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Moroccan sweet pumpkin salad
شلاظة القرعة الحمرا (shlada gar'a hamra): red pumpkin cooked down with honey, cinnamon and ginger
In Fes and Meknes no Friday couscous lunch starts without a ring of little cooked salads, and the sweet red pumpkin one is the children's favourite. Chunks of pumpkin are softened with a little oil, then cooked down with honey, cinnamon and a pinch of ginger until they collapse into a glossy, jammy mash with a few chunks left. Serve it at room temperature with bread, alongside sharper salads like zaalouk or carrots with cumin. Cooks often add too much water and end up with soup; the pumpkin gives off its own juice, so start almost dry. Chef's tip: scatter toasted sesame seeds over just before serving for crunch against the sweetness.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb red pumpkin or butternut squashpeeled, seeded, 3 cm chunks
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp orange-blossom wateropt
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seedsopt
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Put 2 ¼ lb red pumpkin or butternut squash, 2 tbsp olive oil and ¼ cup water in a wide pan, cover and cook over a medium heat until the pumpkin is soft enough to crush with a spoon.
15 minStep 2: Uncover, add 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground ginger and ¼ tsp salt and cook, stirring and crushing roughly with a wooden spoon, until the liquid has evaporated and the mash is thick and shiny.
10 minStep 3: Keep cooking a few more minutes on a low heat, stirring often so it doesn't catch, until it starts to pull away from the pan.
5 minStep 4: Stir in 1 tsp orange-blossom water, cool to room temperature and serve sprinkled with 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds. It keeps 4 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does moroccan sweet pumpkin salad take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of honey?
- Maple syrup or golden syrup, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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