A crust-less pie that combines the sweetness, earthy aroma of the pumpkin along with the creaminess of a béchamel sauce and lots of nuts in between.
Egyptian pumpkin bechamel
I know it is not the season of pumpkins, and while everyone is posting recipes about some sort of cookies, I post about pumpkins !!! this is just how I like it sometimes, not going with the flow :).
I've posted about this recipe before and was hoping to make a video for it so you can see in details, I always feel videos or detailed photos are a must in any recipe before I dare to try it.
Then again may be you have some pumpkins waiting there alone in your kitchen, dying and need a new life. If this is your case these days then this Egyptian pumpkin crust-less pie comes handy and does not require things that are not already in your pantry .
This recipe is best made with fresh pumpkins as we will cook them on stove top and get the juice to make the bechamel, so this is really a crucial point in terms of taste. Of course you can use canned puree but it will not be as tasty.
I've made this recipe several time and it was always a hit, feel free to adjust the sugar content according to your liking, I always have sweet tooth guests so I use extra. For nut allergy, I've made a version of this skipping the nut layer and just adding some dried cranberries or raisins, and it still tasted wonderful.
Now, I 'll leave you with the recipe and I hope you'll get the chance to try this Egyptian version of pumpkin pies ;), and as always .... Enjoy!!
Egyptian Pumpkin Bechamel
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Pumpkin bechamel pie
Ingredients
- 2 lbs fresh pumpkin peeled and diced. Note1
- 2 cups of granulated sugar, divided. Note2
- A pinch of both cinnamon and vanilla.
- 1 cup Raisins and nuts for filling.
For the bَechamel you will need
- 4 Tbs of flour.
- 4 Tbs of unsalted butter.
- 1 cup of milk
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, add the pumpkins along with the 1 1/2 cups of sugar and a pinch of vanilla, bring to a boil stirring occasionally.
- When the pumpkin pieces are soft, you'll notice the juices of the pumpkin at the bottom of your pot. Strain the pumpkins keeping the juices as we'll need it to make the bechamel sauce.
- In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter then add the flour stir until golden, add pumpkin juice and milk stirring vigorously, add the remaining half cup of sugar and a pinch of cinnamon,. Stir to combine, bring to a boil and reduce heat until thickened.
- In a 9x9 oven dish cover the bottom with two spoonfuls of bَechamel then add half of the pumpkin cubes – you can mash them a bit, I like it as is – cover with a layer of nuts and raisins then the other half of pumpkin cubes and finally add the rest of the bَechamel on top.
- Place the dish in a 350F preheated oven for almost 40 minutes or until top is golden brown.
- Let it cool, serve and Enjoy !!.
Can you make this recipe ahead of time and freeze it?
Kiki, I haven't done that before but judging from the components and that I have successfully tried freezing the pasta with bechamel I can safely say yes :).
I have extra juice from the pumpkin. What can I make with it?
How about making a pumpkin tiramisu with it.. seriously instead of soaking the lady fingers with coffee you can try pumpkin juice. I will try to think of other uses for you.
Thanks, Amira, for steering me to this recipe. I made it yesterday for our Egyptian potluck, before going to see the Egyptian film "Photocopy" at the Cascade Festival of African Films in Portland, OR. We enjoyed the blend of flavors and textures. I used a bee crossed Sweetmeat x Buttercup Squash from my garden, which inherits sweet, dense orange flesh from both parents. The pie came out plenty sweet for our taste with only a cup of sugar total. I'll try 3/4 cup if I make it again. I was surprised to be able to cook the squash in its own juices on the stove top, having always relied on baking or steaming before. By the time the squash was soft, there were no juices left, which may be why the Bechamel - my first attempt in many years - came out rather thick and hard to spread on the soft surface of the squash. The dessert made a nice transition to the sweet, nourishing human story of the film, which I highly recommend.