Recipes for People Who Don't Like Pumpkin

....plus one for people who do!!!!!

Around the world, pumpkins are loved.

Did you know that China is the biggest consumer of pumpkin? China, India and Russia consume more pumpkins than the United States (Global Trade Magazine, Oct. 17, 2019). China has been incorporating pumpkin into their cuisine since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in dishes like pumpkin cake (nan gua bing), pumpkin soup, and stir fried with meats or fish.

In India, pumpkin is cooked with lentils (sambar), in pumpkin curry, and sweet pumpkin raitha.

And in Russia, they pickle it, make pumpkin syrniki and dumplings (vareniki).

So one of the most intriguing recipes I have tried is for these beautiful golden, gooey, chewy, pan-fried Chinese pumpkin cakes. For this recipe you can use a can of pureed pumpkin.

Pan Fried Chinese Pumpkin Cakes (nan gua bing) (recipe from msshiandmrhe.com)

Have you had mochi? Or mochi ice cream? That addictive chewy exterior is made with sweet rice flour and is the same outside coating for these little cakes. Intriguing.

You can make these with or without filling. I like it with the filling. Traditionally it is offered at times with a sweet red bean paste inside, which is also delicious. To Westernize the recipe, think of adding pumpkin pie spice to the dough before filling.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 cup sweet rice flour

Filling:

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup ground walnuts

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup white sesame seeds

1/4 cup neutral flavored oil

Directions:

Mix the puree, sugar and flour well with your hands until it is a soft dough. Pull off balls, roll them smooth in your hands, then slightly flatten to receive the filling. You can add some water if needed to bring it together. It should be a flat circle about the size of the inside palm of your hand.

Mix the sugar, walnuts and flour well. Drop 1 tablespoon filling onto each flattened pumpkin cake. Bring the dough together to cover the filling in a ball shape again, then flatten into thick rounds. Press each round into the sesame seeds.

Heat the oil on medium low heat. When hot, add the cakes and cook for 4 minutes each side. Remove to paper towels. Then enjoy while they are still hot.

I love this recipe for Pumpkin and Coconut Curry from India. Photo and recipe (slightly modified by me) are courtesy of Jovita from Yummyaddiction.com. I serve it with warm naan or flatbread to scoop up the leftover sauce.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons coconut oil

3 cloves garlic , minced

1 1-inch piece fresh ginger , peeled and minced

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1 cup red lentils

1 lb. fresh peeled pumpkin , diced

1 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes

2 cups vegetable broth

salt and pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 14oz can full fat coconut milk

2 tablespoons creamy peanut or almond butter

juice from 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes for garnish

basmati rice or flatbread (naan, roti, paratha) , for serving

Directions:

Heat the coconut oil in a large, deep skillet or a large saucepan and add the garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the turmeric, cumin, curry powder, chili powder, and garam masala and cook, stirring, for a minute more until fragrant.

Add the lentils, pumpkin, canned tomatoes, broth and sugar. Stir to combine. Give a taste and add salt and pepper to taste.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, until the lentils are cooked through and mostly softened and the pumpkin is tender.

Remove the lid, increase the heat, and add the coconut milk (reserve about ¼ cup for garnish if you want to get some white color in the skillet as in my photos), peanut butter, and lemon juice. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes more.

Turn off the heat. Sprinkle with coconut flakes and top with the reserved coconut milk, if desired.

Serve with cooked basmati rice or Indian flatbread (naan, roti, paratha).

This last recipe is for pumpkin lovers! It is from Ina Garten. I love making my Creme Caramel in the traditional French manner, however this one is pretty awesome. It is more work than a French Creme Caramel, but fun to make this time of year. Give it a try!! It should serve 8-10.

Ina Garten’s Pumpkin Flan with Maple Caramel

Ingredients:

For the caramel:

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup pure Grade A maple syrup

1/3 cup water

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the flan:

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

1/2 cup (4 ounces) Italian mascarpone

4 extra-large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I would use 2 teaspoons)

1/2 teaspoon pure maple extract (more to taste)

2 teaspoons grated orange zest (2 oranges)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

1. For the caramel, combine the sugar, maple syrup and 1/3 cup water in a small deep heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil, swirling the pan (don’t stir!) to dissolve the sugar. Cook at a low boil without stirring for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture turns a golden brown and registers 230 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn! Off the heat, swirl in the salt and immediately pour into an 8-by-2-inch round cake pan (not a springform!). Set aside to cool for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, canned pumpkin and mascarpone in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-low speed until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla, maple extract, orange zest, cinnamon and nutmeg. Gently pour the pumpkin mixture into the pan with the caramel so they don’t combine.

3. Place the pan in a roasting pan large enough to hold the cake pan flat and fill the roasting pan with enough of the hottest tap water to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake in the center of the oven for 70 to 75 minutes, until the custard is just set. It will be firm but still jiggle slightly in the middle; a knife inserted into the center of the flan will come out clean. Remove the flan from the water bath, place on a cooling rack and cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Don’t tilt the pan or the caramel will run out!

4. Run a small knife around the edge of the flan. Turn a flat serving plate with a slight lip over the cake pan and flip them, turning the flan out onto the plate. The caramel should run out over the flan. Cut into wedges and serve with the caramel spooned over each slice.

Hope you are enjoying pumpkin season. See you next week! Hillary