Dominique Rizzo | Bespoke Food Tours
Miso & Ginger Baked Pumpkin
Easy
Prep 15 min Cook 20 min
A very easy and tasty dish that I know you will love. Why? Because I love this Miso & Ginger Roast Pumpkin so much, and I love the Miso & Ginger paste because I can use it in so many other ways. I used the darker Red Miso for this recipe but if you have the white miso which is usually the one you can find in the supermarkets, this will work just as well. In fact, white miso which is a blend of fermented soya beans and rice is slightly milder in flavour and sweeter than the darker red miso. So the flavour will be a little more like what I have tasted in restaurants.
Traditionally this paste is used on Eggplant, which is cut in half lengthways and lightly boiled or cooked in the oven or microwave until well cooked, its then brushed liberally on the flesh side with this Miso & Ginger paste and then cooked further under a grill until its golden brown, almost caramelised and bubbling. So give the eggplant recipe a try as well as the pumpkin, and before you know it you will be adding this wonderful Umami paste into all sorts of delicious creations.
** Miso paste can be bought at most supermarkets, health food stores and Asian grocers
** Umami – A savoury taste is one of the five basic tastes (together with sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness). It has been described as savory and is characteristic of flavours such as roasted or cooked meats, stocks and broths.
Ingredients
- 1 kg of pumpkin or half a pumpkin
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds – garnish
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup Miso paste
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp honey or sweetener of your choice
- 1 tbsp water
- 2 tsp rice vinegar – you can also use cider, coconut or wine vinegar
- 1 tsp roasted chili paste – you can also use chili sauce, chili jam
Recipe Steps
Preheat the oven to 180 – 190c.
-
- Your choice to peel or leave the skin on the pumpkin, I left the skin on mine. Seed and slice the pumpkin into 1 1/2 – 2 cm thick slices or wedges. Toss the pumpkin slices with the olive oil and place on a tray lined with baking paper or foil. Bake the pumpkin for 10 minutes until just cooked.
- Combine all the other ingredients for the Miso paste in a food processor and blend until smooth. Using a spoon, spread some of the paste onto each piece of pumpkin, turning them over so they are covered on all sides.
- Place the pumpkin back into the oven to bake for a further 10 – 15 minutes until the paste is golden, bubbling and the pumpkin is cooked through.
- Serve hot or cold on its own or with other salad ingredients or your favourite accompaniment.