Spicy, Sweet and Tangy Squash

I've been receiving all sorts of comments where random people just advertise their stuff. Guys, stop advertising on my blog. I'm just going to keep deleting those comments. I don't write a blog to make money. I do this for fun. If you notice, there are no ads on my website. I would appreciate it if people didn't try to sell their stuff through my posts. I'm not here to market your "Dhow Cruise" or "Apartments in Gurgaon or Noida." Anyone who tries to advertise on my blog will be blocked. Sorry.

Okay, enough of that :p Back to my squash recipe. This is something I tried randomly. It's the first time I cooked with squash but it turned out quite nice. I hope you like it.

I used Acorn Squash to make this but I guess it'll be okay to use any squash. This dish is spicy and tangy and sweet and super yummy. It turned out to be easier to make than I expected. It does take forever to cut the squash. You can cook this without peeling the vegetable and it'll taste just as good. I'll cook it without peeling it next time. 

Ingredients:

1 acorn squash, chopped into 2 inch pieces (serves 2)

1 medium onion, thinly chopped

1 green chili (or Serrano pepper)

2 inch piece of ginger, shredded

3 tablespoon olive oil

a pinch of asafoetida 

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

2 dry red chilies

1 tbsp coriander powder

1/2 tbsp fennel seeds

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp dry mango powder

3 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt to taste

Method:

1. Cut the squash, onions, chili and 1/4 of the ginger like below.

Acorn Squash

Onions, Green chili and Ginger

2. In a bowl, mix the rest of the ginger (shredded) with coriander powder, fennel seeds, paprika, turmeric and 1/4 cup water. Make a paste.

3. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and asafoedita. After the seeds begin to crackle, add fenugreek seeds and dry red chilies. Cook for a few seconds.

4. Add the onions, chili and little pieces of ginger to this and stir fry for a minute.

5. When you notice the onions turning transparent, add the spice paste and mix.

6. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the squash to the pan with salt and 1/4 cup of water.

7. Now cover the pan with the lid and let the squash cook on medium heat until it's tender and semi-mushy. Stir gently every 4-5 minutes and check to see if more water is needed.

8. It just needs to look like the picture above. Make sure the cubes stay intact and don't disintegrate. It won't taste bad but it'll just look like a paste. Once it is soft and mushy, add the final ingredients: mango powder and sugar. You may adjust sugar according to your taste. I don't like it to be too sweet. I think 3 tablespoons do the trick. You may add more if it's too tangy for you. Always do a taste check before serving. Garnish with cilantro leaves and you're done!

It's brilliant and tastes amazing. I would eat it with roti but it will taste good with rice, too :)

Enjoy!

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