Kaddo Bourani - Baked Pumpkin with Minted Yogurt and Spiced Beef

Monday, November 9, 2015

Kaddo Bourani - stewed sugar pumpkin with garlic mint yogurt sauce and spiced tomato beef by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

In this Afghan favorite, you bake pumpkin with sugar and cinnamon until it is soft and tender, top it with a mint-flecked, garlicky yogurt sauce and a drizzle of ground beef (or lamb) that's been cooked in a earthy, spiced tomato sauce and some flatbread to mop up the sauce. The combination of flavors and textures is both unexpected and addictive.

Sugar pie pumpkin by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2011

I fell in love with this wonderfully flavorful, exotic dish the first time I tried it at the Afghan Grill many years ago when I lived in Washington, DC. It is so good that I never really tried anything else at the restaurant...

Sugar pumpkin for Kaddo Bourani by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

I had not eaten kaddo bourani in almost 10 years but when my younger son brought a sugar pumpkin home from a field trip last month, I started daydreaming about it. It's been so long that I could not even remember what it was called but Yelp came through - I found a description and the name in the first review of the Afghan Grill. Then I came up with the recipe below by picking and choosing the bits I liked from the many different recipes I found online.

The hardest part of making this dish is dealing with the pumpkin - peeling it, de-seeding it (save the seeds to roast!), and cutting it up. But it's not very hard...

Cubed sugar pumpkin for Kaddo Bourani by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

You brown the pumpkin in a Dutch oven on the stovetop for a few minutes to give it a little color and caramelization.

Browning the sugar pumpkin in oil for Kaddo Bourani by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

Then sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar and move it to the oven with the top on. While the pumpkin is baking, you make the yogurt sauce and get your beef or lamb cooking on the stove top.

Raita - cucumber and yogurt sauce with herbs by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

Saute the onions and garlic until translucent then add the beef, tomato, red pepper flakes, turmeric, coriander, salt and pepper. It doesn't take long for everything to come together. Warm your flatbread and serve. SO GOOD!

Kaddo Bourani - stewed sugar pumpkin with garlic mint yogurt sauce and spiced tomato beef by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

-- print recipe --
Kaddo Bourani
Serves 4

Ingredients

For the pumpkin
* 4 Tbsps peanut or grapeseed oil
* 1 good-sized (2.5-3 lbs) sugar pumpkin
* 1/4 cup cane sugar
* 1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the beef
* 2 Tbsps olive or grapeseed oil
* 1 lb organic, grass-fed ground beef (or lamb)
* 1 large yellow onion, diced
* 2-3 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
* 1 large tomato, diced
* 2 Tbsps tomato paste
* pinch of red pepper flakes
* 1-inch piece of ginger root, peeled and minced
* 3 tsps ground coriander
* 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
* 2 tsps sea salt (or to taste)
* 2 tsps freshly ground pepper

For the yogurt sauce
* 2 cups plain yogurt (full fat)
* 3 tsps chopped, fresh mint
* 1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
* Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds and guts (reserve the seeds for roasting - they're so good and good for you) and scrape away any goopy bits. Peel the pumpkin halves, removing all the rind and any green or hard bits. Cut the pumpkin into 1-inch cubes.

2. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat and saute the pumpkin cubes until lightly browned. Turn off the heat and sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon evenly over the pumpkin, stirring to ensure that everything gets coated. Put the lid on the Dutch oven and place it in the oven to bake for 30 minutes or until tender.

3. Make the yogurt sauce. Mix the yogurt, mint, garlic, salt and pepper together and mix to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings then cover and put in the fridge.

4. Make the beef (or lamb). Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic until translucent. Add the beef and brown for 2-3 minutes then add the rest of the ingredients - tomato, ginger, spices, tomato paste and cook until the liquid has cooked down, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

5. Serve warm with warm flatbread, naan or pita bread.

You might also like:
For more delicious recipes, gardening ideas, foraging tips, and food-related inspiration "like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter and Pinterest.

17 comments:

Arthur in the Garden! said...

Yummy!

Unknown said...

Wow! This is soooo delicious. We tried it tonight for dinner. The sweet and savoury with the creamy cool tangy yogurt/garlic/mint/salt just dance around on the tongue. It is very cold and wet here. Perfect warmth for this time of year. We used a ground up dried habanero pepper in the beef. Just the right amount of heat. We will prepare this again. Thank you.

Eve Fox said...

Yay!!! habanero is a great idea.

Diane Lindsay said...

On the menu!

Eve Fox said...

Woot! Hope you like it, Diane. Keep me posted.

Megan said...

Made this last night. It was fun fun experimenting with a Middle Eastern recipe, and it tasted delicious. :)

Next time, I'll actually add the red pepper flakes and mint; I didn't have them in my pantry this time around, and so the resulting dish was a little mild.

