Turkish Pumpkin Candy Dessert from Ottoman times. I made this simple recipe with minimal effort yet maximum satisfaction. After trying so many sweet pumpkin desserts last Autumn, I concluded that only savoury pumpkin dishes were for me. Well, I changed my mind after trying this Turkish sweet. I tried my hand at it for the first time in Autumn (2021) and it was simply Love at first Taste!! A friend from my Alma Mater suggested I try making Kabak Tatlisi and ever since then, it has become our favourite Autumn Dessert. It’s still a favourite during Winter even!

Diabetic Friendly, Vegan and Gluten-Free.

Never had pumpkin as a dessert on its own? Forget about your classic pumpkin pie and make this super easy Turkish Sweet Delight. This Turkish Pumpkin Candy Dessert will be a hit with your family especially during the holidays. Being Vegan, gluten-free and so easy to make, my recipe is also Diabetic friendly with a couple of tweaks.

Calorie Conscious?

I substituted sugar with Erythritol and clotted cream with Creme Fraiche (need to watch my calories and sugar GI levels). It still turned out sooo good! Ever since this new discovery, we have had it every week. The bonus part of this dessert is that with reasonable portions, it did not disrupt my blood glucose levels.

While being a super easy recipe with a basic of only 3 ingredients, you can enhance the flavour with the addition of ginger and a couple of other spices. It’s all a matter of personal taste and preference. You even have a choice of optional garnishing (tahini, clotted cream, creme fraiche) and coarsely chopped nuts as a final topping (walnuts and pistachios).

How to prepare and clean a pumpkin.

Mature pumpkins are best to use for kabak tatlısı. If the skin is tough, use a knife to peel the pumpkin. Vegetable peelers are better for younger, thinner-skinned pumpkins and squashes. Cut the pumpkin in half, and scrape out the seeds and pulp with a large metal spoon.

Lay the pumpkin halves flat side down, and cut in half again, repeat until you have the required amount of segments.

Save the seeds. Remove the seeds from the pulp, and rinse. Pat dry, place on a baking tray in a medium-hot oven, and bake for 10 minutes. I use toasted pumpkin seeds in oats, yogurts, salads and my favourite is garnish for Pumpkin Soup. 

How to make Turkish Pumpkin Candy Dessert.

There are 2 options to make this dessert, on stove top or in the Oven.

Place pumpkin pieces in a large heavy bottom pot in one layer and sprinkle spices (optional) and sugar over. cover and set aside overnight for best results. Minimum 6 hours. Pumpkin juices will be released and dissolve the sugar.

Method 1 : Boil pumpkin cubes in it’s juice till soft but not mushy. Cool and serve with choice of garnishings and toppings.

Method 2 : Place pumpkin pieces in one layer on a baking tray and pour it’s juice over it. Bake for 30 mins. Cool and serve with choice of garnishings and toppings.

How To Serve Turkish Pumpkin Candy Dessert.

You can serve the candied pumpkin with the following options :

A dollop of clotted cream or creme fraiche, A drizzle of tahini paste, Coarsely chopped Nuts OR go all out and have a bit of everything! My husband loves it with creme fraiche and pistachios and I enjoy it with tahini sauce and walnuts.

Other Pumpkin Recipes

Try another Turkish Dessert : Muhallebi (Mahalabia) Milk Pudding

Prefer a Savoury Pumpkin Dish instead? Try Savoury Sweet Pumpkin Fry (Labu Masak Cili)

As always: If you liked this recipe please give us a rating and/or let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.

If you make this recipe, post a pic on Instagram too and tag @sweetsharings with hashtag #sweetsharings for a shout out.

Print

Turkish Pumpkin Candy Dessert

Never had pumpkin as a dessert on its own? Forget about your classic pumpkin pie and make this Turkish Pumpkin Candy Dessert instead. It will be a hit with your family especially during the holiday season. Vegan, gluten-free and so easy to make! If you liked this recipe, please leave a ratng below.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Asian, Turkish

Diet Diabetic, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword candy, dessert, diabetic friendly, gluten-free, make ahead, Pumpkin, super easy, sweet, turkish, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

resting time 8 hours hours

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories

Equipment

• 1 Large heavy bottom pot OR oven pan
• 1 Large Sharp knife

Ingredients

• 450 gm pumpkin – weight after cleaned
• 1 cup sugar I used Erythritol (diabetic friendly)
• 1-2 tablespoons tahini/clotted cream/creme fraiche
• 1 thumb size ginger julienned and optional
• 1 stick cinnamon small stick and optional
• a few cardamom pods crushed and optional
• Pistachios or walnuts for garnish crumbled and optional

Instructions

• Peel, wash and cut the pumpkin. Remove seeds and clean the fibrous parts out. Cut the pumpkin into desired wedge/cube sizes or rectangular pieces of about 1×2 inches (3×5 cm)
• Place the pumpkin pieces and spices in a large heavy bottom pot, preferably a Dutch oven. The pot must be large because the maximum number of pumpkin pieces must touch the bottom in a single layer.
• Sprinkle sugar and choice of spices if any over the pumpkin pieces.
• Cover with lid and set aside overnight or at least 6 hours. Best results always overnight and especially so if using erythritol instead of sugar.
• The pumpkin pieces will release their juice during the sitting time, so there is no need to add extra water while boiling it. If the juices do not almost cover the pieces, then add just a little water. I have never had to add any water.

Method 1

• Place the pot with pumpkin cubes on stove and bring it to a boil on medium high heat. Once it starts to boil, immediately lower heat to medium low and leave uncovered.
• Simmer until soft but not mushy. Let it cool completely in the same pot.

