You could say that this is the dish that launched the idea for this Website in the first page. Back when I was working at the food restaurant, I submitted this Sweet Pumpkin dish to my boss as a possible addition to our upcoming vegetable focused buffet. He and our recipe developer came up to me a few days later to tell me my mom was a gifted recipe creator, and that the kaddu—with its craveable sweet-and-sour flavor and sneaky complexity—was ingenious. For as long as I can remember, this squash has been a staple on our Thanks giving table, which is usually a turkey-less, very quintessentially *desi dish* affair. It’s my absolute favorite way to eat Pumpkin, particularly when wrapped up in a puri (fried bread), and served alongside the hearty potato-tomato stew Aloo Ki Sabji. But rotis or naan work beautifully as accompaniments, too. There are no bad ways to eat kaddu.
Ingredients for 4 Serves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- ½ teaspoon red chile powder
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (optional, but really great)
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 1 large Pumpkin (about 1 KG ), peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more if needed
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime), plus more if needed
- 4 medium Roma tomatoes, diced into ½-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (stems and leaves), for garnish
How to make Sweet Pumpkin Cubes
- In a large, deep sauté pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the fenugreek seeds and cook until they start to sputter, which should be within seconds. Reduce the heat to medium-low and swirl in the turmeric. Add the onion and sauté until it just starts to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chile powder, asafetida (if using), and ginger and cook for 1 minute, then add the butternut squash and salt. Cover and cook until the squash is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in the lime juice, tomatoes, and brown sugar. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the tomatoes are soft but still retain their shape, about 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust the lime juice and salt if needed.
- Sweet Pumpkin is ready to be served Garnish with the cilantro before serving.
