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Ottolenghi's Roasted Butternut Squash with Cardamom and Nigella Seeds

Ottolenghi's Roasted Butternut Squash

This roasted butternut squash with cardamom and nigella seeds is from the brilliant Yotam Ottolenghi. If you want a show-stopping vegetarian dish, this is it! 

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4 to 6
Author Tess Masters

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2  tablespoons vegan butter
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced (1½ cups/170 g)
  • 1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/4-inch/3-cm chunks (2 3/4 lb/1 kg)
  • 3 1/2  tablespoons  raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1 1/4  teaspoon  nigella seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon  ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon  ground coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon  ground turmeric
  • 4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
  • 1 large cinnamon stick
  • 1 green chile, halved lengthwise
  • 1 tablespoon  super-fine sugar
  • 1 scant cup (200ml) vegetable broth
  • 3/4 cup (150g) vegan Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon  finely chopped cilantro
  • Celtic sea salt, to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF/220ºC.
  2. Place the butter and oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for about 8 minutes, until soft. Add the squash, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it starts to color. Remove from the heat and add the pumpkin seeds, 1 teaspoon of the nigella seeds, the cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, chile, sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Mix well and transfer to a baking sheet large enough to hold the vegetables in a single but snug layer, about 10 by 12-inches/25 by 30-cm. Pour the stock over the squash and roast for 30 minutes, until the squash is tender. Set aside for about 10 minutes: the liquid in the pan will continue to be absorbed.
  3. Serve warm, with the yogurt spooned on top or on the side, along with a sprinkling of the cilantro and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon nigella seeds.

Recipe Notes

Reprinted with permission from Plenty More: Vibrant Vegetable Cooking from London's Ottolenghi by Yotam Ottolenghi, copyright © 2014. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Random House LLC.
 
Photography: Jonathan Lovekin © 2014