Celebrate The Autumn Season With 7

Savoury Pumpkin

Dishes

Autumn is the pumpkin season. That’s not an arbitrary rule. It’s nature, letting the world know it is the harvest period. It runs from September through November, peaking in October. This is when the pumpkins ripen fully on the vine, making them ready for picking, food recipes, and autumn decorating. Now, there’s still time for the Halloween fever to strike, but you can certainly put the vegetable to use with these savoury pumpkin recipes. From simple soups to spicy curries, there’s something for everyone here. 

As far as pumpkin soup recipes go, there are far too many to choose from. For this list, the focus is on a classic that’s easy and quick to make at home. Start by boiling peeled and cut pumpkin with onion, garlic, vegetable broth, and water. Once the pumpkin is tender, remove the mix from the heat and blend until smooth. Season it and add a splash of cream. Give it a final stir and serve with crusty bread. It’s creamy, thick, and just the kind of comforting bowl you need when the autumn season chill creeps up during the evening.

This is one of the easiest ways to turn everyday pasta into an autumn-season food. And roasted pumpkin makes for an excellent pasta topping, especially when caramelised around the edges. Toss pumpkin cubes with olive oil, garlic, chilli flakes, salt, and sage, then roast until tender and lightly charred. Add the roasted pumpkin to cooked pasta along with a splash of reserved pasta water and grated Parmesan. Finish with toasted walnuts or fresh herbs for crunch. The pumpkin’s gentle sweetness balances the salty cheese and spicy chilli beautifully.

A one-pot curry loaded with vegetables, this is similar to many Indian curries and tastes lip-smackingly delicious with hot roti, parathas or fluffy puris. Oh, and it’s also dairy-free! You start by sautéing onions, tomatoes, and bell pepper in oil, before stirring in garlic and fresh ginger. You can also add carrots to the mix, since they are in season. Sauté with onion and garlic, then add all spices, pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, and coconut milk. Stir to combine. Now, turn the heat to low and let the mix simmer till the veggies turn tender. Do a taste test and make any adjustments required. 

A traditional, semi-dry Bengali vegetarian curry made with sweet pumpkin, potatoes, and black chickpeas, kumror chokka is flavoured with toasted spices and ghee without any onion or garlic. You start by separately frying the cubed potatoes and pumpkin pieces and setting them aside. Then, in the same pan, you prepare the tempering - cook bay leaf, dried red chilli, panch phoron (regional)l 5-spice mix), ginger paste, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric, mustard oil, and a splash of water. This is the base masala. Add the boiled chickpeas and grated coconut to the spice mix, stirring well. Finally, add the fried potatoes and pumpkin, salt, and a pinch of sugar. Add a small splash of water, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are cooked through but hold their shape.

If you thought the only stuffed pumpkin recipe you could follow was a fake one for Halloween, it’s time to get things back on track. For a more substantial pumpkin preparation, you can make stuffed pumpkins by roasting whole or halved pumpkins stuffed with a savoury filling. Scoop out some of the flesh and combine it with cooked grains such as quinoa or rice, vegetables, herbs, nuts, and cheese. Spoon the filling back into the pumpkin and roast until the pumpkin is tender and the top turns golden. The result is soft, naturally sweet pumpkin paired with a hearty, savoury, textured filling.

Pumpkin can also sneak its way into your everyday Indian breads. And this seasonal twist is definitely worth trying. For pumpkin paratha, cook and mash pumpkin until smooth, then combine it with whole-wheat flour, salt, chilli powder, cumin, and a few spices of your choice. Knead into a soft dough, roll into parathas, and cook on a hot tawa with a little ghee or oil. The pumpkin adds moisture and a subtle sweetness while keeping the paratha soft.

This pumpkin recipe is comfort food with an autumn twist. Thinly sliced potatoes and pumpkin are layered with cream, garlic, herbs, and cheese before being baked until tender and bubbling. The potatoes provide a starchy, savoury base, while pumpkin brings a gentle sweetness that balances the richness of the cream and cheese. Finish with a generous layer of grated cheese and bake until the top develops a golden-brown crust.

The autumn season will have you working with a whole lot of pumpkins. The trick is to make use of the many ways in which pumpkin can be used rather than sticking to just one or two techniques. You can roast it, puree it, stuff it, turn it into a curry, or even incorporate it into everyday staples like pastas and parathas. Its natural sweetness also makes it easy to pair with spicy, salty, creamy, and earthy flavours. If there’s any vegetable that deserves a more permanent spot on your autumn season food menu, it’s the pumpkin.