[Sca-cooks] Recipe from al-Hafla

[Christiane]

Here's the squash with cheese and lamb sauce recipe:

PUMPKIN WITH CHEESE SAUCE

1 large butternut squash (or equivalent winter squash)
1 cup laban (or 2 cups whole milk yogurt drained for 3 hours)
2 oz grated romano cheese
4 oz grated sharp white cheddar
1 tsp garlic

Peel and slice squash in 1 inch thick slices.  (remove pulp & seeds).  Boil until just barely tender.

Heat the laban or yogurt and whisk in cheeses and garlic, stirring constantly to prevent burning.  Heat and stir until mostly smooth. Add water if needed, to make consistency in between cream and mayonnaise.

Put squash on platter and top with cheese sauce.  Serve lamb sauce on top of cheese.

NOTE:  This cheese sauce imitates a fermented, dried yogurt product called Qu’root.  If you can find that, it is reconstituted by grinding with warm water in a large corrugated ceramic mortar.

LAMB SAUCE

1 lb ground lamb
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp turmeric
2 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tsp black pepper
4 tbsp sugar
_ cup white vinegar

Brown onions in a little oil.  Add garlic and cook for a minute.  Add meat and brown.  (do not drain fat unless it is very excessive)  Add spices and cook for 2 minutes.

Add 1 cup water and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add sugar and vinegar.  Add more sugar or vinegar to taste.  Serve over Pumpkin with cheese sauce.