The first chilly autumn breeze brings that familiar smell: pumpkin spice. This ubiquitous concoction of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and (sometimes) allspice flavors our lattes, pies and pumpkin bread. We pile on those cozy, comfortable spices whenever we bake with pumpkin. But I’d like to challenge you a bit.
Pumpkin should not be relegated to this blend of spices — or to dessert. Cultures across the globe enjoy this naturally sweet, flavorful fruit as part of the main course. Pumpkin and winter squash appear in hearty, heavily spiced soups, stews and roasts from Asia to Africa to Central America and beyond.
Let me introduce you to another pumpkin spice: a savory kind. There’s nothing authentic or traditional about this recipe. It might look like your Thanksgiving pie, but don’t be fooled. I’ve mashed up the idea of a classic American pumpkin pie with a savory South Asian spice and flavor base. You swap out the sugar with a blend of sweetly caramelized onions, garlic, ginger and a hefty dose of garam masala, a mix of savory warming spices perfectly suited to pumpkin.
I used Tasting India’s glorious garam masala, made here in Chicago. Owner Jasmine Sheth’s grandfather was a spice merchant in Kolkata. She continues his legacy by producing complex, freshly ground spice blends. India has over 1 billion people and innumerable cuisines.
Sheth noted that garam masala, one of the most well-known Indian spice blends in America, differs from family to family depending on region and individual tastes. Her mother was raised in Kolkata, in eastern India, but Sheth grew up in Mumbai, on India’s west coast. As she sat with her mother and six aunts, toasting spices and grinding them, she watched the family’s garam masala recipe evolve into one that combined flavors from both sides of the country. Tasting India’s version blends classic pumpkin pie spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove with earthier, smoky spices like carom seeds, black cardamom, coriander, black pepper and more.
I keep things local with a can of Libby’s pumpkin puree, made from pumpkins grown in Morton, Illinois, since 1835.
Savory Spiced Pumpkin Pie
If you’ve eaten as many pumpkin pies as I have, this version might shift your paradigm. Think of it as almost a savory pumpkin quiche — the luscious texture of pumpkin pie but with a deeply savory flavor and a crisp cumin-inflected whole-wheat crust. It works great as an appetizer or a main course with a few other vegetable side dishes.
Pastry
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
2/3 cup (80 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (120 g) whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg (kept cold)
2 teaspoons water
Put a small pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook, stirring occasionally, until they turn slightly brown and smell fragrant and toasty. Remove from heat and set aside.
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Food processor: Add the flours, salt, sugar and toasted cumin seeds to a food processor and pulse five times to combine. Add the butter and pulse 12 to 15 times until the mixture looks like damp sand and you don’t see any pieces of butter. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Add the egg mixture to the food processor and pulse four to five times until it comes together.
By hand: Add the flour flours, salt, sugar and toasted cumin seeds to a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the butter and rub together with your hands until the butter disappears and the mixture looks like damp sand. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and toss to combine. Bring the dough together with your hands until the clumps hold together.
Dump the dough into a 9-inch tart pan with 1½-inch sides or a traditional pie pan (metal or ceramic work best). Press the dough into the sides and bottom of the pan with your hands. Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the middle of the oven. Place the pie pan in the freezer while the oven preheats.
Parbake the crust: Once the oven is heated and the crust is frozen, take the crust out of the freezer and poke the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Line the inside of the pie with a piece of aluminum foil, gently pressing it into the crust. Fill the foil-lined crust all the way to the top with dried beans or pie weights if you have them. Place the pie pan onto a baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully remove the foil and beans. (The beans cannot be cooked and eaten at this point, but save them to parbake other pies.) Return the crust to the oven and bake for another 10 to 12 minutes until it looks lightly brown and dry.
Filling
3 tablespoons ghee or olive oil
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 medium-sized red or white onion (about 200 grams), peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
1/2 of a medium tomato (about 100 grams), roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (or 1/8 teaspoon cayenne)
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Tasting India Garam Masala
1 can Libby’s Pure Pumpkin
3 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
About 1/4 cup roasted pepitas, for garnish
Heat the oil or ghee over medium heat in a wide skillet. When the ghee or oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and let them toast for 10 to 20 seconds until they change to a slightly toasty color and smell fragrant. Add the onion and cook for about 18 minutes, until the onions are very soft and brown. Add the garlic, ginger and chopped tomato, and cook for 5 minutes until the tomato looks jammy. Add the turmeric, Kashmiri chili powder, salt and garam masala and cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant. Scrape this mixture into the bowl of a blender or food processor. Add the pumpkin, eggs and cream and blend until smooth, about 1 minute on high speed.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour the filling into the par-baked crust. Bake for 25 to 40 minutes, until the edges are slightly puffed and the filling feels firm when pressed in the middle.
Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. It may crack slightly; that’s normal. If you’re using a tart pan, remove the pie from the pan before serving. Garnish with roasted pepitas and serve at room temperature with some raita, yogurt or light salad. This pie is best the day it’s made but will last up to two days, covered and refrigerated. Let it come to room temperature before serving.
Martin Sorge is a freelance writer.