Pumpkin wedges with toasty seeds and dill tahini

Servings: 4
Pumpkin’s a happy hero for any vego guests; it loves being treated like a big hunk of meat by being roasted until burnished and softened through the middle. You could also make a real meal out of this for all eaters by grilling some lamb koftas to peek out from around the pumpkin sails or to serve on the side. Think of them more like an accompaniment to the pumpkin than the other way around. Zhuzh it up with something saucy like this refreshing dill tahini yoghurt, and finish with the crunch of seeds for bonus texture. Sub out natural yoghurt for coconut yoghurt to make it fully plant-based.
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Ingredients 

  • 2 tbsp pepitas pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) jap, kabocha or kent pumpkin (squash)
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus extra for drizzling

DILL TAHINI YOGHURT

  • 2-3 garlic cloves
  • ½ cup firmly packed dill plus ¼ cup of extra fronds for garnish
  • ½ cup (130 g) natural yoghurt
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) tahini
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tsp pomegranate molasses
  • 1 tsp salt flakes
  • ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

FINAL BITS & BOBS

  • Seeds of half a pomegranate
  • Small mint leaves
  • 1 lemon halved

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F) or 200°C (400°F) fan forced, with your pumpkin roasting tray inside, scattered with the pepitas and sesame seeds. Set a timer for 10 minutes and pull the seeds out once they have reached their terrifically toasty potential. Transfer to a bowl and set aside until serving.
  • Wash pumpkin well (no need to peel) and slice into 4 cm (1½ inch) thick half-moons. Coat the pumpkin in olive oil, arrange tips-up on the preheated tray so that the pumpkin bits stand proud like sails in the oven, then roast for 45–50 minutes until soft through the centre.
  • Meanwhile, blitz the dill tahini yoghurt ingredients in a blender or food processor until combined. If making the dressing the old-fashioned way (unplugged), mince the garlic and finely chop the dill stalks then stir the rest of the ingredients together until uniformly green.
  • To serve, slather half of the dill tahini yoghurt on the bottom of a serving platter or board, arrange pumpkin on top, then drizzle on the rest of the dressing and scatter with toasted seeds, pomegranate seeds, reserved dill fronds and mint leaves. Finish with a final bedrizzle of extra olive oil and serve with lemon for squeezing over.

Notes

Recipe from Salad for Days (Murdoch Books)

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