms, but it made for a delicious and beautiful lunch, devoured by those around me. Blue Heron Farm’s wonderful goat chèvre adds a delicious creamy texture, but feel free to replace it with any cheese of your choice.

35 Min

GF

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is quite the exciting discovery in my kitchen, and I hope you give it a try.

90 Min

GF

NF

Squash Potato Bake

The large bright green Opa squash (also known as bottle gourd, calabash, white gourd or lauki) is one of the most common squash varieties in India. Mostly used in cooked preparations like a sabzi or added to a lentil stews like dal, the opa squash can also be eaten raw, like in a raita. Unusually rich in vitamins and in soluble and insoluble fiber, it’s gentle on the stomach and easy to digest. In my childhood days, I remember an older aunt daily drinking the juice of the squash to successfully help her lose weight. Ayurvedic physicians commonly recommend it to patients to balance liver function. Look for this squash in Indian or Asian grocery markets. Despite its health benefits, the squash does need a boost of added flavor and this simple bake is one way to enjoy it for breakfast or a light lunch with a salad. If you prefer not using cream cheese, replace it with a nut butter of your choice.

30 Min

DF

GF

V

Squash Spinach Curry

Spinach cooked with vegetables or meat is a common combination - however, here we are being careful to barely cook the spinach so it remains bright and flavorful.

40 Min

DF

GF

V

Stuffed Squash

Pattypan squash is small & shallow with scalloped edges. This squash is easy to handle because its skin isn’t too thick & cooks relatively quickly.

45 Min

DF

GF

V

Stuffed Summer Squash

The mild flavor of squash takes on the aromatic flavor of spices well!

30 Min

DF

GF

V

Asparagus Pilaf

Adding vegetables to rice is such a wonderful way to pump up flavor and nutrition that making plain rice seems almost boring in comparison. We’ve noticed children particularly like it and it’s one way to get them to eat more vegetables. A nice way to welcome spring is by mincing asparagus and adding it to the pilaf at the end of cooking. This cooks it slightly yet maintains the bright chlorophyll green color of the vegetable as it folds into the flavor of the rice beautifully. Try this rice pilaf on its own or with a curry of your choice.

20 Min

DF

GF

V

Beet Mushroom Salad

Salads with an element of something warm and freshly cooked are so much more exciting than cold salads.

15 Min

GF

Cherry Tomato Mango Salad

Summer is the season for tomatoes and mangos. Careful to not use too many mangos in this salad or it becomes overly sweet.

30 Min

DF

GF

V

Classic Bean Salad

A bean salad tucked away in the refrigerator has made for a wonderful late-night snack after busy nights at the restaurant, especially during the holiday season. Over the last few months, I’ve experimented with umpteen combinations, none of which I have stuck to. I always start with soaking one cup of beans overnight (this cuts the cooking time in half), cooking them to softness the next day and adding a changing assortment of vegetables, herbs, nuts, or dry fruits. I’ve embellished some with roasted carrots, others with steamed asparagus, peanuts, walnuts, cilantro, mint and much more. In the last few weeks, I finally arrived at a combination that I have made for three 3 weeks straight and one I am excited to share with you. Raw purple cabbage, celery and beans make the base of this salad, and one can go in so many directions with it. It makes a great light lunch on its own or pairs it with a sandwich or soup. The best part is that cabbage and celery taste better wilted and after they’ve marinated in the juices for an hour or two. The salad tastes delicious for up to three days so use it for a healthy late-night snack.

20 Min

DF

GF

V

Drunken Fig Salad

In the winter dried figs soaked in rum or bourbon make for a great addition to a salad.

40 Min

GF

Mashed Sweet Potato Puree

This sweet potato mash can make a great companion to grilled meats, vegetables, and seafood.

60 Min

DF

Pumpkin Spiced Muffin & Seed Crumble

This pumpkin spiced muffin has a lovely texture with buckwheat and rice flour topped with a tasty crunchy crumble.

120 Min

GF

Roasted Turnip Salad

When Harukei turnips are in season during spring-time we try to find many ways to eat them however one of the best way to coax flavor out of them is to roast them.

20 Min

DF

GF

Scallop Watercress Salad

Native to Asia and rich in vitamins, watercress is one of the oldest greens known for consumption by mankind

45 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Seed Crackers

Here is a delicious savory cracker with a touch of sweet using mostly calcium-rich sesame seeds, magnesium-rich pumpkin seeds, fragrant spices and maple syrup.

45 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Swiss Chard Pilaf

High in antioxidants and dietary fiber, one cup of braised chard provides more than the recommended daily dose of vitamin A. Enjoy this pilaf with soup or dal, curried lentils.

45 Min

GF

NF

Yogurt Rice

A staple of South Indian cuisine, particularly during sweltering summers, yogurt rice or curd rice in its simplest form is steamed white rice tossed with plain whole-milk yogurt. It is usually eaten cold at the end of a meal to help aid in digestion and cool the palate after eating spicy, warming foods. In its most glorious form, the yogurt rice combination is tempered with ghee, mustard seeds, red chiles, fresh coconut, curry leaves, herbs, nuts, and dry fruits. There comes a time every summer when the Texas heat cries out for cooling foods like these — that time is now. This version is more like a rice yogurt salad, flavored with saffron, herbs, celery, and lots of tangy seasonings. Keep it tucked away in your refrigerator for 2 to 3 days; the flavors of saffron will only get more luscious and the yogurt rice will make a delicious snack or a side dish.

45 Min

NF

Zucchini Semolina Bread

Another snack inspired by the Indian state of Gujarat, this semolina bread bears close resemblance to the “handvo,” a savory hearty vegetable bar usually eaten with a cup of chai.

120 Min

GF

Black Turtle Bean Curry with Butternut Squash

40 Min

DF

GF

V

Roasted Butternut Squash

When you see a beautiful local butternut squash, buy it!

35 Min

GF

NF

Roasted Squash

Squash is one of those plain canvas kinds of vegetables that can absorb any flavor you put on them.

30 Min

DF

GF

V

Roasted Squash Curry

This curry is inspired by the stews of South India and can be prepared with other root vegetables also.

Drinks

Drinks

Hot Drinks

Cold Drinks

Cocktails

Condiments

Condiments

Raita

Chutneys

Pickles

Masala

Grains

Grains

Buckwheat

Khichri

Millet

Noodles

Quinoa

Rice

Whole Grains

Dough

Dough

Roti

Paratha

Naan

Bread

Crackers

Pizza

Batter

Batter

Dosas

Pancakes

Crepes

Savory Baked

Savory Baked

Biscuits

Bread Pudding

Soups

Soups

Light Soup

Creamy Soup

Dal Soup

Stews

Cold Soup

Snacks

Snacks

Chaat

Spreads

Fried Snacks

Nosh

Legumes

Legumes

Dal

Beans

Salads

Salads

Veg Salads

Non-Veg Salads

Land & Sea

Land & Sea

Eggs

Birds

Meat

Fish

Shellfish

Paneer

Paneer

Paneer

Vegetables

Vegetables

Sabzi

Potatoes

Mushrooms

Eggplants

Cauliflower

Squashes

Root Vegetables

Vegetable Curries

Green Vegetables

Okra