Recipe: The Pumpkin that Fed the Spirits

For the story please go to Tales From The Hearth (for the recipe, keep reading below)

“There are meals made in pots and pans – and then there are meals carved from fire and soil. This is the latter.”

The following recipe had been preserved by my grandmother, who in turn got it from her great grandmother, who was a masterclass in old recipes and tales attached to them, the recipes are not necessarily preserved like a modern recipe and more like a ritual for conjuring an old meal.

In keeping with the ancient ways, two variations exist – vegetarian, filled with the bounty of the earth, and you can always do a non vegetarian, where wild game or foraged meat once took the place of the harvest. Both versions honour the old ways, and if done right, you may taste what the earth once offered: the gift of fire and earth.

The Gathering of ingredients

For the fire pumpkin

• 1 medium pumpkin (preferably kashi phal, dark green skinned or grey winter squash)or whatever is available
• Ash or loose soil (if using fire pit method) or oven pre heated to 220 deg c (if using modern method)
• Banana leaves or foil (if available) to wrap the pumpkin before stuffing it

1. The Harvest Offering (Vegetarian Fire Pumpkin)

Ingredients:

• For the Pumpkin:
• 1 small to medium pumpkin (1.5–2 kg), whole, uncut
• Ghee or mustard oil, for brushing
• For the Vegetarian Stuffing:
• 2 cups cooked mandua (finger millet) or red rice
• 1 cup roasted and roughly crushed chestnuts (or walnuts)
• 1 large apple, peeled and finely chopped
• ½ cup dried apricots, chopped (or 5–6 sun-dried plums for a tangier note)
• 1 tablespoon wild garlic (or garlic chives), finely chopped
• A handful of chopped fiddlehead ferns (or substitute green beans)
• Salt, to taste
• A pinch each of crushed coriander seeds, cumin, and a hint of black cardamom

Method (Hearthkeeper’s Ritual):

Prepare the Pumpkin:

Carefully cut a circular “lid” from the top of the pumpkin. Hollow out the seeds and fibers, keeping the shell intact as much as possible. Gently brush the interior with a little salt and ghee.

Mix the Stuffing:

In a rustic bowl, combine the cooked mandua, roasted chestnuts, chopped apple, dried apricots (or plums), wild garlic, and fiddlehead ferns. Season with salt and the spices. Mix as if you’re combining the gifts of the earth.

Stuff the Pumpkin:

Fill the hollow pumpkin with the stuffing. Replace the lid securely. Wrap the pumpkin in banana leaves or foil—whispering thanks to the earth for its bounty.

The Fire Ritual (Oven Method):

Preheat your modern hearth (oven) to 190°C (375°F)—a gentle temperature that honours the ancient slow-cooking methods. Place the wrapped pumpkin on a baking tray, brush the exterior with ghee, and roast for 90 to 110 minutes. If the pumpkin is larger and robust, you might use 220°C (428°F) for 90 minutes, but for the delicate balance of flavours and the preservation of its spirit, the slow method is preferred.

The Unveiling:

With reverence, remove the pumpkin from the oven and gently unwrap. Allow the aroma to rise as you crack open its charred, earthy skin—revealing a sweet, tender interior imbued with the seasonal fruit’s magic.

Serve and Share:

Serve warm, with flatbreads (mandua roti) or simple rice, or maybe a salad and let each bite remind you of the ancient ritual that nourished not just the body, but the soul.

The Hunter’s Feast (Meat-Stuffed Fire Pumpkin)

Gathering ingredients:

For the Pumpkin:

1 small to medium pumpkin (1.5–2 kg), whole and intact

Ghee or mustard oil for brushing

For the Meat Stuffing:

• 500 grams mutton or lamb (or even chicken, for a lighter twist), diced into small chunks
• 2 cups cooked millets or a hearty black soybean dal (bhatt ki dal)
• 1 cup roasted and roughly crushed chestnuts (or walnuts)
• 10 dried apricots, halved (or 1 cup wild plums, if available)
• 1 tablespoon wild garlic (or garlic chives), finely chopped
• A pinch of crushed mountain peppercorns (timur) or black pepper
• Salt to taste
• A dash of cumin and a hint of black cardamom

Method (Hearthkeeper’s Ritual): 

1. Prepare the Pumpkin:

Just as with the vegetarian version, cut a lid, remove the seeds, and brush the interior lightly with salt and ghee.

2. Prepare the Meat:

In a heavy, rustic cauldron or deep pan, gently sauté the diced mutton/lamb (or chicken) in ghee until it begins to brown. Add the wild garlic, and season lightly with salt, cumin, and pepper. Allow the meat to partially cook and absorb the flavors without losing its hearty texture.

3. Mix the Stuffing:

In a large bowl, combine the partially cooked meat, the cooked millets or dal, roasted chestnuts, and dried apricots (or wild plums for a tangy twist). Mix in the wild garlic and spices as before, ensuring that each piece carries the essence of the mountain.

4. Stuff the Pumpkin:

Gently fill the hollowed pumpkin with the meat stuffing, then replace the lid. Wrap the pumpkin in banana leaves or foil to preserve its ancient secret.

The Fire Ritual (Oven Method):

Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F) for a slow, nurturing cook—or 220°C (428°F) for 90 minutes if your pumpkin is larger and sturdier. Roast until the pumpkin’s exterior is charred and its interior is infused with the savoury meat and fruity whispers.

The Unveiling:

With deep respect, remove the pumpkin from the oven. Unwrap slowly and let the aroma envelop you. The meat will have melded with the pumpkin’s natural sweetness and the fruit’s tang, creating a feast that honours both the land and its bounty.

The Hearthkeeper’s Warning

When you unearth the pumpkin, do not speak for a moment, allow the scent to reach you first – the earth, the smoke, the sweetness. In that moment, you might just hear the land sigh in gratitude

“Do not waste the flesh, nor the seeds. Feed the soil with the remains, and the land shall remember you”

Notes from the Old ways

• In older times, a stone was placed on top of the pumpkin before burying it. It was believed that the weight of the stone kept the pumpkin’s spirit from escaping before it was ready.
• The stuffing was often dictated by the season – in early spring fiddlehead ferns and wild mustard leaves; in autumn, mutton and mountain peppercorns.
• People believed the fruit you chose altered the soul of the meal. In autumn, wild apples and dried apricots bestow the blessing of abundance; in winter, the tang of wild plums and black grapes whispers of survival and hope; and in summer, the fresh nectar of peaches calls forth the spirit of the sun. Choose wisely, for the spirits watch and the earth listens.
• If cooked in a fire pit, you may still find the ash clinging to the pumpkin’s skin. Do not brush it all off – it is said the ash carries the taste of the land.

A final whisper from the Hearth

If you make this dish – whether in an oven or in the ground – understand that you are not merely cooking. You are summoning a memory. The fire, the soil, the slow burial – these are not merely cooking methods; they are conversations with the land.

When you crack the pumpkin open and the scent of caramelized flesh and spiced filling hits you, remember the hands that once dug the pits and built fires. And remember, as you eat – you have made a meal older than time itself.

And just as the first bite touches your tongue – you may hear a voice in the embers whisper:

“The land remembers.”

 Thus, The Pumpkin That Fed The Spirits became more than a recipe; it was an offering—a sacred communion between fire, earth, and the hearts of those who gathered around the hearth.

May these recipes and this tale bring warmth to your hearth and spirit to your table. Enjoy creating this ancient offering, and may the spirits bless your every meal.

Feel free to adjust any quantities or ingredients to suit your taste, and may your cooking always echo the sacred traditions of old.