Spiced Eggs with Pumpkin – Necessity is the Mother of Invention

I was inspired to give these Spiced Eggs with Pumpkin a go by having almost no food in the fridge except for a piece of pumpkin and some eggs.  I turned to my latest go to cookbook – Eat by Nigel Slater – and what do you know he had a recipe that used eggs and pumpkin (or squash).  So here is my version of it.

The only ingredients were – some olive oil for frying, a smallish piece of uncooked pumpkin, mustard seeds (I used yellow ones), garam masala and 2 eggs.

First I cooked the pumpkin very lightly in the microwave – or you could steam it.  I peeled it after cooking because that is so much easier than peeling it first.  I then cut it up into bite sized chunks.

You gently heat your olive oil in a pan (say 2-3 tablespoons) and pop a dessert spoonful of mustard seeds in to warm – once any of them start hopping around in the pan, add your pumpkin.  Let it fry off until it colours up and has crispy edges – don't stir too vigorously or it will break up.

Sprinkle a dessertspoonful of garam masala over the pumpkin and keep cooking for a couple of minutes.  I was worried that the dish would be too spicy but in fact it wasn't at all.  You could add more. 

Take your spiced pumpkin out and put it on a warm plate while you fry your eggs in the remaining oil and spices – cook them to your liking.  Serve the eggs with the pumpkin and you have a crunchy, slightly spicy light meal.  I did add salt and pepper at the table – because I love it but you wouldn't have to.