Roasted butternut squash with 3 pepper and cheese

Pumpkins and squashes are not great when made into rich curries or unless fried. Even so, currying with these is always tricky as they can quickly be overcooked and loose the texture resulting into a mushy paste. The same disadvantage becomes useful when you decide to put them to another use, that is, baking or making soups. The thick, water retentive nature makes a perfect base of warm soups.

While there are numerous options for baking - making wedges, chips or strips we can also bake the butternut squash whole. To turn this into a full meal, fill the hollows with vegetables and cheese and serve with garlic bread.

Ingredients:

For roasting the squash

1. 1 medium butter nut squash

2. olive oil

3. butter

4. salt and pepper

5. mixed herbs (optional)

For the vegetables -

1. Diced red, yellow and green capsicums

2. 1 - Diced onion

3. 2-3 cloves garlic, minced

4. Olive oil

5. Salt and pepper

6. A few cubes of diced paneer/cottage cheese

7. Mozzarella cheese 50-75 gm

8. Cumin powder / Garam masala to taste

9. Chilli flakes - to taste

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

2. Cut the squash laterally into 2 halves and remove seeds and pulp

3. Score the squash in criss-cross fashion and rub oilve oil and salt/pepper as per taste

4. Place in a baking tray in the centre of the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes. Make sure to check on the squash as baking time varies with ovens. Put a teaspoon of butter midway through baking time - this will give extra creamy taste

While the squash is roasting, prepare the mixed pepper filling -

1. Heat a spoonful of olive oil and butter in a pan

2. Add minced garlic (optional), diced onion, capsicums. Saute for a few minutes

3. Add salt and pepper to taste

4. You can add any other par-boiled veggies at this stage

5. Add diced cottage cheese and remove from flame

6. Add half a spoon of garam masala / cumin powder and few chilli flakes

When the squash is about 30 mins in the oven, taken the tray out and fill the hollows with above filling.

1. Grate any melting cheese on top

2. Bake in the oven again for 7-10 mins or until cheese melts.

3. Serve hot with garlic bread