Season of Pumpkins 

That orange pumpkin which you see abundantly in winters and is connected with Halloween and Thanksgiving is actually a fruit belonging to squash, watermelon and cucumber family. They are packed with nutrition making them good to eat in recipes and are also used to add flavour. Read more to find out how you can use pumpkins and create some mouth-watering dishes this season!

Pumpkin and Couscous Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 cups pumpkin, peeled and diced 
• 1/2 cup couscous
• 1/2 cup parsley
• 1 cup mixed bell peppers, diced
• 1/2 cup canned chickpeas
• 3 cups mixed salad leaves (baby spinach, beetroot leaves, rocket leaves)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1tbsp lemon juice
• 1 ½tbsp pumpkin seeds roasted
• 1/3 cup Kalamata olives
• 100g Feta cheese, diced
• 1/2 cup water
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil extra

Method:

1. In a double boiler, steam pumpkin for 12 to 15 minutes until tender; remove from fire and cool completely.
2. In a small saucepan, boil half cup water, add little salt, half tablespoon olive oil and couscous, stir to mix, cover with lid and turn off the fire.
3. In a large fry pan, heat half tablespoon oil, add pumpkin and bell peppers and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, sprinkle dash of salt and freshly ground pepper, remove from heat and cool.
4. Wash salad leaves in ice water and drain on absorbent paper.
5. Separate the grains of couscous with the help of a fork.
6. Make dressing by blending garlic, lemon, parsley, quarter cup olive oil, little salt and pepper in a blender.
7. In a bowl, add sautéed pumpkin, bell peppers, couscous, olives, salad leaves, chickpeas and feta cheese, drizzle all the dressing on top and gently toss it. Sprinkle toasted pumpkin seeds on top and serve.

About Simran

Simran is a celebrated chef and a winner of multi cooking competitions; she creates visual delights artfully by merging traditional flavours.

Pumpkin Muffins with Walnut Streusel

Ingredients:

• 3 cups pumpkin, peeled and diced
• 1 ¾ cup plain flour
• 1tsp baking soda
• ½ cup sunflower or vegetable oil 
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup milk
• 1tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 ½tsp all spice powder
• ½tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• ½tsp salt

For Streusel:

• ¾ cup plain
• 85g melted butter
• ½tsp cinnamon powder
• ½tsp all spice powder
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• ¼cup caster sugar
• Kosher salt
• ¼cup walnuts, finely chopped

For Maple Glaze:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1tbsp milk

Method:

1. In a double boiler, steam pumpkin for 12 to 15 minutes or until soft and cooked, remove and cool completely; blend to make purée.
2. In a bowl, sieve flour, cinnamon powder, all spice powder, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, add one and half cup pumpkin purée, eggs, brown sugar, caster sugar, oil and milk; combine them well and add to the dry ingredients. Mix gently and make sure there are no lumps in cake batter.
4. To make streusel, combine flour, sugar, spice powders, walnuts, kosher salt and melted butter together.
5. Preheat oven at 220 degree Celsius, place patty pans in a muffin tray of 12, pour the batter equally in muffin cases and cover the top with streusel.
6. Bake in oven for 6 minutes then reduce the temperature to 180 degree Celsius and bake further for 15 to17 minutes, until the skewer comes out clean.
7. Mix icing sugar, maple syrup and milk to make glaze, drizzle on top of baked muffins and serve.

Calorie Intake & Expenditure