1044. Iraqi Red Pumpkin Stew

Although I was hesitant to try this dish because I thought pumpkin would be too sweet to have in a stew, I went ahead anyway because it is documented that pumpkin stew was one of our beloved Prophet's (peace and blessing be upon him) favorite foods. And that is saying something, as meat was certainly not a daily occurrence and would mostly be reserved for occasions. In summary, I am so glad I gave it a go. That one go led to three other goes in the span of just over a week.
I specified in the title that this is a red pumpkin stew, because in fact yellow pumpkin stews are quite popular too. The red and yellow is referring to the color of the stew obviously not the pumpkin. The stew is quite simple to make, using Iraqi staples like noomi (dried lime) and curry. Curry powder in cooking might not immediately be associated with Iraqi cooking, but take my word that we use it in plenty of dishes, from stews to samosa filling to our famous uroog.

Ingredients: serves 4

2 lamb shanks (450g)
3 Tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
450g pumpkin chunks
2 tsp Madras curry powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 stock cubes
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 small dry lime (noomi)
1 (400g) canned tomato
4 cups water

Method:

In a pot over medium heat, sear the shanks in the oil until browned all over but not cooked through; set aside.
In the same pot, saute the chopped onion and pumpkin chunks in the pan drippings until the onion has softened. Add the curry and chili powders, stock cubes, and saute until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and saute for a minute more. Add the canned chopped tomato, water, and dry lime. Stir to incorporate.
Return the seared shanks to the pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for an hour to an hour and a half. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Serve with a side of steamed rice.

صحة و عافية