Ellen Kanner

soulful vegan writer

  • About
  • CONSULTATION
  • PUBLICATIONS
  • RESOURCES
  • RECIPES
  • Video
  • Shop
  • Appearances
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT
  • $0.00
You are here: Home / Cocktail Parties / All Treat, No Tricks —Pumpkin Talkari (Caribbean Curried Pumpkin Dip)

All Treat, No Tricks —Pumpkin Talkari (Caribbean Curried Pumpkin Dip)

October 31, 2022 by Ellen Kanner Leave a Comment

Forget pumpkin spice lattes. For real pumpkin and spice, dip into pumpkin talkari, aka Caribbean curried pumpkin dip. It’s Trinidad’s comfort food — belly-filling, with warming flavors that dance on the tongue, vitamins C and A to keep you nourished and glowing, and something else you can’t see but you can feel — a dish that speaks of its African heritage.

Pumpkin isn’t just a sweater weather gourd. Calabaza, also known as West Indian pumpkin, and confusingly, Mexican pumpkin, absolutely loves the heat, and thrives in the tropics. It’s a staple crop.

Calabaza is green-fleshed on the outside, pale orange on the inside, mild-flavored and sweet.  And large. So large that in Miami and environs, stores sell it in chunks, because really, not everyone knows what to do with a twenty-pound calabaza. It’d make a whole lot of pumpkin talkari, and that might be a good thing.

How to Make Pumpkin Talkari

  1. Pour pumpkin puree into a colander and let it drain for a few minutes, yielding a thicker puree.
  2. Pour remaining pumpkin into a medium-sized bowl, and stir in curry powder. Set aside.
  3. Pour coconut oil into a skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the ginger, and stir. 
  4. Add the cumin, fennel and nigella seeds, curry leaves and cinnamon sticks, and, if you like, a pinch of red pepper flakes. Keep stirring.
  5. When the spices sizzle and turn fragrant, about three to five minutes, remove from heat. Remove cinnamon stick and curry leaves.
  6. To serve, line a plate or shallow bowl with greens. Spoon the pumpkin mash on top and make dimples all over the surface with a chopstick or handle end of a spoon. Drizzle on the ginger and spices, then sprinkle the lime juice over everything. Finish with a pop of sea salt and garnish lavishly with cilantro, pumpkin seeds, sprouts and grape tomato halves.

Tips

Jack o’lantern pumpkins are fun — and sometimes scary — but they don’t always make the best eating. They’re stringy inside, and not as sweet and tender as other varieties like sugar pumpkin or cheese pumpkin (don’t worry, fellow vegans, there’s no dairy involved, it just looks like a wheel of cheese).

Make whole pumpkin or any winter squash easier to chop by popping it in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, just long enough to soften. Let it cool till it’s easy to handle, then peel and chop. 

You can keep chopped pumpkin uncooked and sealed tight in the refrigerator for several days. 

For homemade pumpkin puree, steam fresh pumpkin cubes in a covered steamer or double boiler for 25 minutes, or until you can pierce the flesh easily with a knife point.

Jamaican curry powder is a milder curry blend, bending more towards turmeric and coriander and away from chile heat.

Resist the urge to stir the pumpkin puree, spices and lime juice together.  Layering the spices, lime juice, seeds and vegetables makes for a hauntingly nuanced talkari.

Enjoy pumpkin talkari warm with crackers or flatbread for scooping and spreading. 

Pumpkin Talkari – Curried Caribbean Pumpkin Dip

For real pumpkin and spice, dip into pumpkin talkari, aka Caribbean curried pumpkin dip. It’s Trinidad’s comfort food.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Appetizer

Ingredients
  

  • 1-1/2 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling, preferably fresh*
  • 2 teaspoons Jamaican curry powder or your favorite curry blend
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1- inch piece of ginger sliced into matchsticks
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
  • 1/2 teaspoon nigella also known as black onion seed
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • red pepper flakes optional
  • juice of 1/2 lime
  • pinch of sea salt
  • to garnish: any or all:
  • cilantro chopped
  • pumpkin seeds
  • green sprouts
  • thyme leaves
  • grape tomatoes halved
  • whole grain bread or crackers for serving

Instructions
 

  • Pour pumpkin puree into a colander and let it drain for a few minutes, yielding a thicker puree.
  • Pour remaining pumpkin into a medium-sized bowl, and stir in curry powder. Set aside.
  • Pour coconut oil into a skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the ginger, and stir.
  • Add the cumin, fennel and nigella seeds, curry leaves and cinnamon sticks, and, if you like, a pinch of red pepper flakes. Keep stirring.
  • When the spices sizzle and turn fragrant, about three to five minutes, remove from heat. Remove cinnamon stick and curry leaves.
  • To serve, line a plate or shallow bowl with greens. Spoon the pumpkin mash on top and make dimples all over the surface with a chopstick or handle end of a spoon. Drizzle on the ginger and spices, then sprinkle the lime juice over everything. Finish with a pop of sea salt and garnish lavishly with cilantro, pumpkin seeds, sprouts and grape tomato halves.

