By Tara Parker-Pope
- Total Time
- About 20 minutes
- Rating
- 4(113)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This dish from Madhur Jaffrey, the well-known Indian cookbook author, belongs to a category of Bangladeshi foods known as bharats. Part relish and part vegetable dish, they add extra flavor to a meal. “We are beginning to find peeled and seeded butternut squash in our supermarkets now, making this dish a snap to make,” Ms. Jaffrey says. Use mustard oil for an authentic Bengali taste, or substitute olive oil. Mustard oil and other Asian ingredients and seasonings like asafetida and urad dal can be found in Indian food stores and specialty shops.
Featured in: Well's Vegetarian Thanksgiving 2010
or to save this recipe.
Print Options
Include recipe photo
Advertisem*nt
Ingredients
Yield:4 to 5 servings
- 3tablespoons mustard oil or olive oil
- A generous pinch of ground asafetida
- ½teaspoon whole brown or yellow mustard seeds
- 4cups (1¼ pounds) peeled and seeded butternut squash or pumpkin, cut into segments ¾- to 1-inch in size
- ¾ to 1teaspoon salt
- 1½teaspoons sugar
- ⅛ to ¼teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1tablespoon plain yogurt
- 2tablespoons chopped cilantro
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (5 servings)
133 calories; 9 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 295 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
Step
1
Pour the oil into a frying pan and set over medium heat. When hot, add the asafetida and mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds start to pop, a matter of seconds, add the squash. Continue to cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, or until the squash pieces just start to brown.
Step
2
Add ¼ cup of water, cover, turn heat to low, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the squash is tender.
Step
3
Add the salt, sugar, cayenne and yogurt. Stir and cook, uncovered, over medium heat until the yogurt is absorbed and no longer visible. Sprinkle in the cilantro and stir a few times.
Ratings
4
out of 5
113
user ratings
Your rating
or to rate this recipe.
Have you cooked this?
or to mark this recipe as cooked.
Private Notes
Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.
Cooking Notes
judy
I didn't have the asafatida, so I substituted some onion and garlic. Obviously not the same but was tasty. Doubled down on the cayenne pepper. Added pine nuts before serving.
Robbin Isaacson DeWeese
This is delicious. Did some research about asafetida. Be sure to wipe the container before putting it in the cupboard, then put that container into a sealed jar because its very pungent scent will perfume your home in a way that could be less than delightful.
Frank
This was wonderful! Plan on using this as a thanksgiving side instead of sweet potatoes. Did have some very old asofoeteda so will either find some new powder or use the substitutions others have used. I was generous with both the mustard seeds and cayenne, but we like spicy food. The yogurt tended to break when I stirred it in so will let the dish cool a little bit more next time.I think some lime slices and extra yogurt would go well—both tend to cut the heat/spice
Scott Middleton
Great flavors, but the squash was not even close to cooked after 3 10 minutes. Have others found this as well?
banffoodie
So nice to find a veg side dish to complement south Asian fare that is not a curry to balance the textures in a meal. I didn't have asafoetida, so used some onion and garlic oil.
susiecue
Less than wonderful. My husband and I didn't enjoy this dish. I plan to make the leftovers into soup.
Deb
I cooked some sweet Italian sausage and sliced it in at the end, and it made it a hearty lunch. Used garlic powder instead of asafida, came out awesome.
Snitzler
I liked this a lot! Had no asafetida, subbed with a little chopped garlic, as suggested. I had no mustard seeds, so used a little more than a teaspoon of prepared Dijon mustard. Also, used about a third of a cup of water, which was absorbed in seven minutes, by which time the squash was tender, but still firm. I took the top off and let the steam dissipate. I may drizzle a bit of fresh yogurt over it when serving. If that doesn't work, I'll let everyone know.
Michele
You won't believe how good this is with so few and such simple ingredients! I substituted onion powder, a quarter teaspoon, for the asafetida, and paused the cooking between steps 2 and 3 to finish the rest of dinner. Definitely not a high-maintenance dish and good, I imagine, with anything. We had it with pan-fried fish. Yum.
Weslie
we liked this a lot. i used butternut twists which i bought at trader joe's and they worked out perfectly. in lieu of asafetida i subbed chopped garlic and about a teaspoon of chopped onion which was a suggestion as a substitute. i did not have cilantro as this was last minute, but it was not missed. will make again!!
ZFMT
Cooking this for 10 minutes turned the squash to mush. I'd do less next time. The flavor was lovely, though!
Nancy
I use honeynut squash (deeper color and flavor), maple syrup, and chicken or vegetable broth instead of water. Really good.
John
I did not cook with the asafatida (did not have it).
It was still good but adding onion and garlic, as judy suggested, sounds like a good idea.
judy
I didn't have the asafatida, so I substituted some onion and garlic. Obviously not the same but was tasty. Doubled down on the cayenne pepper. Added pine nuts before serving.
Private notes are only visible to you.
