Turkish cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Çerkez Kabağı (Circassian Pumpkin)

Soft-braised pumpkin with onions, walnuts and garlic yogurt – creamy Circassian cuisine.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 800 g hokkaido pumpkin
• 2 onions
• 100 g walnuts
• 400 g yogurt
• 3 garlic cloves
• 50 g butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
• 1 tsp dried mint
• salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Wash the pumpkin, remove the seeds and cut, skin on, into 3 cm cubes; finely dice the onions and roughly chop the walnuts.
2. Whisk the yogurt smooth with the garlic cloves crushed into a paste and a little salt, and let stand at room temperature so it doesn't curdle when served.
3. Warm the olive oil in a pot and sauté the onions over medium heat for 6–8 min. until soft and translucent.
4. Add the pumpkin, season with salt and pepper, pour in 100 ml water and cook covered for 15–18 min. until the cubes are tender and fall apart slightly on the spoon but don't turn to mush.
5. Fold in two-thirds of the walnuts, remove the pot from the heat and let the pumpkin cool to lukewarm; then gently fold in the garlic yogurt.
6. Foam the butter with Aleppo pepper and the crumbled mint, pour over the dish, sprinkle with the remaining walnuts and serve lukewarm.