Kabocha Purée With Ginger Recipes

KABOCHA PURéE WITH GINGER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil. Season inside of squash with salt and pepper. Place squash, cut side down, on prepared sheet. Roast until tender, 1-1 1/4 hours. Let cool slightly.
• Line a strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth; set over a small bowl. Pulse ginger in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to prepared strainer. Gather edges of cloth together; squeeze tightly to release ginger juice into bowl.
• Scoop squash flesh into a food processor. Add sugar and 1 tablespoon ginger juice. With machine running, gradually add 1 1/2 cups cream and purée until smooth, adding more cream by tablespoonfuls if too thick. Season with salt, pepper, and more ginger juice, if desired. Gently warm in a saucepan, stirring constantly, until heated through. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Gently rewarm purée in a saucepan, adding a little more cream if necessary.

STEAMED KABOCHA WITH GINGER-SOY DRESSING

Steps:

• Pour water into a large saucepan, wide skillet, or large wok to come 1" up the sides and place over medium-high heat. Mix white and pale-green parts of scallions, garlic, vinegar, oil, soy sauce, honey, and ginger in a small heatproof ramekin. Set inside a large bamboo steamer off heat (or, if using a metal insert, don't bring water to a simmer and fit into saucepan before adding dressing. Cover dressing with foil.)
• Cut squash in half; scoop out and discard seeds. Slice into ½"-thick wedges. Arrange in steamer basket around ramekin, overlapping a little if needed (for metal insert, add as much squash as will fit without piling up, placing over dressing). Set over saucepan (or turn on heat), cover, and steam until squash is tender (a tester, skewer, or paring knife should easily slide through flesh), 13-15 minutes.
• Transfer squash to a platter and top with scallion greens and sesame seeds. Serve with dressing alongside.

KABOCHA CURRY

Steps:

• To make kabocha puree: Preheat oven to 375. Halve a kabocha squash and place both sides cut side down in a baking dish. Fill the baking dish with water. Bake for 40 minutes or until the flesh can be easily pierced with a knife. The baking time may need to be adjusted depending on the size of your kabocha. Remove the kabocha from the oven and let cool. Remove and dispose of seeds using a spoon. Scoop out the flesh using a spoon. Use an immersion blender or food processor to puree the flesh, adding water until you have a smooth puree.
• To roast butternut squash: Preheat oven to 450. Remove skin and cut the butternut squash into bite-sized pieces. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes or until the squash is soft and has just started to caramelize.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil at a high heat in a heavy bottomed pan. Add chicken and cook until sealed. Take chicken out of the pan and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium, add onions and ginger and stir until onion has become translucent. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds more.
• Add chopped tomatoes and kabocha puree to the pan, bring to boil and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add stock, coconut milk, curry and chili powder. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add chicken and roasted butternut squash and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add cilantro and additional salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve with naan and/or rice.

PURéED WINTER SQUASH SOUP WITH GINGER

Steps:

• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the winter squash, garlic and minced ginger and cook, stirring, until the mixture smells fragrant, about 1 minute
• Add the water or stock, the rice and salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the squash is very tender
• Using a hand blender, or in batches in a regular blender, purée the soup. If using a regular blender, cover the top with a towel pulled down tight, rather than airtight with the lid. Return to the pot and heat through. Stir in the ginger juice, taste and season with salt and pepper. If desired, thin out with a little more water or stock
• Ladle the soup into bowls and add a tablespoon of yogurt (more to taste), then slowly swirl the yogurt into the soup with a spoon. Squeeze a few drops of lime juice onto each serving and sprinkle with whisper of nutmeg