Caucasian Glazed Pumpkin with Ginger
The pumpkin cooks to a shiny peach-like translucency, tasting gingery and exotic. In Armenia this would be eaten with meat and rice, but to my taste it's rather sweet for that. Try it with rice pudding, or cold, just as it is, to finish an Oriental or Middle Eastern meal.
1.5 kg (3 lb) pumpkin flesh, cubed
225 ml (8 fl oz) water
175 g (6 oz) sugar
2.5 cm (1 inch) piece root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
about 5 dried apricots, chopped
pinch of salt
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp toasted almonds to serve
1. In a large saucepan, bring the water to the boil and add the pumpkin, sugar, ginger, apricots and salt.
2. Cook for about half an hour until tender, stirring occasionally. Add the lemon juice.
3. Transfer the pumpkin on to a serving dish and sprinkle with toasted almonds.
