Name: Fried pumpkin with yoghurt-herb dressing and crisp onion
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: For shallow-frying: vegetable oil; 4 golden shallots, halved and thinly sliced; 1 kg peeled butternut pumpkin, cut into 3cm dice; 1 tsp each ground chilli, ground cumin and ground coriander; To serve: sumac and crusty bread; Tamari pepitas; 60 gm pepitas; 3 tsp tamari; 15 gm butter, coarsely chopped; Yoghurt-herb dressing; 200 ml Greek-style yoghurt, at room temperature; Juice of ½ lemon; 2 tbsp each thinly sliced mint and coarsely chopped dill, plus extra to serve; ½ tsp ground chilli

Fried pumpkin with yoghurt-herb dressing and crisp onion

Recipe for fried pumpkin with yoghurt-herb dressing and crisp onion.

Serves 4

Prep

15M

Cook

15M

Total

30M

This light salad works well as a side with roast meat such as chicken, or just on its own with crusty bread.

Ingredients

For shallow-frying: vegetable oil

4 golden shallots, halved and thinly sliced

1 kg peeled butternut pumpkin, cut into 3cm dice

1 tsp each ground chilli, ground cumin and ground coriander

To serve: sumac and crusty bread

Tamari pepitas

60 gm pepitas

3 tsp tamari

15 gm butter, coarsely chopped

Yoghurt-herb dressing

200 ml Greek-style yoghurt, at room temperature

Juice of ½ lemon

2 tbsp each thinly sliced mint and coarsely chopped dill, plus extra to serve

½ tsp ground chilli

Method

1.For tamari pepitas, preheat oven to 180C. Toss pepitas in a roasting pan with tamari and butter, season to taste, then roast, turning occasionally, until golden brown (4-7 minutes). Set aside to cool.

2.Reduce over to 140C. Heat 5cm oil in a deep saucepan over high heat until hot. Add shallots and fry, stirring continuously, until golden and crisp (3-5 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

3.Strain oil, return to pan and top up to a depth of 5cm. Toss pumpkin and spices in a bowl to coat, season to taste and shallow-fry in batches, turning occasionally, until pumpkin is tender and caramelised (4-6 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, then transfer to a baking tray and keep warm in oven.

4.For yoghurt-herb dressing, mix ingredients in a bowl and season to taste.

5.To serve, toss half the pumpkin in a bowl with yoghurt-herb dressing to coat, add remaining pumpkin and fold to just combine. Scatter with sumac, fried shallots, tamari pepitas and extra herbs, and serve with crusty bread.