Pumpkin and Plantain Pie
When we think of a pumpkin pie, many of us may think of the guts left over from carving the traditionally orange vegetable on Halloween, but did you know, pumpkins come in all colours, shapes & sizes?
Photo by Francesca Grima on Unsplash
For this recipe I used a variety called white or “ghost” pumpkin, which I thought would be perfect for this Halloween themed pie. I must admit, I did think the pie would come out post-bake looking white and pale, however after adding sugar and golden syrup the process of caramelisation (the browning of sugar using heat) turned the pie a deep, autumnal brown. BUT my goal of developing a delicious, seasonal dessert was still achieved.
WEST AFRICAN TWIST: yes of course I had to put a bit of my culture into this dish to give it a twist - I added plantain.
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash
Plantain is usually grown in tropical climates, very common in African and Asian countries. In the UK, it is typically found in Asian &/or African food shops (support local businesses where you can folks!) and in some major supermarkets. If you can’t find plantain, you can swap the amount in the recipe for more pumpkin, it will work just as well. Plantain is very similar to bananas, slightly starchier but still sweet and most tasty when baked, fried or boiled. Much like its cousin the banana, the riper the plantain the sweeter it is. I prefer to use them when they are yellow with a few black patches as I find they are at their peak for cooking at this stage, however you can cook them at any stage of ripeness - green, yellow, or black.
Plantain was a huge hit in my family growing up! We had it almost every other week and was a staple item on our shopping list.
Ingredients
Makes 1 pie
Vegan | Nut free
Prep time: 40 mins
Bake time: 40 mins plus cooling
Pumpkin Pie Filling
Stage 1 – pureed fruit & veg
200g can pumpkin puree - or fresh pumpkin, peeled, boiled and mash
200g plantain (approx. 2) – boiled and mashed
Stage 2 - pastry
· 200g ready-made shortcrust pastry – pre rolled or block
Stage 3 – pie filling
1 cup canned coconut milk – place in the fridge at least 12 hours before bake
1 1/2 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp ground all spice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
3 tbsp golden syrup
1/2 cup corn starch or arrowroot powder
Prep-work
1. If using fresh pumpkin, peel and chop into cubes. If using tinned pumpkin puree, skip this step.
2. Peel and roughly chop the plantain.
3. Once the coconut milk has fully chilled for 12 hours, open and scoop out only the top layer as it will have split to form a cream.
Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees / gas mark 4
2. For this recipe I used a 20cm pie tin, 3cm deep, this is preferred but not necessary. Line your pie tin with your shortcrust pastry and leave it to rest in your fridge for at least 15 minutes.
3. In a large pot of boiling water, add the peeled, diced pumpkins and leave to cook for 15-20 mins or until soft throughout. Add more water if needed, make sure the pumpkin is fully submerged in the water.
4. Remove the pumpkin from the pan (but save the water for the next step) and allow to cool fully.
5. In the same large pot of boiling water (again add more water if needed) add the roughly chopped plantain and cook for 8-10 mins or until soft throughout.
6. Remove the plantain from the pan and allow to cool fully.
7. In a large bowl, add the pumpkin and plantain puree with all of stage 3 (coconut cream, 1.5 tsp ginger powder, 1 tsp all spice, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, 3 tbsp golden syrup, 1/2 cup corn starch or arrowroot powder) and whisk until smooth and creamy.
8. Pour the filling into your pre-lined tin. Make sure the filling is even by smoothing out with a spoon or spatula.
9. Bake for 35-45 minutes on the middle rack of the oven. To test the filling is baked, carefully poke with your finger, it should be springy to touch and won’t leave an imprint.
10. Let the pie cool for about an hour before serving to ensure it has set fully. Serve hot or cold with some whipped coconut cream.