Method 2

• Preheat oven at 180C/375F. Place the pumpkin cubes/slices on a baking pan in one layer. Pour the juice over pumpkin slices. Bake for 20-30 minutes until tender. Let it cool completely.

After pumpkin pieces have been Cooked.

• Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container or covered dish. Refrigerate for minimum 30 minutes to an hour. Can be served hot too but most commonly served as a cold dessert.
• Serve with a drizzle of tahini sauce OR a dollop of clotted cream OR creme fraiche. It's a matter of personal taste and diet preference.
• You can optionally garnish it with crumbled pistachio or walnuts.

Notes

This dessert is so versatile, you can serve it with a choice or all of the suggested garnishig and toppings. It’s just a matter of personal taste.

If you are diabetic or need to watch your calorie intake :

1. substitute sugar with Erythritol or similar.
2. substitute clotted cream with creme fraich

 

The post Turkish Pumpkin Candy Dessert. Super Easy 3-Ingredient Kabak Tatlisi. appeared first on Sweet Sharings.

A little history :

Pilau (UK spelling) or Pilaf (US spelling) is usually a rice dish that involves cooking in stock or broth. Spices and other ingredients are added as well to make a flavourful and nutritious meal.

Pilau was most likely invented in India some time after the importation of Rice to the Indus River valley. It is believed that the earliest forms of our modern word “Pilaf” are the Indo Aryan words “Pula,” (meaning a dish of rice & meat) and / or “Pulāka” (from the Sanskrit meaning a lump of boiled rice).

How long does it take to cook the One-Pot Ginger Chicken Pilau? 

It takes the chicken an hour to cook and an additional 25 minutes for the rice and a standing time of 10 minutes. I marinate or massage the chicken with the ready home made spice blend for just a couple minutes, and Voila! it’s ready to cook.

If you have the time, keep the marinated chicken in the fridge for a couple hours or even overnight. This gives for maximum flavour and tenderness.

Main Equipment :

Heavy Bottom Cast Iron Caserole

You will need a heavy bottom pan with a heavy lid, preferably a Cast Iron casserole with a Heavy Lid.  If you do not have a heavy fitting lid, find a way to securely cover a deep cast iron with double layer of foil. We do not want the broth to bubble and spill over.

Spatchcock Style

I used a shallow Cast iron pan and I did a spatchcock style to get the chicken flat enough to close the lid. Spatchcocking a chicken means to cut the chicken’s back lengthwise down the spine and then flattening it by pressing on the chest. With the bones faced down, the maximum flavour of the chicken will be released into the liquid. The released juices within the enclosure makes for an aromatic and flavourful Rice. As a result of cooking in it’s own fat and juices, you get a delicious and tender chicken.

Be very careful with handling your cast iron casserole as it is VERY heavy and even more so with food in it and is extremely hot. You need safe grip holders/thick oven gloves.

What Spices?

I use only organic ground spices and herbs and make my own blend. It’s a personal preference and I find them much more aromatic and most importantly, non GMO. You can access my home made pilau spice recipe here. 

The cooked chicken is juicy and tender that it slides off the bones easily. As a result, my Basmati turned out moist and fluffy too. Comfort or Autumn food? I say both! Such a delicious one pot comfort food, easy yet nutritious. I made the spice blend long beforehand and stored it in jars just for a rainy day like this.

Recipe Tips

This Pilau goes well with any chicken rice sauce,curry or tomato gravy. I enjoy it though with just a mix of fresh red chillies and tomatoes blended with lemon juice and a little salt... Yumm!

Serve with a leafy salad alongside too. If you’re feeding children, add some vegetable in the pilau itself. I usually add 1 large diced carrot and 1 large deseeded pepper. The vegetables are added in at the time the rice is.

Print

One-Pot Ginger Chicken Pilau

My own fusion of Asian and Indian cuisine comprising of Rice and chicken cooked in a broth with spices. So easy and tasty, you'll want seconds. Serve a leafy salad alongside it with and optional chicken rice sauce of chillies and tomatoes blended with some lemon juice and salt.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Eastern Europe, Indian, Iranian, Middle East, Turkish

Keyword chicken, cuisine, garlic, ginger, indian, iranian, main course, pilaf, pilau, recipe, rice, spices, turkish

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Resting time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories

Author Nurdiyanah Magness

Equipment

• Heavy Bottom caserole with heavy lid. Preferebly Cast Iron.
• Safe Grip holders or thick Oven Mits

Ingredients

• 1 Chicken medium
• 200 gm Basmati Rice
• 2 tbsp Pilau Spice Blend. half for the chicken marinade and half for the rice.
• 4 slices ginger.
• 2 slices fresh turmeric or 1/2 – 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 4 pods Garlic crushed
• 600 ml Water
• some parsley or coriander leaves for garnishing.
• salt to taste pepper or more spices to your liking. (optional)
• ½ Lemon Rind

Notes

Be very careful with handling your cast iron casserole as it is VERY heavy and hot. You need safe grip holders or thick oven gloves. 

Serve with a leafy salad alongside too. If you’re feeding children, add some vegetable in the pilau itself. I usually add 1 large diced carrot and 1 large deseeded pepper. The vegetables are added in with the rice.

This Pilau goes well with any chicken rice sauce, curry or tomato gravy. I enjoy it though with just a mix of fresh red chillies and tomatoes blended with lemon juice and a little salt. 

I’m really excited for you to try this Recipe with your own variations too. If you do try this, I hope you’ll come back to leave a comment. I’d love to know what you think!  Post a photo of it on instagram and mention @sweetsharings with hashtag #sweetsharings

Join Sweet Sharings Subscribers and never miss a new recipe. It’s free!

The post One-Pot Ginger Chicken Pilau appeared first on Sweet Sharings.