Come October, and it means the commencement of Autumn in India. The season for trees shedding their leaves, the slight nip in the air. It’s the season when we all gear up for the upcoming winters.
This season, also known as Fall in Western countries is synonymous with a popular festival known as Halloween. Celebrated on October 31st, this day is supposed to be the day when the dead return to the Earth. And so, everyone dresses up in scary, or surprising characters and get-ups, and often light bonfires to keep evil spirits away.
This day is also characterised by young children who move in groups, they go door-to-door in the neighbourhood, collecting sweets and candies from neighbours.
In India, while there is not much relevance to Halloween per se, the novelty of the day is hard to resist. This has given rise to an increasing culture of Halloween-themed parties in many parts of India.
We know that Pumpkin and preparations of pumpkin form the centre of these celebrations along with various other foods that are decorated to appear spooky or quirky. But with pumpkins being in season, using them to prepare delectable Halloween dishes is a must! Here are some perfect pumpkin recipes for to you try this Halloween!
Pumpkin Bread
This light airy bread with Pumpkin being the hero of it is perfect for those cool mornings and evenings to enjoy with a warm drink of choice. It is fairly easy to make and tastes divine. This recipe is a hit amongst adults as well as kids. It’s a great addition to a Halloween party.
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves: 8-10 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 cup maida
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 pinch baking powder
- ½ tsp cloves powder
- ½ tsp nutmeg powder
- ½ tsp cinnamon powder
- 2/3 cup soft butter
- 1 egg
- 2 cups of chopped raw pumpkin
Method:
- To make pumpkin bread, the first step is to make the pumpkin puree. You may even opt for canned pumpkin puree if you have one. In a small saucepan, boil the pumpkin pieces, until they are soft and mushy. Remove from water and allow them to cool. Now gently add them to a mixer, and blend them into a puree. Transfer the puree into a bowl and keep aside.
- The next important step is to preheat the oven to 300’c while other preparations are done. In a large mixing bowl, sift in the maida, baking soda and baking powder along with the cinnamon, nutmeg and clove powder, mix well and keep aside.
- In another bowl, whisk in the wet ingredients, namely the soft butter and sugar until they form a uniform mixture. Now add in the egg and whisk it swiftly until it forms a light and airy texture. Now add in the pumpkin puree as well. You can save effort by using an electrical beater as well.
- The mixture may appear curdled, but that does not change the final result of the pumpkin bread.
- Now gently fold in the dry ingredients using a spatula and try to fold in the batter in one direction. Keep the baking mould ready, by greasing the inner side of the mould. Now once the batter is uniformly mixed, transfer the contents into the baking mould. Place the mould inside the oven and bake for about 60 minutes or until fully cooked. You can insert a toothpick inside the bread and check if it comes out fully dry, it means the bread is fully cooked.
- Remove from the oven and allow it to cook fully. Gently remove the bread, slice it evenly and enjoy!
Pumpkin Spiced Latte
The internet is full of delicious-looking servings of Pumpkin Spiced Latte that seem like the perfect thing to sip on cool evenings. The light warm, mildly spiced and comforting drink looks like a warm hug that we all need!
Try this simple yet hearty recipe for a pumpkin spice latte for your Halloween party and ensure it’s a hit.
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 cups full-fat milk
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree (boiled and blended pumpkin)
- 2-3 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 pinch nutmeg powder
- ½ tsp vanilla essence
- ½ cup strong boiled coffee (no sugar)
- Whipping cream for topping (optional)
Method:
- This drink should be customised as per your liking, so feel free to increase or reduce the quantities of the ingredients as you prefer.
- Take a saucepan, and heat the milk in it. Once the milk is warm, add the pumpkin puree, and sugar now heat it slightly, but take care not to bring it to a boil.
- Remove from heat and add the cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder, vanilla essence, and finally the hot coffee. Whisk the drink well to make it slightly frothy. Now transfer to two separate latte mugs and top it with whipping cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon powder.
- Enjoy while warm.
