Kumror bhorta

Priya’s selected Mishti Kumro Bhorta is a Bengali pumpkin-mash variation made with butternut squash. Her version combines the squash with cooked onion and garlic, mustard oil, red chilli powder and a coriander finish, and is served warm.

The butternut squash is halved, peeled and cleared of its strings and seeds, then cut into cubes. It cooks in a covered pan with part of the mustard oil, turmeric, salt and a splash of water, with more water if the pan becomes dry.

Garlic is peeled and roughly smashed in a mortar and pestle, while onion is peeled and finely chopped. Once the squash is cooked, it is transferred to a plate; more of the same oil heats in the same pan for the garlic and onion.

The cooked squash returns to the pan with salt, red chilli powder and the selected optional sugar. It cooks on low while being mixed and mashed with the back of a ladle, then the heat is turned off.

Finely chopped coriander and the selected optional lemon juice are mixed in. A final raw mustard-oil drizzle finishes the same mash, which is served warm with the selected rice accompaniment.