Also known as a Japanese pumpkin or a Kent pumpkin here in Australia, kabocha squash is one of my favourite variants of an eating pumpkin – I love it more than a butternut! The creamy texture has a lot less water than other kinds of pumpkins and the flavour is sweet an concentrated – and that makes it the perfect squash for a puree.
This recipe is extremely easy to make and only requires about five minutes of active time – the rest, the squash is just roasting in the oven.
It’s packed with ginger, turmeric and warm spices and it makes for the perfect weekday side dish in the cooler months – or even as part of a Thanksgiving meal. It’s an excellent alternative to something like my mashed sweet potatoes.
How to Make Mashed Kabocha Squash
The prep for this recipe is insanely simple and the hardest bit is cutting into the pumpkin itself – which really isn’t difficult if you have a sharp chef’s knife.
All you need to do is cut the squash into large panels and make sure that you’ve scooped out the seeds.
Arrange the squash slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Then, crush and peel a few cloves of garlic and add them to the tray, as well.
Move the squash to a 200°C/400°F oven and roast until it’s very tender – it will take about 30 minutes for the squash to offer little to no resistance when prodded with a fork.
Remove the roasted squash from the oven and allow it to cool just until you’re able to handle it with your fingers – only a few minutes. In the meantime, you can go ahead and mash the garlic cloves with the flat side of your knife.
Peel off the peels of the squash and add it to a large mixing bowl. Add the mashed roasted garlic along with a good amount of grated ginger and a pat of butter.
Add in a splash of soy sauce and some maple syrup for a touch of sweetness.
Finally, add in some turmeric for colour and earthy flavour and a bit of garam masala. You can also use another warm spice blend here if you wish – ras el hanout is a great option or even a madras curry powder or Chinese five-spice powder!
Use a potato masher to puree the squash and to ensure it’s all well-incorporated. Give it a taste to adjust for seasoning and add some salt and pepper if you feel it needs it. Otherwise, serve the puree immediately!
Kabocha Squash Puree with Ginger & Turmeric
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2 lbs) kabocha squash seeds removed and sliced into 3cm (1in) thick panels
- 4 cloves garlic lightly crushed and peels removed
- 50 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 15 g (1 tbsp) fresh ginger peeled and finely grated
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a rimmed baking tray with parchment paper. Arrange the squash over the baking sheet and drizzle is 1 tsp of olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Flip the squash and drizzle with another teaspoon of olive oil and season with more salt and pepper.
- Move to the oven and roast until the squash is golden, very tender and a fork inserted into the flesh offers very little or no resistance – approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Allow the squash to cool until just cool enough to handle and use the flat side of a knife to mash the garlic cloves.
- Remove the peels from the squash and add to a large mixing bowl along with the mashed garlic cloves. Add in the butter, maple syrup, soy sauce, ginger, garam masala, turmeric and cayenne pepper.
- Use a potato masher to puree the squash and incorporate the other ingredients. Serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Kabocha squash is delicious in so many different ways, and this flavourful puree is just one incredible method to preparing it!
Are you after a mashed kabocha squash recipe? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
