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.
