Pumpkins are a fantastic Autumn eat. Their warm bright orange and yellow hues reflect the changing colours of the falling leaves, indicating that they are perfect treats for a harmonising transition into the colder season.
When ripe and sweet, pumpkins balance both Pitta and Vata dosha without effecting Kapha negatively.
Pacify Pitta and enjoy cooking your pumpkins into sweet baked treats like, pies and cakes. Or embrace their easy to digest nature in a savoury soup or stir fry that grounds Vata or pleasantly satiates Kapha.
Butternut pumpkin is one of my absolute faves; so easily delicious with minimum intervention and nourishing to all three doshas.
To follow are a few pumpkin delights that my family and I welcome back into our kitchen rotation each Autumn.
AYURVEDIC BUTTERNUT PUMPKIN STIRFRY
Seriously simple and oh so yummy. This dish is satisfying in the tummy and cooling to the blood - a great ally for the Pitta among us who struggle with excess heat !
Ingredients
• 1 kilo whole butternut pumpkin - peel, seed and chop
• 1 tablespoon ghee
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
Directions
• Heat ghee in a pan and add cumin, fennel and turmeric.
• Mix until the seeds dance a little and the mix becomes fragrant - don’t get distracted here, as it is quick to burn !
• Add the diced pumpkin and salt to the pan
• Mix well, cover and cook on medium heat stirring often to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pan or burning.
• Serve over basmati rice with a side of cooked kale (like we did) for a complete meal.
BUTTERNUT PUMPKIN SOUP
With Butternut Pumpkin high on my list of nourishing Autumn foods, I tend to buy a big one and use it in a couple of ways over the week. This delicious soup is SO simple and works with the true nature of this Autumn fruit, which is TASTY.
Ingredients
• 500 grams of pumpkin peeled and chopped.
• 1 onion, diced (optional)
• 1 garlic, diced (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, fennel, and coriander
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of Celtic sea salt (or to taste) plus a crack of black pepper
• 1 litre of water
Directions
• Heat Olive oil and add diced onion.
• Turn the heat right down to low and caramelise the onions. This takes time, give it time and stir often.
• Once onions are caramelised, turn up the heat, immediately add garlic and spices. Sautee until fragrant then remove from heat
• Add onion mix to a pan with chopped pumpkin, water, and seasonings
• Bring to boil and once pumpkin is soft and mushy, blend or mash to achieve the desired consistency
• Garnish with a spring of Cilantro for extra cooling quality
PUMPKIN SPICE CAKE
After an action packed summer filled with hot play-filled days and light eating fare, the emergence of cooler weather calls for something a little heavier, warming and grounding to the palette.
With a little spice to encourage digestive fire, this Pumpkin Spice cake fits the picture for Autumn perfectly ! It’s naturally sweet, spicy, vegan and sugar free. A very nourishing treat with a hot cup of tea. I love using the Red Kuri pumpkin for this recipe - skin and all - in fact, for this cake, it’s the only pumpkin I have ever used !
Dry ingredients
• 1 cup of oats (blended to a flour consistency)
• 1 cup spelt flour (use a gluten free flour to easily make this cake gluten free)
• 1 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 2 tsp of baking soda
• 1 tsp mixed spice
Wet ingredients
•1 cup almond milk
•1 1/2 cups Red Kuri pumpkin puree (I make this by cutting, roasting and then mashing the pumpkin)
•1/2 cup diced dates
•1/3 cup of melted coconut oil
•1 tsp apple cider vinegar
•1/8 tsp vanilla bean powder
•3 tsp ground linseeds
•1 tsp fresh orange zest OR 3 drops of Wild Orange Essential Oil (note, I’d only recommend using doTERRA brand for food use especially. You can read about why here and get your own beautiful doTERRA oils with my support, here)
Directions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius + line a cake tin with baking paper
Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well
Mix all the wet ingredients in a blender (as this will help the linseeds act as an egg replacer)
Fold wet mixture into the dry mix until a thick wet combination is formed
Pour into your prepared baking tin
Bake at 200 degrees celsius for 20 minutes then turn heat down to 180 and bake for an additional 25 minutes
Cake is ready when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean
Cool in pan for 30 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack
Did you like any of these recipes ?
Did you try them ?
Let me know how you went. I love to read you and reply each time.
Love and happy Autumn bellies,
Amber xoxo