Recipe of the day: Roasted pumpkin with smoky chilli tomato sala

We usually think of pumpkin as a warm, sweet dish. Here, we’ve added zesty citrus and acidic tomato to cut through its natural sweetness, for a whole new flavour sensation.

Ingredients

4 (about 1.8kg) Hokkaido pumpkins or butternuts 

Salt and milled pepper 

Glug olive oil 50g cashew nuts, toasted and seasoned with fine salt 

Fresh coriander and basil, for serving   

Salsa 

3 red chillies 

4 red snacking peppers 

3 Tbsp (45ml) olive oil blend + extra for frying

 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 

2cm knob fresh ginger, peeled and grated 200g small tomatoes (rosa or cherry) 

Dash fish sauce Juice (60ml) of 1 lemon or 2 limes  

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C. 

Cut pumpkin or butternut into 3-5cm wedges. 

Place on a roasting tray, packing loosely to avoid steaming, season and drizzle with oil. 

Roast for 40-45 minutes until slightly blistered and tender. 

Pierce chillies and peppers onto forks (for best handling) and char over an open gas flame (this step is optional – it adds bitterness and sweetness to your dish). 

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a pan over low heat and fry garlic and ginger for 2-3 minutes. 

Finely chop charred chilli and peppers (discard seeds of peppers but leave chilli seeds if you want the extra heat). 

Add to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.  

Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes. 

Stir through tomatoes, fish sauce and citrus juice to make salsa. 

Serve pumpkin with salsa spooned over it, scatter with cashews and top with coriander and basil.