Pumpkin soup, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin curry, pumpkin pie…there’s a lot you can make out of pumpkin. This was a vegetable I really didn’t like (or eat) in India. That was, until I tasted roasted pumpkin for the first time! After that, this was a veggie I’ve learned to love.

The cooler months are here and my veggie boxes come with pumpkins every other week.

I’ve made a pumpkin sweet, very similar to the carrot halwa that we make in India.

Instead of dairy milk, I’ve used almond or cashew milk. I’ve subbed raw honey for the processed sugar. I’m sure any other natural sweetener would work too.

This recipe uses only 5 ingredients, all of which are easy to find and buy.

What are the star ingredients? And what are their benefits?

Pumpkins – This is a starchy root vegetable that is a prebiotic. This means that it feeds certain good bacteria (and even the probiotics) in your gut. Together they work synergistically, so get both prebiotics and probiotics.

Most high-fiber foods are prebiotics, so you should be eating one cup a day at least. Pumpkins have a high vitamin A level, which is a potent antioxidant. It is essential to reduce the stress that we all are exposed to – environmental, diet, lifestyle, medications, etc.

This vegetable is great for eye health, preventing inflammation, stabilising blood sugar, bone health and could help prevent cancer. It is also an immune boosting food.

They contain vitamin C, B2, B3, B6, K, manganese, potassium and magnesium.

You can store pumpkin for long periods of time. Make sure it is outside the fridge in room temperature.

Studies show that the carotenoids present in pumpkin could increase with longer storage. All root vegetables have a high concentration of nutrients in their skin, so if you don’t like the skin on them, peel it and add it to your broth.

Also, don’t throw out the seeds. Wash, dry and oven roast them with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. They are crunchy, tasty and full of nutritional benefits. Be mindful though, as there are known cases of allergies to pumpkin seeds.

Ghee – It helps to reduce the risk of cancer due to its high CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) content.

It could help with weight loss, fighting inflammation, improving the health of the gut, etc.

Ghee also contains vitamins A, D and E. These vitamins help maintain bone strength, is good for the heart and brain, eyes, skin and balances hormones (among many other benefits).

It has also been proven to heal wounds fast and very effectively if applied topically.

Cardamom – or elaichi, is often called ‘the queen of spices’. It is a lovely spice which is used extensively in India. It has a slightly sweet taste and a divine smell.

These little pods with teeny seeds inside are full of phytonutrients which protect our bodies against free radical damage.

Cardamom also helps prevent cancer, tooth decay (it could also help with cavitites!) and prevents obesity.

There are numerous studies showing that it helps reduce inflammation in type 2 diabetes. Hooray! A simple dish, ready in minutes and so nutrient rich.