Squash Gratin

This Ayurvedic Squash Gratin balances the heavy, comforting nature of a traditional French baked dish with digestive-boosting spices. Traditional gratins heavily rely on cold, thick creams and heavy cheeses, which can be congesting, so the Ayurvedic adaptation uses digestive spices like nutmeg, ginger, and cumin to lighten the dish, replaces heavy cream with a mix of coconut milk and vegetable broth, and swaps heavy cheese for a lighter crumb-parmesan topping, which is balancing and reducing Vata and Pitta, but the dish's heaviness can imbalance Kapha.

Note: Some winter squashes do not require peeling, which makes the dish more rustic; I choose delicata and acorn squashes for this reason to keep it rustic and easier to prepare, but if using butternut, you will need to peel it, and for this recipe I am using two, but one is fine.

Ingredients:

2 # (approximately) acorn, and Delicato squash, or other winter squash. Remember that butternut must be peeled, and realistically you will need enough to fill an 8x8” baking pan ¾ to the top of the baking dish.

1 tbsp Ghee or coconut oil

1 small Leek (white and light green parts)

1 tsp Fresh ginger, finely grated

The Liquid:

1/2 cup Full-fat coconut milk

1/2 cup Vegetable broth

1/2 tsp Cumin powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

1/2 tsp Himalayan salt and a pinch of black pepper

The "Gratin" Topping:

1/8 cup Almond flour

1/8 cup Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp Pumpkin or sunflower seeds, roughly chopped

1 tsp Fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 tsp Ghee, melted

Instructions:

1)     Preheat your oven to 375°F

2)     Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking or gratin dish with oil or ghee.

3)     Cut the squashes in half, remove the seeds, then cut into quarters, and then into ¼” slices. (see pictures below).

4)     Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee or oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and grated ginger, and sauté until soft and translucent.

5)     Turn the heat to low, add the cumin, turmeric, nutmeg, rock salt, and black pepper, and toast for 30 seconds; remove and set aside.

6)     Pour the coconut milk and vegetable broth into the spiced pan. Stir gently and bring to a bare simmer for 1 minute to marry the flavors, then remove from heat.

7)     Arrange the sliced squash pieces neatly in your baking dish, overlapping them slightly. Pour the warm, spiced coconut-broth mixture evenly over the squash.

8)    Cover the dish tightly with foil or a lid. Bake for 30 minutes, until the squash yields easily when pierced with a fork.

9)     Make the crispy topping by mixing the almond flour (or breadcrumbs), chopped seeds, fresh herbs, and melted ghee in a small bowl.

10)  Remove the foil from the gratin, then evenly scatter the mixture over the top, and bake uncovered for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the topping is golden-brown and bubbling.