Name: Roasted pumpkin with zhoug
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1.2 kg Jap pumpkin, skin on, cut into 8 wedges; 2 tbsp olive oil; Roasted sesame seeds (optional), to serve; Zhoug; 1 tsp caraway seeds; 3 long green chillies, coarsely chopped; 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped; ¾ tsp ground cardamom; ¼ tsp ground cloves; 1 cup (firmly packed) coriander leaves, coarsely chopped; 60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil; 1½ tsp lemon juice

Zhoug is a hot green sauce from Yemen that’s often added to soups and stews for a fresh and fiery finish. Here we’ve paired it with sweet roasted pumpkin for a no-fuss side that’s a winner with chicken.

Ingredients

1.2 kg Jap pumpkin, skin on, cut into 8 wedges

2 tbsp olive oil

Roasted sesame seeds (optional), to serve

Zhoug

1 tsp caraway seeds

3 long green chillies, coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

¾ tsp ground cardamom

¼ tsp ground cloves

1 cup (firmly packed) coriander leaves, coarsely chopped

60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil

1½ tsp lemon juice

Method

1.Preheat oven grill to high. Place pumpkin wedges skin-side down on an oven tray lined with baking paper, drizzle with oil and toss to coat, then grill, turning occasionally, until golden, softened and slightly charred (20-22 minutes).

2.Meanwhile, for zhoug, dry-roast caraway seeds in a frying pan over medium-high heat until fragrant (1 minute; see cook’s notes p192). Coarsely crush with a mortar and pestle. Add chilli, garlic and remaining spices, season to taste and pound until broken down (1-2 minutes). Add coriander and half the oil, pound to break down leaves (30 seconds), then stir in lemon juice and remaining oil and season to taste. Serve pumpkin topped with zhoug and scattered with sesame seeds.

Maxwell Adey Senior Food Editor & Stylist

Maxwell has always been passionate about food. Born into a restaurateur and award-winning produce farming family, he was strongly steered into pursuing a career in advertising after completing his Bachelor of Public Communication at University of Technology, Sydney. After a very short stint, he decided to enrol in Commercial Cookery at TAFE to follow his true passion. Maxwell started out working in some of Sydney’s finest restaurants (Est., Claude’s and Moon Park) which helped further his love of all things culinary and developed his technical ability to cook. Later, he was lured into the magical world of food publishing where he freelanced for ten years for notable Australian commercial and editorial brands. He has also run his own business where he sells his marinated olives, dressings and sauces at food markets and select retailers. He excitingly joins the Gourmet Traveller team to bring his technical and creative expertise in food to the brand.

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Recipe / styling by Lisa Featherby

Ingredients

Method

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