Seasonal cooking – pumpkin

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• Tags: Autumn, Recipe, Vegetables

You may have noticed the wide variety of pumpkin and squash on display at your local farmers market recently.  These handsome autumn vegetables are versitle and delicious.  We love them roasted and in soups, so why not try something a bit different? Thanks to www.foodlovers.co.nz for this tasty seasonal recipe.

Pumpkin and Quinoa Cakes

This easy and yummy vegetarian recipe can be served as finger food with a dipping sauce, as a falafel in pita bread or served up with an autumnal vegetable salad.

• 200g quinoa, cooked and rinsed well and left to drain
• 1 small pumpkin or half a large pumpkin such as crown or kobocha, peeled and roasted till very soft
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground garam masala
• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 2 teaspoon freshly ground coriander
• Salt and pepper
• 1 handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 200 C.  In a large bowl mix all the ingredients together.  Use your fingers or a fork to squeeze the pumpkin into a mash.  I like to leave some lumps for interesting texture.  Make balls of the mixture and pat down flat to about 2.5 cm diameter.  Place them on a well greased oven tray and place them in the oven for up to 40 minutes.

You will need to turn them at least once to get both sides brown and crisp.  I turn them after around 15 minutes and then keep turning if they need it to get both sides the same.

Serve with a yoghurt dip of plain unsweetened yoghurt mixed with 2 teaspoons of pomegranate molasses (available at good food stores), more fresh coriander and a little sumac or lemon juice.