Spiced Squash Stew with Pomegranate and Pistachio
Winter is stew time. This beautiful quickly-stewed squash dish is a hearty side, a warming lunch, or a vegetarian main. Squash soaks up an incredibly savory sauce that fills your kitchen with warm, joyful aroma. Stews aren't always pretty, but this one is! It's topped with a garlic yogurt and finished with crunchy/tart jewels of pistachio and pomegranate, and mint leaf. This squash stew heavily draws from a very traditional Afghan pumpkin dish Kadu Bouranee, but this version is my own improvisation. I add ingredients and spices more typical of Persian (Iranian) stewed vegetable and meat dishes, so I don't want to call it authentically Afghan.
Ingredients
For the stew:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion
- 1.5 pounds squash in 1-inch cubes kabocha, candy roaster, butternut, honeynut, pie pumpkin
- 2 cloves garlic crushed and chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sugar substitute pomegranate molasses if you have some
- 1 tsp ginger crushed and chopped
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- ½ tsp thyme leaf
- 1 14oz can crushed tomato
- 1 cup water or broth
For the sauce
- ¾ cup plain yogurt Trader Joe's European Style is perfect for this use
- 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
- ¼ tsp salt
For the toppings
- 25 pistachios, roasted and salted
- ¼ cup pomegranate arils
- a few small fresh mint leaves
Instructions
Stew the squash, onion, tomato, and spices.
- Peel the squash, cut in half, scrape out seeds, cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a large saute pan with a lid. Add the onion and saute until translucent.
- Add the garlic, salt, sugar, ginger, turmeric, pepper, cinnamon, sesame, and thyme. Stir for a minute.
- Add the tomato, water, and squash. Bring to a boil.
- Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding more liquid when needed. The squash should look wet and soft all the way through, but still hold its shape.
Prepare the sauce and garnishes.
- Whisk the salt and garlic into the yogurt, set aside.
- Shell and roughly chop the pistachios.
- Remove the pomegranate arils and measure.
- Watch and pick the mint off the stems. Use scissors to cut in ribbons if the leaves are big.
Plate the Dish
- Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- On individual plates or in the serving dish, top with yogurt sauce. Sprinkle pomegranate, pistachio, and mint on top.
Notes
This recipe is easily made vegan, made into a brunch dish, or transformed into a meaty main course. See the full post at https://greatsquash.com for details.