Today I brought in the pumpkins that i have used this fall on my front porch for decorations. There were 2 small ones and 3 medium ones. There are many things you can make from pumpkin- pies, cakes, breads, soups. These all take pureed pumpkin. When we were living in Sierra Leone they make a savory stew out of chunks of pumpkin, and it is delicious. I dont make it often because you can not buy raw pumpkin chunks except in the fall, and then you have to peel and cut your own.
To prepare the pumpkins, i cut them into 4-5 inch sections, scoped out the pulp and seeds with a spoon, then peeled them. For the stew i set aside about 3 cups of 1 inch diced cubes.
The rest of the pumpkin I cubed and boiled in a big pot until tender. Drain all the water off and let cool. Process in a blender or food processor until very creamy. I then poured the puree into a big skillet and cooked off alot of the water. This will make it easier to use after frozen and defrosted. If it is still watery after you remove it from the freezer, drain with cheese cloth or paper towels. Use like canned pumpkin.
Pumpkin Stew
2-3 cups diced raw pumpkin
3 Tbsp. oil
2 pounds cut up stew or faitja beef
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 small can tomato paste
3 boullion cubes
1/2 tsp. hot red pepper (optional)
Water
Salt, black pepper to taste
Rice
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet, add the pumpkin cubes and cook on medium high to slightly brown the pumpkin. Remove them from the pan and set aside. (I usually salt and pepper each item as I cook them, then when they are all put back together, taste and adjust the saltiness to taste. Do not over salt, because the boullion adds salt also.)
2.Add the beef cubes to the skillet and cook untill browned, but not crispy. Remove and set aside.
3.Next, brown the onions slightly. Return the beef and pumpkins to the pan.
Add enough water to almost cover the meat and pumpkins.
4.Add the tomato paste and boullion cubes. Stir and let come to a boil. Add hot pepper powder to taste. Cook until the meat and the pumpkin are tender. If too watery, cook some of the water out.
5. Serve over rice.
