Do you like Pumpkins?
Yes, that's wonderful; here is another pumpkin recipe. It's from a workshop that I attended and loved.
Pumpkins are one of the ideal vegetables for the autumn and winter months. They are sweet in taste, which means they nourish the body. The sweet taste calms Vata dosha, which is now dominant.
Did you know that pumpkin has naturally sedative qualities? Due to its heavy quality, pumpkin makes you feel just that, heavy, grounded, and comfortable all around. This makes pumpkins again ideal for the busy, windy, unsettling Vata time. However, the slight dryness of pumpkins needs to be balanced for Vata dosha by adding oil or ghee.
In addition, pumpkin is full of beta-carotene, like carrots, a great source of vitamin A and an antioxidant.
Pitta dosha benefits greatly from pumpkin's unctuous/gooey and cool qualities, giving it an anti-inflammatory effect for soothing ulcers, acid reflux, an irritated gut, and in cases of hot, burning sensations in the digestive tract.
So much goodness; let’s tug in, shall we?
For two servings, you need the following:
½ pumpkin (Hokkaido is great, it doesn't require peeling), 100 gr risotto rice, about 600 ml vegetable stock or more according to the consistency you like (I like it creamy and need maybe a little more), oil,
onion, ginger, fennel seeds, turmeric, salt, pepper, lemon zest,
fresh parsley or basil, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds
How to prepare it:
Quarter and grate pumpkin (if you cook for two, you can use half a pumpkin). Prepare the vegetable stock. Dry roast either walnuts or pumpkin seeds.
Cut the onion finely, grate the ginger (make sure you remove all stringy bits) grind the fennel seeds.
Heat up the oil in a big enough saucepan, and sauté onions and ginger. Once translucent, add the pinch of turmeric and the fennel seeds, sauté a little longer, add the grated pumpkin and sauté for another couple of minutes.
Add the rice, ladle the vegetable stock slowly in, and wait between each ladle until the rice has absorbed the stock. Continue until the risotto has reached your preferred consistency.
Add salt, pepper, and grated lemon zest.
You can add feta, goat’s cheese, or mozzarella to make it creamier.
In the end, add the parsley/basil and the walnuts/pumpkin seeds for extra taste and texture.
And enjoy this nourishing and super yummy winter dish!
