A Savory Pumpkin Pie

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

At this time of year, it’s difficult to avoid the barrage of pumpkin-flavored everything – beer, doughnuts, and good grief, those spiced lattes. And although I love pumpkin, I don’t ever go for all those iterations of its sweetened and cinnamon-laced flavor profile.

If it’s going to be sweet, I prefer my pumpkin only in traditional pie form; although I’ve eaten a pumpkin version of St. Louis’ famed gooey butter cake that still makes me weak with pleasure when I think about it.

Aside from pie, I love to eat pumpkin, or any squash for that matter, in a savory form, whether it’s cooked simply and mashed as a side or roasted to bring out its natural caramelized sweetness. But with all things associated with sweetness, I find the best treatment for them is to add in a little spice, and curry always fits that bill for me. Just like potatoes, carrots and most other toothsome-textured vegetables, their mild creaminess is the perfect foil for a spicy, fragrant curry sauce.

I had just picked up some great pumpkins from the farmers’ market here in San Francisco, so I decided to take a stab at making a tomato sauce-based curry and coating some of that pumpkin with it. And since I was having a vegetarian friend over for dinner, I decided to make it completely vegetarian for him, and morph it from a planned side dish into the main star.

Since I love chicken pot pie more than life itself, I decided to go that route, covering the sumptuous filling with a buttery pastry crust. This, of course, is totally optional, and the filling itself can be eaten right out of the skillet as far as I’m concerned. But there’s something about presenting a hot savory pot pie to guests and seeing their faces light up, especially when you reveal to them the unorthodox ingredients inside.

I make use of a dried Thai-style curry paste I found at my local Trader Joe’s grocery store, but if you can’t find a dry curry paste in your grocery, you can use the green or yellow-style curry pastes made by Thai Kitchen brand as a substitute. Or, you could leave the paste out altogether, and this filling will still taste just as good with the extra spices.

This dish is a great way to introduce a different side of pumpkin into your usual meal routine, makes plenty to have leftovers, and once and for all, gives the beloved pumpkin an identity outside of its popular, sugary-sweet image.

Curried Pumpkin Pie
Serves 8

2 1/2 pounds peeled and seeded sugar pumpkin or butternut squash, cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes
1/2 cup Thai dry or green curry paste, such as Trader Joe’s or Thai Kitchen brand
3 small yellow onions, finely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can (32 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes with juice, crushed by hand
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 recipe pie dough or store-bought pie dough, such as Pillsbury
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add pumpkin or squash, and cook until a knife slides in each cube easily, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain, and place cooked pumpkin in a large bowl.
2. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add paprika, cinnamon, cardamom, chile flakes and curry paste, cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the onions, pepper, garlic, and ginger, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, translucent and beginning to caramelize, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until lightly caramelized, about 2 minutes. Add canned tomatoes, salt and pepper, and stir until evenly combined. Let cook for about 5 minutes, and then remove from the heat and let cool. Pour sauce over pumpkin and toss until evenly coated with sauce.
3. Heat oven to 375°F. Roll out the pastry until it’s large enough to fit over a 9- x 13-inch baking pan or dish. Transfer pumpkin and sauce to baking pan, brush rim of pan with egg wash, and then top with pastry, pressing it on the rim. Trim the pastry to within 1” of the edge and fold under to seal. Use the scraps to patch any holes you have in the pastry. Using a paring knife, cut a few slits in the pastry to let steam escape, and then brush the pastry with egg wash. Bake until pastry is golden brown and filling is heated through, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving with some English peas or a simple side salad.

Note: If you don’t have a favorite recipe for pie dough, use Ben’s recipe for basic pie dough.

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