Pumpkin is super affordable and with a little time and spice you can feed a lot of people.
Pumpkin, or as we call it in Guyana, “punk-in”, is eaten all year round and pretty much at any meal. When I was growing up and went on vacation to the countryside, the women of the villages used to wake up before the fowlcock crowed to “light up the fireside” – an outdoor wood-fired daub stove that filled the air with a lovely smoky scent.
This vegetable can be served with roti for breakfast, lunch and dinner, or with rice for lunch. Pumpkins can be cooked vegan, or with tofu, or beef, or chicken, or shrimps, or even with salted beef which gives it an amazing flavour of sweet pumpkins and salty umami.
NOTE: If you are using meat; season the meat well, cook off the water and let it fry-down before adding the pumpkin.
I love eating pumpkin as a vegetable, whether it is stewed with lots of tomatoes, or curried with a fragrant masala, or made into savoury fritters it is all delicious for me. It is fantastic in soups and breads too.
And of course, for the sweet-eating crowd, it’s great in cakes, conkie, and muffins.
Pumpkin by any other name is a pumpkin, and I am referring to Kabocha, the Japanese winter squash that can be found everywhere. It has the same squat round shape, dark green skin and bright yellow-orange flesh. Some are bred to be too sweet, so ask around for the most savoury ones.
I get mine from Forstbauer Family Natural Food Farm, they have the best ones for savoury dishes.
The easiest way to peel this tough gourd, or kabocha, is to stick a chef’s knife directly into its middle below the stem, then work the knife down and around until it splits in two.
From there, turn each half facedown on the cutting board, and cut it off into 2-inch slices.
Then use a paring knife to slice off and discard the innards and the peel, before you wash and dice the flesh.
Rich in beta-carotene, fibre, and vitamin C, pumpkin has long served as a foundation for nourishment in Caribbean homes. Stewed slowly with onions, garlic, herbs and a touch of heat, it breaks down into a soft, fragrant, and delicious dish.
Pumpkin is super affordable. With a little time and spice one little gourd could stretch to feed many while bringing so much warmth and love to any table.
• 2 tbsp oil olive oil 1. In a deep pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, thyme, and pepper. Sauté until soft and fragrant. Serve hot with roti, white rice, or fried bakes. This stewed pumpkin is true Guyanese soul food. You can dress it up with fried eggplant or dhal on the side, or let it shine solo. As Grannies used to say, “eat yuh pumpkin and grow yuh brain nah.”
Ingredients
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1–2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 small ripe tomato, diced
• 1 wiri-wiri pepper or 1/4 tsp chilli flakes
• 4–5 cups pumpkin, peeled and chopped
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 cup chicken brothInstructions
2. Add the diced tomato and cook until well broken down.
3. Stir in pumpkin pieces, salt, and black pepper. Toss well to coat in the aromatics.
4. Add a splash of broth — just enough to prevent sticking.
5. Cover and let it cook on low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin breaks down and becomes soft and slightly mashed. Add more liquid if needed.
6. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
7. Optional: mash gently with the back of a spoon to create a smoother texture or leave a few chunks if preferred.Notes