Spiced Pumpkin and Lentil Soup

Just in time for the 'winter' months. Although it is not really winter here, it does get a little chilly in the evenings with strong breezes.

I made this in 2 parts - first the lentil then the pumpkin - then mixed it together for a nice drink on a chilly evening.

You'll need:
*1/4 cup uncooked split mung lentil or red lentil
1 cup of water
1 tsp turmeric
*250 gms pumpkin, peeled
1 large carrot
2 tomatoes
Salt to taste
2 tbsps roasted cumin, crushed
Cream to garnish (optional)
*You can adjust the quantity of the lentil and pumpkin depending which flavour you want dominant

Wash then cook the lentils in the water with the turmeric and some salt. I use a pressure cooker and leave it for just one whistle. Microwaving takes longer (about 15 minutes), and if using an open pot, then add some extra water. The lentils should be cooked thoroughly, and for a smoother texture, just blend it for 10 seconds. Keep aside.

In another cooker, boil the pumpkin, carrot, and tomatoes. Once it is soft enough, blend it in a mixer then sieve and season it with salt. Mix it in with the lentils.

While serving, reheat if necessary and garnish with cream (optional) and the crushed roasted cumin.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

This was the first time I tried making cupcakes and I messed up the measurements from the original recipe - I used more than double the requirement of the pumpkin puree. The result was not bad though. It turned out more like a pumpkin pudding with a crisp outer layer and a soft center. Next time I will try the actual thing (as mentioned below).

For the cupcakes:
Boil and puree about 100 gms of fresh pumpkin. Keep aside to cool.

Mix till smooth:
1 cup sugar 
1/2 cup butter (room temperature)

Then add 2 eggs (at room temperature) and whisk again.
Add 1 tsp vanilla (I scraped 1/4 tsp beans from a fresh vanilla pod instead)

In a separate bowl, sift together
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground clove

Now alternately mix the puree and then the flour into the cream mix in 3 parts.

Line the cupcake tins and pour about 2 tbsps of the batter for each cup.
Place in pre-heated oven at 180 degrees C for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

For the icing:
1 cup icing sugar
About 1 cup of cream cheese (110 gms) [at room temperature]
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp butter (at room temperature)

1 tbsp lemon zest (optional)

Whisk all the ingredients till smooth.

Once the cupcakes have cooled down, spread the topping on it evenly and refrigerate for an hour before eating.

Pumpkin Soup

As a start...here's something that gets me by on cold winter evening (even though 'cold' in this part of the world means 'fairly pleasant').

I don't really go much by measurements, rather by what I 'feel' like.

For the soup:

1 pumpkin

2 medium sized carrots

2 tomatoes

salt

pepper

Boil the pumpkin, carrots and tomatoes till tender. Don't throw away the water. I find it easier to remove the pumpkin skin after boiling (just make sure to clean it well before you put it in). This also lets all the nutrients (whatever they be) from the skin soak into the water. Use the water to blend in the veggies till smooth, then sieve it. Add more water till you get desired consistency and bring to boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Here's the part that adds the magic:

Some butter

Bit o' ginger

Heat butter in a saucepan. Grate the ginger and fry for a minute. Mix this into the soup just before serving.

For the garnish:

Top with some Feta cheese, cream, and a sprig of parsley or coriander.

I love the strong taste of pepper and ginger in this soup. Both these ingredients are excellent throat pleasers, and a wonderful accompaniment on a cold winters day.