Anonymous said...

The best and highest use for ground lamb. Just a delicious way to herald the autumn weather...made it tonight. Thanks for a great recipe.

Carolyn said...

I love Kaddu, ever since I first ate it at Kabul Restaurant in San Carlos, CA. Now I’ve moved, am growing pumpkins, and make the Kaddu myself...this is a very authentic recipe, quite close to the restaurant’s. I use a vegetarian meat alternative, such as Beyond Beef, and it is just as good as the meat version.

Anonymous said...

Carolyn, we love Kabul restaurant, we live close by to it! So excited to try this recipe, now that I know it's close to Kabul's!!! YAY!!!

Unknown said...

Wow!! I just saw pumpkins in the store, decided to finally attempt kaddo and found this recipe. I also fell in love with the dish at Kabul in San Carlos but we moved and haven’t been able to go back to get another taste for years! Small world

Unknown said...

There was a Restaurant in Chicago called Helmand... Did this dish to addictive perfection. Then broke my heart and moved to Boston! Amazing dish, great medley of tastes.

Eve Fox said...

Yes! I ate at the one on Cambridge, MA once a million years ago on a date with my then boyfriend, now husband. DELICIOUS! Sorry you lost it from Chicago.

Anonymous said...

Helmand has been in Cambridge for at least 20 years. Still going strong.

Eve Fox said...

I'm so glad to hear it's still going strong. My hubby and I went on our first date there in early 2000 and it was already a very well-established institution at that point so it's probably been there closer to 30+ years is my guess.

Anonymous said...

A well written recipe, and I recommend it to friends all the time when they’re looking at what they think are decorative pumpkins and they’re actually a little sugar pumpkins that you should eat! Only one comment that will make this much much easier, and will match the version that I had at the Helmand, lo these many years ago:
Don’t bother to peel and cube the pumpkin!! Just cut it into four wedges top to bottom (or six or eight, depending on size). Scrape out the seeds and fibers, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and roast in the oven. It’ll take a little longer, but will save you lots of heavy work with a knife.

Eve Fox said...

I'm in favor of all labor- and time-saving tips, thank you! And great to get a reminder that I need to make this again soon.

Anonymous said...

I love the meatless version at Bamian Afghan Restaurant in Falls Church, VA. I made this following your recipe and it was AWESOME! As always, I cook the pumpkin whole in my slow cooker to get fresh pumpkin purée.

Monday, November 9, 2015

Kaddo Bourani - Baked Pumpkin with Minted Yogurt and Spiced Beef

Kaddo Bourani - stewed sugar pumpkin with garlic mint yogurt sauce and spiced tomato beef by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

In this Afghan favorite, you bake pumpkin with sugar and cinnamon until it is soft and tender, top it with a mint-flecked, garlicky yogurt sauce and a drizzle of ground beef (or lamb) that's been cooked in a earthy, spiced tomato sauce and some flatbread to mop up the sauce. The combination of flavors and textures is both unexpected and addictive.

Sugar pie pumpkin by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2011

I fell in love with this wonderfully flavorful, exotic dish the first time I tried it at the Afghan Grill many years ago when I lived in Washington, DC. It is so good that I never really tried anything else at the restaurant...

Sugar pumpkin for Kaddo Bourani by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

I had not eaten kaddo bourani in almost 10 years but when my younger son brought a sugar pumpkin home from a field trip last month, I started daydreaming about it. It's been so long that I could not even remember what it was called but Yelp came through - I found a description and the name in the first review of the Afghan Grill. Then I came up with the recipe below by picking and choosing the bits I liked from the many different recipes I found online.

The hardest part of making this dish is dealing with the pumpkin - peeling it, de-seeding it (save the seeds to roast!), and cutting it up. But it's not very hard...

Cubed sugar pumpkin for Kaddo Bourani by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

You brown the pumpkin in a Dutch oven on the stovetop for a few minutes to give it a little color and caramelization.

Browning the sugar pumpkin in oil for Kaddo Bourani by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

Then sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar and move it to the oven with the top on. While the pumpkin is baking, you make the yogurt sauce and get your beef or lamb cooking on the stove top.

Raita - cucumber and yogurt sauce with herbs by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

Saute the onions and garlic until translucent then add the beef, tomato, red pepper flakes, turmeric, coriander, salt and pepper. It doesn't take long for everything to come together. Warm your flatbread and serve. SO GOOD!

