Green Butternut Squash Fritters

Green Butternut Squash - Use the narrow upper portion

For the batter :
Chickpea Flour / Besan - 3 tbsp
Brown Rice Flour - 2 tbsp
Nigella Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Water
Salt
Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Baking Soda - a pinch

I got so excited when I saw this huge butternut squash in my vegetable garden that I picked it without even thinking whether it has ripened. When I cut it open, I found it was light green inside and definitely not the yellow ripe squash. I didn't want to throw it away ...... after all it was the first butternut squash I harvested from my own garden. So I thought nothing tastes bad if they are deep fried and I could use up some of it by making fritters. They turned out to be so tasty and crispy and I used up the remaining by adding it to a yellow mung bean soup.


Peel the butternut squash and cut into thin roundels. Make a thick batter by mixing chickpea flour, brown rice flour, nigella seeds, salt, cayenne pepper, baking soda and water.

Heat a cast iron skillet and add peanut oil to cover half inch depth of the skillet.

Once the oil is hot, dip each roundel into the batter and place gently on the hot oil. Add more roundels dipped in batter but do not over crowd the skillet. Cook for a few minutes till the bottom side is golden brown. Flip and cook till the other side is browned. Remove on a paper towel.

Serve immediately while it is still hot and crispy.

 

Sending this post to the following event http://www.ticklingpalates.com/2012/08/lets-cook-18-starters-appetizers.html

 

 

Spicy Butternut Squash with Peanuts

Butternut Squash - 1 small, peel and cut into small cubes
Raw Peanuts - 1/2 cup
Virgin Coconut Oil - 1 tbsp
Panch Phoron / Five Spice Mix - 1 tsp (a mix of fennel, mustard, cumin, nigella, fenugreek seeds)
Dry Red Chili - 2
Hing / Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Salt
Ginger - 1/2 inch, grated
Turmeric - a pinch
Dessicated Coconut - 2 tsp
Roasted Cumin Powder - 2 tsp
Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Cilantro / Parsley - a handful, chopped

Heat oil in a cast iron skillet. Add the five spice mix, hing and dry red chili and saute for a few seconds.

Now add the cubed butternut squash, peanuts, grated ginger, coconut, turmeric and salt. Mix well with the spices. Cover and cook on low heat for a few minutes.

Remove the cover, sprinkle a little water and add the roasted cumin powder and cayenne pepper. Cover and cook for a few minutes more till the squash is soft and cooked.

Sprinkle chopped cilantro on top and serve.

Kumro Bharta / Spicy Mashed Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash - 1 small
Kala Chana Sprouts / Black Chickpea Sprouts - 1 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp
Paanch Phoron - 1 tsp (a mix of cumin, fennel, nigella, fenugreek, mustard seeds)
Hing / Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Green Chili - 2, chopped
Garlic - 1 clove, grated
Onion - 1/2 cup, chopped
Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Salt

Place the kala chana sprouts in a sauce pan, cover with an inch of water and bring to boil. Reduce the flame and simmer for around 30 minutes till the chana gets soft. Remove from heat and drain the remaining liquid.

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut the butternut squash  into 2 pieces, lengthwise. Remove the seeds from inside. Take a baking sheet / dish and add 1/4 inch water. Place the squash cut sides down and bake for around an hour till the squash is fork soft. Cool and remove the skin and coarsely mash.

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the panch phoron and hing. Then add the green chili, grated garlic and chopped onion and cook till the onion gets soft.

Add cooked kala chana, mashed squash, cayenne pepper and salt. Mix well and cook for a few minutes more till the spices mix together. Serve hot.

Butternut Squash with Black Beans

Adapted from http://www.ecurry.com/blog/curries/dry/butternut-squash-with-black-beans-and-walnuts/

Butternut Squash - 1/2, peeled and cut into cubes
Black Beans - 1/2 cup, soaked overnight and cooked in cooker till done
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ginger - 1 tsp, finely sliced
Green Chillies - 4
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Toasted Walnuts - a handful
Lemon Juice
Salt
Cilantro - a handful for garnishing

Heat oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and green chillies.

The add the butternut cubes and ginger slices. Cook on high heat, tossing frequently, till the cubes turn light brown on all sides.

Add black beans, salt, cumin and red chilli powder, a quarter cup of water and cover and cook till the cubes are tender.

Add the toasted walnuts, lemon juice and garnish with cilantro.

Alu Kumro Chholar Tarkari / Butternut Squash and Potato Curry

Butternut Squash - 1/2, cut into medium sized cubes
Potato - 1/2, cut into cubes
Kala chana / Whole Bengal gram - 1/2 cup, soaked, sprouted and cooked
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Grated ginger - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Hing - 2 pinches
Roasted Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Bay leaves - 2
Whole dry red chillies - 2
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt
Ghee - 1 tsp
Chopped Onion - 2 tbsp
Water - 1 cup

Heat oil in a pan. Temper with cumin seeds, bay leaves, hing and the dry red chilies.

Add chopped onion to the oil and fry for a few minutes. Add the potatoes and the cooked chana and fry till light brown.

Then add the ginger paste, pumpkin, turmeric, cumin powder and salt. Cook uncovered for a few minutes. Then cover and add a cup of water and cook till all the vegetables are well done.

Add a tsp of ghee on top and remove from heat. Serve with puris.