Pumpkin Pie with Pecans and Cream
Halloween parties are supposed to have pumpkin-based recipes to welcome the pumpkin season. And we know that no party can ever be completed without a healthy dose of some sweet goodness, what better dessert than an appetizing Pumpkin pie that brings a perfect end to an epic party.
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Serves: 6-8 servings
Ingredients:
- For the Pumpkin Pie
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp nutmeg powder
- 1 tsp dry ginger powder
- ½ tsp cloves powder
- 2 cups full pumpkin puree
- 1 can condensed milk
- 2 tsp butter
- 1 cup pecans
- Whipped cream
For Crust:
- 2 cups maida
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 tsp sugar
- 1 cup cold butter
- Water
- (optionally you can use store-bought pie crust)
Method:
- The first part is to prepare for the pie crust. This step can be omitted if you have a store-bought pie crust ready. Use a food processor (or would simply be tougher by hand) Add the maida, salt, and sugar and blitz it. Slowly keep adding pieces of cold butter in it and knead and tough dough. You can add a few drops of water every time if the dough seems tough to handle. Once the dough is properly formed, you need to quickly roll thick sheets out of them. Cover the rolled sheets in plastic and keep them refrigerated until they need to be used.
- Preheat the oven to 300’c and keep ready. You can even line the chilled pie crust into the pie dish and freeze that until other steps are completed.
- To make the filling for the pie, take a large size mixing bowl. Add the eggs and beat them well, now add the sugar, condensed milk, the spices like cloves, dry ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg along with salt and mix that well too. Now add the pumpkin puree and mix well. Whisk the mixture well to ensure no lumps remain in the mixture. The mixture may seem runny but will bake well in the oven.
- In a small pan, melt the butter and fry the pecans so that they are buttery and add crunch to the pie.
- Now remove the pie dish from the freezer, and pour in the batter. Now put the pie dish into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. The time taken to bake the pie may vary depending on the depth of the dish and the thickness of the filling. After about 20 minutes, insert a toothpick and check. The toothpick must seem wet, but should not come out with slimy ingredients on it.
- The final consistency must be firm yet slightly jiggly. Now garnish the pie with pecans and allow it to fully cool. Once it is perfectly cooled down, pipe out some whipped cream on it, cut equal slices and serve!
Grilled Chicken with Creamy Pumpkin Gravy
Halloween parties do not mean just sweets, candies and scary-looking snacks. It also means some healthy and fulfilling meals too! And why choose any regular chicken recipes, when you can reinforce the pumpkin season on it! Try this appealing chicken recipe with some natural sweet and savoury pumpkin gravy.
Total Time: 50 minutes
Serves: 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breast
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp cooking oil
For the Pumpkin Gravy:
- 2 cups pumpkin chopped
- ½ cup onions diced
- ½ cup fresh cream
- 1 tsp pepper powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 cup mixed vegetables of choice (peas, carrots, broccoli, bell peppers etc)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- To cook the chicken, simply make a simple rub, by mixing lemon juice with chilli powder, garlic and onion powder, salt etc. Mix the ingredients well and rub them gently on both sides of the chicken breast. Keep it marinated for about 30 minutes.
- Now heat a griddle and add some cooking oil to it. Place both the chicken breasts and cook evenly on both sides.
- To make the pumpkin gravy, heat some oil in a pan, add, chopped onions and once they turn translucent, add the pumpkin pieces, add salt and cook until the mixture is soft and mushy.
- Once the mixture is cooked, remove from flame and cool. Once it is cooled, transfer it to a mixture and blend to get a creamy gravy. Now add some oil to a saucepan, and add the pumpkin and onion gravy to it. Season with salt and pepper and allow it to thicken slightly. Once thickened, add the fresh cream and remove from the flame.
- On the same griddle as the chicken, add some oil and toss and stir-fry the mixed vegetables on high flame. Season them with salt and pepper and keep aside.
- On a serving plate, place the chicken breast and top it with a generous amount of pumpkin gravy. Add the stir-fried vegetables on the side and serve.
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