The word "khana" in Indian Khana Made Easy means food. So come on, let's explore and cook some easy Indian food together including gluten-free and vegan dishes.

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Showing posts with label calabaza squash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label calabaza squash. Show all posts

October 16, 2012

It's Pumpkin Picking Time!!

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, everywhere!

It's that time of the season again. What's your favorite variety? I never knew there were so many varieties of pumpkins until I went to farmers' markets and picking myself. Curiosity got the best of me and I decided to do a little digging to learn more about this "fruit". Did you know that it was a fruit? Each variety has unique attributes in color, texture, taste and usage (such as baking, cooking, decorating). Here's some interesting nutritional facts:

- High in fiber
- Low in calories, cholesterol, and Saturated fat
- A good source of:
            - Vitamin A
            - Vitamin E
            - Thiamin
            - Niacin
            - Vitamin B6
            - Folate
            - Iron
            - Magnesium
            - Potassium
            - Phosphorus and more
- Even the seeds are high in protein, iron, & B vitamins.  

Now that we know a bit more about their nutritional value, it's time to get cooking. But which type of pumpkin is good for baking and/or cooking? New England Sugar or Baby Pam Sugar Pies are good for baking because they tend to have a sweeter flavor. For Indian cooking, we prefer West Indian Pumpkin also known as Calabaza Squash. It's great for curries and spicy soups. Check out our recipes below:

Seasoned Pumpkin & Butternut Squash Curry


Chunky Pumpkin Sambhar