Pumpkin season is about to bless us very soon with its presence.
My annual home-grown pumpkin baby is putting on some healthy weight daily.
I would know. Because I’m sneaking glances at it everytime I pass the window, whispering ‘chashm-e-bad door‘ like a proud and slightly obsessed mamma.
I certainly can’t be the only one who finds themselves in this position every autumn. Overloaded with pumpkins. Unable to get enough. Practically juggling them. Blessing my valuable countertop real estate with them because they’re worth it. A spouse willing to support my passions, but understandably perplexed by it. Slightly overwhelmed, but absolutely loving it. By the end of the season, I’m sick to the bone of pumpkins.
But I do it allllll over again next year.
It’s not just me. Right? Right?
I digress.
If you’re keen on living your best pumpkin life, and not just by having pumpkin soup and pumpkin pie on repeat, you need to give these amazing Pakistani and Indian pumpkin recipes a try! From hearty curries, to cooling sides, and of course rich desserts, this list will keep you from falling into a pumpkin rut this autumn.
The BEST Pakistani + Indian Pumpkin Recipes
1
Hearty Pumpkin + Lamb Curry
My literal favourite pumpkin curry everrrrr to kick off this list felt like a good decision. A lamb and pumpkin curry is hearty, wholesome and incredibly warming on an autumn evening. Pairs beautifully with both rice and any flatbread of choice.
2
Pumpkin stripe
Raita is a pretty popular yogurt sauce served alongside rice and thick curries. It’s usually made with cucumbers and tomatoes, but you can actually use any vegetable, including pumpkins! I personally adore a good pumpkin raita when the pumpkin has been diced and roasted, but this recipe calls for grated pumpkin which is much more quick and convenient.
3
Pumpkin curry (bharta)
‘Bharta’ translates to ‘mash’ in Hindi and Urdu – very fitting of this curry! This is a great recipe that can be served as a main or a side alongside a meaty curry. Oh, and a buttered roti is an absolute must!
4
Squash Bharta (yogurt based)
This recipe is a cross between a raita and a curry. It involves roasting squash with a variety of warming spices, then chopping and stirring it into creamy yogurt to enjoy with bread. If the ‘squash marrow’ is confusing you, don’t fret – it’s very similar to a courgette and is from the same family as pumpkin. Pumpkin can be used here with no amendments to the recipe.
5
Pumpkin + Fish Curry (Bengali)
I have an undying, insatiable love for Bengali food. Particularly, I especially love how Bengali food uses vegetables in so many different combinations alongside meat and fish (which would by the way be unthinkable in Pakistani cooking!) and how it just WORKS so beautifully. And would you look at that dreamy chunk of Ilish fish…
6
Pumpkin Paratha
This recipe calls for pumpkin puree (fresh or canned) to be added in when kneading the dough for chapatti. This is an incredible way to get some pumpkin goodness in and would pair excellently alongside a Desi-style picke (achar), a vegetable-based curry or even a simple yogurt sauce (raita).
7
Pumpkin Halwa
A delightfully rich and fudgy Pakistani dessert which comes together very quickly. This is very similar to the very popular South Asian Carrot Halwa, and pairs exceptionally well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
8
Shahi Tukray (Bread Pudding) with Pumpkin
Bread… cream… cardamom… saffron… pumpkin… do I have your attention? This recipe sounds like luxury in an oven dish! I adore fusion food done right… and this is REALLY getting it all kinds of right… 😋
9
Pumpkin Barfi
Mithai (sweets) made using pumpkin… who’d have thought? This particular recipe uses roasted chickpea flour (besan) alongside canned pumpkin puree to create a deeply delicious looking sweet treat.
10
Pumpkin + Coconut Ladoos
Ladoos are traditionally made with lentils, however this recipe is more like a cross between a Desi ladoo (thanks to the ghee and chai spices) and a truffle (thanks to the white chocolate and cashew butter). This is the perfect sweet dish to take to a get-together this autumn!
11
Masala Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas)
This is an excellent waste-minimising way to make use of the abundance of seeds you’re inevitably left with after putting all those pumpkins to good use 😉
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