#FITRecipe: Pumpkin, We’ll Make You love the Vegetable You Hate

Pumpkin is packed with health benefits and can be made very interesting. Experiment with pumpkin!

While the gorgeous squashes and pumpkins from abroad get all the ohh, aahs and love on the social media, our Indian kaddu gets totally misunderstood as a boring vegetable. No Indian family has rejoiced at the thought of getting Kaddu Ki Sabzi for lunch. But what if we told you the humble kaddu is not only packing in health, it can taste divine?

If you don’t have patience to see how this miracle can happen, scroll down right now to our exclusive Pumpkin Cake recipe!

For the more patient souls, here’s why pumpkin packs a punch.

Pumpkin for Health!

Pumpkin is a highly nutritious vegetable incredibly rich in vital antioxidants, and vitamins especially vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene. Despite having a sweet profile, it is also very low in calories. 100 g pumpkin provides just 26 calories and contains no saturated fats or cholesterol; however, it is rich in dietary fiber.

And not just the pulp, every part of pumpkin is actually edible and healthy. Pumpkin seeds and pulp are excellent for helping the absorption of glucose into the tissues and help in keeping diabetes under control. Pumpkin skin is very rich in potassium which helps keeps the muscle in healthy condition. So add it to your post workout meal.

Pumpkin for Taste:

Pumpkin also is a very versatile vegetable and can be adapted to so many dishes. Whether it is Indian curries and sabjis, desserts, or even dips and smoothies.

And because so many of you think of it as boring, we thought we will help you out with some interesting dishes you can make with Kaddu!

• Roasted Pumpkin as a snack - Whether it is roasted plain or with a bit of honey & pepper or with some garlic & chillies, roasted pumpkin makes for a very healthy snack. Whether you want to pack it in the snack box or make an open sandwich with cheese and roasted pumpkin, there is no doubt that pumpkin was born to be roasted.
• Make Dips - Whether it is pumpkin hummus or pumpkin cheesecake dip, it adds a fantastic body & mild sweetness to any dip. Pro tip - combine it with a bit of sriracha for that sweet & spicy flavour.
• Use it in smoothies - Boiled/roasted pumpkin pieces add excellent body and that mild sweetness which helps to eliminate addition sugar in the smoothie.
• Make pancakes - Pumpkin pancakes are bae, and I am not joking when I say that they have the capability of becoming your favorite ever pancakes.
• Pies & Cakes - I know it sounds a bit weird to our Indian brain, but pumpkin in pies and cakes is fantastic. It adds moistness, a lovely nutty and sweet flavour that is absolutely delightful.
• Make soup - Some people I know totally believe in the fact the pumpkin solely exists to be made into soup. Whether it is the mild garlic flavoured soup or a sweet & spicy Thai style pumpkin soup, I have to agree that it is among the top 3 best uses of pumpkin.

So do you still think pumpkin is boring? Here we have an eggless, whole wheat Pumpkin Coffee Cake recipe for you.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake Recipe

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line with parchment paper a 9-inch square or round baking pan. Set aside.
2. Start with making the crumb topping: In a small bowl, toss the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon together. Cut in the cold butter using a fork. Run between fingers till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Set aside.
3. To make the cake, whisk the dry ingredients that is whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, chai masala. In a separate bowl, whisk the pumpkin, brown sugar, oil, maple syrup, and milk together until combined.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined. The batter will be very thick and that is fine. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread. Pour the crumb topping evenly on top and gently press it down.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or till a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool for 30 minutes before removing it from the mould and cutting.

(Monika Manchanda is an ex-IT professional turned into a food blogger, consultant, home baker and an amateur food photographer. She loves music, writing, food, and travel, but not necessarily in that order! She can be reached at [e-mail])