Notes

*Make whole pumpkin or any winter squash easier to chop by popping it in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, just long enough to soften. Let it cool till it’s easy to handle, then peel and chop. You can keep chopped pumpkin uncooked and sealed tight in the refrigerator for several days.
Steam fresh pumpkin cubes in a covered steamer or double boiler for 25 minutes, or until you can pierce the flesh easily with a knife point.
Keyword pumkin talkari

dividerEK


dividerEKThank you for reading my vegan stories and plant-based recipes. I sincerely love to connect with listeners and would like to hear your feedback, takeaways, “ah-ha!” moments, etc in the comments.

Connect with me for discounts, exclusive tips, and other freebies:
• Join my NEWSLETTER for exclusive content & offers
• Join my social networks on LINKEDIN, TWITTER and FACEBOOK

Want to learn more?
Explore more of my VEGAN RECIPES, and my COOK BOOKS.
Do you want a happier life, a greener plate, and a delicious world? Then sign up for VEG THERAPY.



Filed Under: Appetizers, Cocktail Parties, Condiments & Spreads, LIGHT MEALS

« Celebrate Diwali With Chai
Falafel for N »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Ellen Kanner ELLEN KANNER is a soulful vegan writer on food, wellness and sustainability with over 15 years' experience. She's a recipe developer for numerous publications...[Read More] .

~ Work With Ellen ~

She is available for speaking engagements, consultations, and cooking demonstrations. To book a paid speaking gig, contact her.

~ available Cookbooks ~

Ellen Kanner

buynow

Ellen Kanner

buynow

Upcoming Events

There are no upcoming events.

View Calendar
Add
  • Add to Timely Calendar
  • Add to Google
  • Add to Outlook
  • Add to Apple Calendar
  • Add to other calendar
  • Export to XML

Recent Publications

Edible South Florida Winter 2023

What Is British Cheese Rolling? | The Cheese Professor

Around the World in Cornmeal Mush | Whetstone Magazine

Adaptogens and Healthful Botanicals Trend in Cocktails | The Alcohol Professor

Discovering A Brave New World of Vegan Chocolates

Is Olive Oil Good For Us? | Huffpost

VegNews Jan 2022

Edible South Florida Winter Issue

Edible South Florida Fall 2021

VegNews Holiday 2021

Thanksgiving Without Turkey? A Valid Argument For Skipping The Bird.

Why This Latin American Chef Rejects The Term ‘Latinx’

The Diva of Daufuskie

SoFloVegans Podcast

Is Wine Vegan?

The Best Artisanal Cheese and Why We Love Them

Food Rescue U.S.: ‘Hunger Doesn’t Take A Holiday’

Art Friedrich: Food Insecurity Is A ‘Weakness That Will Be Exploited By Adversaries’

Broccoli Rising|October 2020 – Breathe, Nourish, Rise

What is Vegan Cheese and is it Legit?

The Germans Have a Word for That Snack

From Cucina Povera to Conscious Cookery: Timeless Garden-to-Kitchen and Back Again Smarts

Thinking Outside and Inside the Box: Growing Greens in Miami

Diet for a Large Pandemic

Currently Featured On

Brahma Kumaris Miami interview with Meredith Porte

Vegan Cinco de Mayo: Vegan Date-Sweetened Chocolate Love Bites & Mango Black Bean Salad

Vedge Your Best – The Plant-Based Podcast – Michele Olender

Professional Associations

~Contributing Columnist ~

Ellen Kanner
Ellen Kanner

~ Search Site ~

RSS Newsletter

  • March 2023 March 1, 2023
  • February 2023 February 1, 2023
  • A Little Ask and a Little Delight January 17, 2023
  • January 2023 December 29, 2022
  • December 2022 December 1, 2022

~ Signup for my Newsletter~

~ Follow me on Twitter ~

© 2023 ELLEN KANNER - site by Kapok Graphics