Guyanese Pumpkin

Guyanese Pumpkin is a savory pumpkin dish made by sautéing pumpkin with aromatics. There is no sugar in this pumpkin recipe. The pumpkin is cooked down until it caramelizes and develops the sugar and sweetness. This recipe also includes options to cook the pumpkin with shrimp as well as in the instant pot.

Course Vegetable Side Dish

Cuisine Caribbean, Guyanese

Keyword guyanese pumpkin stew, Instant Pot Pumpkin and Tomatoes, Pumpkin Stew, Sautéed Pumpkin, Sautéed Pumpkin and Tomatoes

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 692kcal

Equipment

Large Pot
Instant Pot

Ingredients

2 tbsp Oil suitable for cooking
1 Yellow Onion (sliced)
1 cup Tomatoes (optional, diced)
6 Garlic cloves (grated)
1 tsp Salt more to taste
2 lbs Pumpkin (peeled and diced)
1 tsp Dried thyme (optional)
1 Wir wiri pepper (finely diced, optional)

Instructions

Stove Top Instructions:

Heat a large sautéed pan on medium heat. When it is hot, add the oil and when the oil is hot add the onions and cook until they start to brown (about 2 minutes).
Then add the tomatoes (if using) and cook, stirring once or twice until the tomatoes are mushy (about 3 minutes).
Add the garlic, diced pumpkin, salt, dried thyme (if using) and wiri wiri pepper (if using). Mix to combine, cover and let cook until the pumpkin is soft and mushy (about 10 minutes). The pumpkin should sweat and create some liquid in the pot. If this doesn’t happen you may add some water in 1/2 cup increments until the pumpkin cooks.
Then increase the heat to high and continue to cook, stirring often. Cook until the pumpkin caramelizes a little and the bottom of the pan starts to burn a tiny bit as the sugars develop in the pumpkin. Then remove from the heat.

Instant Pot Instructions:

Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. When the display indicates that the pot is hot add the oil and when the oil is hot add the onions and cook until soft (this should take about 5 minutes.
Then add the tomatoes, garlic, salt, black pepper, thyme and pumpkin. Mix well then, seal up and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. When the Instant Pot completes the pressure cycle, release the pressure using the rapid release function.
Next, stir the sautéed Guyanese pumpkin to combine all of the ingredients and slightly crush up the pumpkin. If there is too much liquid in the pot after pressure cooking return the Instant Pot to the sauté mode and sauté for an additional 5 minutes until all of the liquid cooks off.
Serve your Guyanese pumpkin with dhal and rice or roti and enjoy!

Notes

Add shrimp to your Guyanese pumpkin. You can add 1/2 lb Guyanese white belly shrimp (or salad shrimp) to your pumpkin. See above under variations for how I season the shrimp. Most people just season with salt and cook in oil for a minute, then remove from the pot before cooking the onions and following the steps in this recipe. Then at the end of the recipe, add back in the shrimp.
Pumpkin for Guyanese 7 curry: When making pumpkin for Guyanese 7 curry, skip the tomatoes and thyme. Keeping it very simple. Most people also finely dice or great the onions so that they are not chunky in the pumpkin.

Nutrition