Description
Warm spices and sweet maple syrup coat tender roasted pumpkin, which is then tossed with fluffy quinoa and bright pomegranate seeds. A perfect, hearty salad for a cool day.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 small pumpkin (about 900g / 2 lb whole,before peeling)
- 1/4 cup (59ml) vegetable oil
- 2-3 garlic cloves (peeled and chopped into half)
- a piece of fresh ginger (about 30g / 1 oz,peeled and roughly chopped)
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) of salt
- 2-3 teaspoons (10-15ml) curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.2ml) garam masala
- 1/8 teaspoon (0.6ml) ground cardamom
- a good pinch of ground cumin
- 3-4 tablespoons (44-59ml) maple syrup
- a pinch of ground turmeric
- 1-2 handful of nuts and seeds of your choice (I used almond slices,pinenuts and pumpkin seeds)
- a handful of fresh coriander leaves (washed and chopped)
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup (79ml) quinoa + 4/3 cup (315ml) water + a pinch of salt
- Seeds of 1 small pomegranate
Instructions
- Peel and remove the seeds from the pumpkin. Cut the pumpkin into dice-sized cubes and place in an airtight container.
- In a small bowl, mix together the vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, all the spices (curry powder, cinnamon, garam masala, ground cardamom, ground cumin, and ground turmeric) and the maple syrup. Mix until nicely combined, then pour over the pumpkin.
- Stir and/or shake in the airtight container until the pumpkin is fully covered with the marinade, close the container, and place in the fridge overnight.
- The following day, place the marinated pumpkin on a baking tray and roast for about 45 minutes at 345°F (175°C), stirring halfway through so that the pumpkin roasts evenly. The pumpkin should feel almost crisp on the outside and moist on the inside.
- As the pumpkin is roasting, prepare the quinoa by cooking it in the suggested amount of water with a pinch of salt. This should take about 15 minutes over a medium flame. Once done, drain away the excess water and set aside.
- Wash and chop the fresh coriander leaves.
- Once the pumpkin chunks are ready, remove them from the oven and let them cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Next, combine the cooled pumpkin chunks with the cooked quinoa, coriander, nuts and seeds, pomegranate seeds, and balsamic vinegar.
- Serve the salad immediately.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Fusion