Kabocha, or Japanese
pumpkin is hard on the outside with knobbly-looking skin. It is shaped like a squat pumpkin and has a dull-finished, deep-green or orange skin with some celadon-to-white stripes and an intense yellow-orange color inside.
Kabocha has an exceptional sweet flavor, even sweeter than butternut squash. It is similar in texture and flavor to a pumpkin and sweet potato combined, but without this specific pumpkin aroma.
Japanese pumpkin is an excellent source of beta-carotene, which is great for immunity, healthy skin, hair, and eyes. It is rich in iron, Vitamin C, and some B vitamins, and other essential minerals that help combat free radical cells among other health benefits. Even though kabocha is naturally sweet, it’s pretty low-carb/keto friendly at ~8g net carbs per cup, which is around 2 servings worth.
In Japan, kabocha is a common ingredient in vegetable tempura, soups and croquettes. Personally I love this pumpkin to use in desserts, especially in pies and tarts.
Smocked tea infused pumpkin tart
Ingredients:
Dough:
- 2 cups flour + for sprinkling
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/3 tsp salt
- 250 g butter, diced cold butter into 2.5cm
- 3 and 1/2 tbsp cold water
Filling
- 2 cups mashed, baked pumpkin (Japanese pumpkin, or Kabocha) or 425 g store-bought canned pumpkin puree
- 170 ml evaporated milk
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 20 ml smocked tea essence (1 tbp smoked tea + 100 ml water = cook, and reduce till 20 ml)
Cooking method:
Tart crust:
1. Prepare tart crust by mixing together flour, sugar and salt into a blender and then add the butter. Mix the ingredients by pulsating until the butter pieces become the size of a bean (at least). Instead of a mixer, you can use 2 kitchen knifes.
2. Add 1 tbsp of cold water, but not more than 3 and 1/2 tbsp. After each addition, interfere with the batter until it stick together, but no longer.
3. Put the dough on a lightly floured board. With lightly floured hands by rapid movements gather it into a ball and roll into a circle with a diameter of 10 cm. Wrap pancake in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 30 minutes (up to 3 days).
4. Roll the dough out into a circle, 5 cm larger than the upside-down tart pan.
5. Gently roll the dough around the rolling pin and transfer it right-side up onto the tart pan. Unroll, easing dough into the bottom of the tart pan and pressing the edges. Remove the excess of the dough and keep it for later decoration.
6. Pricked with a fork, lay a baking paper and pour on top of the peas or beans (for the press).
7. Bake for approx. 15-20 minutes. Then, remove the form from the oven, remove the paper and beans, brush the dough with beaten egg and again to return to the oven for 2-3 minutes. This will prevent the crust from getting wet from the filling.
8. On such prepared base for tart put the stuffing and decorate with the different shapes made from the excess of the dough.
Tart filling:
1. Cut pumpkin on quarters. Add 2 tsp of smoked black tea on the bottom of the baking tray and then put the pumpkin with the skin down. Cover by foil. Bake the pumpkin with a tea for 30 min. Once baked, peel the skin and cut the pumpkin into smaller pieces.
2. If using the store-bought canned pumpkin puree, infuse it with the smocked tea essence (1 tbsp of tea cook with 100 ml water. Then remove from the heat, strain and cook again till the quantity reduce to 20 ml).
3. In a large bowl, beat pumpkin with evaporated milk, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, tea essence (if using store-bought puree) and salt with an electric mixer or immersion blender. Mix well.
Pour into a prepared crust and decorate it.
4. Bake 40 minutes or until when a knife is inserted 3 cm from the edge comes out clean.
Bon Appetite!
