Ingredients

Method

• 2 onions, chopped
• 30 g butter
• 1 kg pumpkin, peeled, diced, steamed and drained
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 slices brown bread, crusts trimmed
• 1¼ cups buttermilk
• 3 free-range eggs
• ¼ cup dried apricots, finely chopped
• 1 apple, peeled and grated
• ¼ cup seedless raisins
• 2 T brown sugar
• 1 T mild curry powder
• Bay or lemon leaves
• ¼ t turmeric
For serving
• Brown rice cooked with lentils
• Mango atchar or chutney, or both

Method

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Gently cook the onion in the heated butter until meltingly soft and pale golden.

Mash the pumpkin and mix it with the onion.

Season to taste.

Tear the bread into bits and mash it with 65ml (¼ cup) of buttermilk and 1 beaten egg.

Mix with the apricot, apple, raisins, sugar, curry powder, lemon juice, pumpkin and onions, and salt and pepper to taste.

Turn into a buttered baking dish (one large dish or individual dishes), and stud with a few leaves.

Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. B

eat the remaining 2 eggs with the rest of the buttermilk and the turmeric, and pour over the baked pumpkin.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the topping is set. Serve with brown and lentil rice and mango atchar.

TASTE’s take:

This traditional dish based on pure pumpkin makes a surprisingly good vegetarian alternative. Butternut works well too.