Kaddo Bourani - stewed sugar pumpkin with garlic mint yogurt sauce and spiced tomato beef by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

-- print recipe --
Kaddo Bourani
Serves 4

Ingredients

For the pumpkin
* 4 Tbsps peanut or grapeseed oil
* 1 good-sized (2.5-3 lbs) sugar pumpkin
* 1/4 cup cane sugar
* 1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the beef
* 2 Tbsps olive or grapeseed oil
* 1 lb organic, grass-fed ground beef (or lamb)
* 1 large yellow onion, diced
* 2-3 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
* 1 large tomato, diced
* 2 Tbsps tomato paste
* pinch of red pepper flakes
* 1-inch piece of ginger root, peeled and minced
* 3 tsps ground coriander
* 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
* 2 tsps sea salt (or to taste)
* 2 tsps freshly ground pepper

For the yogurt sauce
* 2 cups plain yogurt (full fat)
* 3 tsps chopped, fresh mint
* 1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
* Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds and guts (reserve the seeds for roasting - they're so good and good for you) and scrape away any goopy bits. Peel the pumpkin halves, removing all the rind and any green or hard bits. Cut the pumpkin into 1-inch cubes.

2. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat and saute the pumpkin cubes until lightly browned. Turn off the heat and sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon evenly over the pumpkin, stirring to ensure that everything gets coated. Put the lid on the Dutch oven and place it in the oven to bake for 30 minutes or until tender.

3. Make the yogurt sauce. Mix the yogurt, mint, garlic, salt and pepper together and mix to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings then cover and put in the fridge.

4. Make the beef (or lamb). Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic until translucent. Add the beef and brown for 2-3 minutes then add the rest of the ingredients - tomato, ginger, spices, tomato paste and cook until the liquid has cooked down, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

5. Serve warm with warm flatbread, naan or pita bread.

You might also like:
For more delicious recipes, gardening ideas, foraging tips, and food-related inspiration "like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter and Pinterest.

17 comments:

Arthur in the Garden! said...

Yummy!

Unknown said...

Wow! This is soooo delicious. We tried it tonight for dinner. The sweet and savoury with the creamy cool tangy yogurt/garlic/mint/salt just dance around on the tongue. It is very cold and wet here. Perfect warmth for this time of year. We used a ground up dried habanero pepper in the beef. Just the right amount of heat. We will prepare this again. Thank you.

Eve Fox said...

Yay!!! habanero is a great idea.

Diane Lindsay said...

On the menu!

Eve Fox said...

Woot! Hope you like it, Diane. Keep me posted.

Megan said...

Made this last night. It was fun fun experimenting with a Middle Eastern recipe, and it tasted delicious. :)

Next time, I'll actually add the red pepper flakes and mint; I didn't have them in my pantry this time around, and so the resulting dish was a little mild.

Anonymous said...

The best and highest use for ground lamb. Just a delicious way to herald the autumn weather...made it tonight. Thanks for a great recipe.

Carolyn said...

I love Kaddu, ever since I first ate it at Kabul Restaurant in San Carlos, CA. Now I’ve moved, am growing pumpkins, and make the Kaddu myself...this is a very authentic recipe, quite close to the restaurant’s. I use a vegetarian meat alternative, such as Beyond Beef, and it is just as good as the meat version.

Anonymous said...

Carolyn, we love Kabul restaurant, we live close by to it! So excited to try this recipe, now that I know it's close to Kabul's!!! YAY!!!

Unknown said...

Wow!! I just saw pumpkins in the store, decided to finally attempt kaddo and found this recipe. I also fell in love with the dish at Kabul in San Carlos but we moved and haven’t been able to go back to get another taste for years! Small world

Unknown said...

There was a Restaurant in Chicago called Helmand... Did this dish to addictive perfection. Then broke my heart and moved to Boston! Amazing dish, great medley of tastes.

Eve Fox said...

Yes! I ate at the one on Cambridge, MA once a million years ago on a date with my then boyfriend, now husband. DELICIOUS! Sorry you lost it from Chicago.

Anonymous said...

Helmand has been in Cambridge for at least 20 years. Still going strong.

Eve Fox said...

I'm so glad to hear it's still going strong. My hubby and I went on our first date there in early 2000 and it was already a very well-established institution at that point so it's probably been there closer to 30+ years is my guess.

Anonymous said...

A well written recipe, and I recommend it to friends all the time when they’re looking at what they think are decorative pumpkins and they’re actually a little sugar pumpkins that you should eat! Only one comment that will make this much much easier, and will match the version that I had at the Helmand, lo these many years ago:
Don’t bother to peel and cube the pumpkin!! Just cut it into four wedges top to bottom (or six or eight, depending on size). Scrape out the seeds and fibers, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and roast in the oven. It’ll take a little longer, but will save you lots of heavy work with a knife.

Eve Fox said...

I'm in favor of all labor- and time-saving tips, thank you! And great to get a reminder that I need to make this again soon.

Anonymous said...

I love the meatless version at Bamian Afghan Restaurant in Falls Church, VA. I made this following your recipe and it was AWESOME! As always, I cook the pumpkin whole in my slow cooker to get fresh pumpkin purée.