Spinach, pumpkin and peanuts


Pumpkin is not many a persons dream vegetable. Even a vegetarian tends to pass by this vegetable without as much as a glance. But what attracts me to this squash is the very ability to lend a twist of sweetness to any dish without changing its character much. True the squashy nature could be a put off especially when you have it coating practically every taste bud and blocking all other senses with its mushy texture and sweetly bland taste.

But the colour is so beautiful that when made well, it stands apart in a dish like art work. That is precisely why I chose to make do of its rich yellow on a background of dark green spinach and top with the golden of roasted crushed peanuts. Now it suddenly has transformed itself from the ugly frog to the handsome prince.

Cut the pumpkin into 2” size wedges, marinate with salt and ginger juice(…ginger juice is no mystery…just grate fresh ginger and squeeze out the juice between your thumb and fore finger)
Pan fry the pumpkin wedges on all sides and keep aside.
To the pan, add 2-3 whole pods of garlic and a teaspoon of chilly flakes.
Tear washed and cleaned spinach leaves (….throw the stalks away) and stir fry along with the garlic and chilly flakes
Add the pumpin wedges, allow it to cook and remove.
Arrange in a dish with the yellow playing hide and seek with the dark green. Top with 2 table spoons of roasted and roughly crushed/ broken peanuts.

Enjoy this beautiful looking dish as a side with rice and any spicy curry.

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