Kadu Bouranee

Also written kaddo bowrani.

I first had this Afghan pumpkin and ground beef dish at Helmand in Cambridge, MA. And having a number of winter squash on hand (thanks to the Full Plate Farm Collective), I decided to give it a try for myself.

I found two recipes online here and here. The first one employs a fussy two-step squash cooking procedure, where it is first browned in a skillet and then roasted in the oven with cinnamon sugar while the meat sauce is prepared. In this case, I think the extra complexity is worth it because it kept the squash distinct from the meat. The second recipe above is a meatless version where the browned squash is simply finished in the same pan in a tomato sauce with ginger and coriander. Both recipes call for an alarming amount of sugar, but I found that the final dish was not overwhelmingly sweet at all.

For reference, the recipe for the original Helmand dish can be found here. Note the use of three cups (!) of sugar.

My recipe below (with beef) combines the technique of the first with the spices of the second. I had about 2½ pounds each of pumpkin and acorn squash, so I made a double recipe, keeping the two types of squash separate in order to evaluate the difference. The pumpkin was definitely the winner, with a cleaner taste that contrasted better with the beef. But the acorn squash was only slightly inferior, with a subtler taste and softer texture. The amount of sugar was just right for the pumpkin, but the acorn squash could have used less. Also, I think the yogurt sauce could have benefited from a fresh herb like mint, dill, or cilantro. All in all, the combination of pumpkin with the meat sauce was warm and comforting, perfect for a cold winter evening.

Squash:

• 2½ pounds pumpkin or acorn squash
  
• 3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  
• ¼ cup sugar
  
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Yogurt sauce:

• 1 cup plain yogurt
  
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
  
• ½ teaspoon salt
  
• Freshly ground black pepper

Meat sauce:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  
• 2 medium onions, chopped
  
• ½ tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  
• 1 pound ground beef
  
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
  
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  
• 14 oz. crushed tomatoes
  
• ½ cup water
  
• 1 teaspoon salt

Garnish: ⅓ cup toasted pumpkin seeds

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Halve the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds and fibers, and peel with a vegetable peeler. Slice into eighths and then into 1-inch pieces. [Next time, I might try leaving the eighths whole.]

2. Heat oil in a skillet and brown pumpkin on all sides, about 10 minutes, and transfer to a baking sheet. Combine sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the pumpkin. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

3. Whisk yogurt in a bowl with salt, pepper, and garlic.

4. For the meat sauce, heat oil in a skillet and cook onions and ginger until slightly browned. Move onions and ginger to the edge of the pan and add coriander to the oil in the center. Stir to release the flavor of the coriander, and add the garlic and ground beef. When browned, add tomatoes, water, and salt and simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.

I haven't settled on the best way to assemble and serve this dish. Visually, it's nice to see all the elements separately, but the pumpkin, meat sauce, and yogurt taste best when eaten all together. Layering the meat over the pumpkin and then dressing with yogurt seems to work okay. Scattering pumpkin seeds on top adds a crunchy bit of nuttiness.