Pumpkins were grown in Africa long before the Cape was colonised, and its popularity endures to this day.
Rural communities cook pumpkin simply – sliced and boiled, or cooked with maize kernels, pap (maize meal) or beans.
Early Dutch cooks mashed pumpkin with butter, sugar and cinnamon; this is an adaptation of that idea. The oven heat and cooking time aren't crucial, as pumpkin is normally roasted at the same time as meat.
Use butternut instead if your pantry is low on pumpkin, and leftovers whip up deliciously into pumpkin fritters. This super simple recipe is from Chef Tamsin Snyman’s Vegetable & Grains chapter in her cookbook Tortoises & Tumbleweeds
Ingredients:
- 750 g pumpkin
- 125 ml orange juice or water
- Sea salt
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 50 g coconut blossom sugar
- 100 g vegan butter, cut into cubes
Method:
Heat the oven to 180°C. Peel the pumpkin, cut into slices and remove the pips.
Arrange the pumpkin in a baking dish. Add the orange juice or water and salt lightly. Crumble in the cinnamon, sprinkle with sugar and dot with butter. Cover with the lid or foil.
Bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and baste the pumpkin with the sauce. Roast uncovered for a further 30 to 45 minutes until tender and well browned – switch on the oven griller at the end of cooking time if it needs more colour. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.
Serve these sweet and tender pumpkin slices on a pile of brown rice or quinoa and serve a big green salad alongside.
NOSH NOTES
If you don’t have vegan butter, a couple of teaspoons of coconut or olive oil will work beautifully.
If you can’t find coconut blossom sugar, you can use regular brown sugar but a good drizzle of maple syrup would be the best alternative.