A fall-friendly dish with desi flavors
Here’s an Indian-style shakshuka, using butternut squash. This may be an unusual combination, but this recipe is a burst of fall-flavored bliss. It’s comforting as the weather gets chilly, and makes a wonderful brunch or breakfast dish.
Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
14 oz can whole peeled san marzano tomatoes, hand crushed or blended
4 large eggs
1 serrano pepper chopped
1 small white onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp paprika
3 tsp garam masala
2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
3 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup feta cheese crumbled
1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
1 tbsp za’atar seasoning for garnish (optional)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
Instructions
Toss the cubed butternut squash in 1 tbsp of olive oil, 2 tsp garam masala, and 2 tsp of cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for one hour, or until soft and cooked.
Once the butternut squash is cooked and cooled, blend to a puree reserving half a cup of the cubes to add into the sauce mixture if you want some texture. If not, blend all the squash to a puree and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees again. In an oven-safe, heavy bottom pan, like a cast iron or braiser, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil and add in the diced onion, minced garlic, and chopped serrano and cook until slightly translucent.
Once raw smell of garlic is gone, add in the butternut squash puree and 1/4 cup of water to loosen it up, if needed, and mix until combined.
Add in the blended tomatoes and mix with the butternut squash until well combined. Then add in the paprika, garam masala, cumin powder, red chili powder, and salt and mix thoroughly and allow mixture to cook so the masalas can blend well with the butternut/tomato mixture.
Once the masalas are cooked into the mixture, create four small wells in the mixture and crack one egg into each well. Season with a little bit of pepper.
Move pan into oven and bake eggs for 5-7 minutes or until eggs are cooked to the desired level.
Garnish with za’atar, feta cheese, and chopped fresh parsley.
Serve hot with a side of grilled bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use canned butternut squash puree instead of fresh if you prefer, just skip those steps
- I used a Le Creuset braiser for this dish
For more details, visit Rav’s website, or check her Instagram account, @ravskitchen.
