Kaddo

[Tab]

I had this at an Afghani restaurant in Cambridge. You have to understand that I really hate squash and pumpkins and whatever. I am of the belief, though, that if you're at a really good restaurant that you should try stuff you don't normally like because they might be really good at it. Such was the case here. This was one of the most delicious things I've had, the squash came out sort of "candied", with a meat sauce on top. I couldn't get enough of it.

I have made this at home, less the meat sauce (primarily because of the hassle) but the technique for the squash is deceptively simple, and very tasty. I was fortunate enough not only to find the recipe in general, but actually the one published by the restaurant (which is Helmand's, named after the main river in Afghanistan).


Kaddo browrani

2 pounds small eating pumpkins
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup canola oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup water

Set the oven at 350 degrees.

Cut the pumpkin into chunks. Remove the seeds and strings, peel the skin, then slice the flesh into 2-inch pieces.

In medium skillet, heat the oil and brown pumpkin pieces, turning frequently, for 5 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Transfer the pumpkin to a roasting pan. Sprinkle it with sugar and cinnamon. Cover with foil and bake the pumpkin for 30 minutes or until it is tender.

For the yogurt sauce: In a bowl, stir together the yogurt, 1 clove of the garlic, and salt. Set the sauce aside.

For the meat sauce: In a skillet, heat the oil and cook the onions until lightly browned. Add the beef, the remaining clove of garlic, salt, and pepper and stir well. Add the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer the mixture for 20 minutes or until it cooks down to a thick sauce.

To serve: Spoon yogurt sauce onto each of 4 dinner plates. Add a wedge of pumpkin and ladle the meat sauce on top. Serves 4.

[Warpy]

1. Dulces de calabasas

is a candied pumpkin recipe you find all over Mexico and rarely here in NM at ethnic groceries. Most people do it at home in the fall rather than buy it premade here in the US. It's certainly easy enough and the end result is wonderful.

It's the same idea as your recipe but isn't served with a savory sauce. I can see that it would probably work, though.

http://www.recipezaar.com/Dulces-De-Calabasas-Mexican-Pumpkin-Candy-143075

[eleny]

2. It sounds delicious

A friend of mine showed me how to make ground meat baked inside a pumpkin. We used small pumpkins, prepared the ground meat with onions and put it in the pumpkin and baked it. So good.

I wonder if I could substitute another squash since I don't think they sell pumpkins at my store now. Pumpkin is more delicate but maybe some acorn squash. A light steaming of the chunks before browning might do the trick.

We like squash around here.

[Tab]

3. Consider that if you skip the meat sauce and yogurt

you're only really talking about four ingredients - pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, and oil. Carve up the pumpkin, brown, then coat and bake. I think I might have used brown sugar, although it wasn't specified, but it seemed appropriate.

It'd make a great Thanksgiving dish, prep it, bring it over, and bake. Of course, that's now 11 months from now...

It is pretty frickin' good, though, and considering that I hate anything squash-like (I think it's the texture), I'll assume that if you actually like stuff like that, you'll really like that preparation.