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Afghan Sauteed Pumpkin - Kadu Bouranee

Published: Jan 21, 2016 · Modified: Apr 16, 2020 by Igor · This post may contain affiliate links · 7 Comments

Afghan sauteed pumpkin pinterest pin

Afghan Sauteed Pumpkin (Kadu Bouranee) is one of the most known dishes outside the country. Pumpkin or butternut squash is cooked in spices and served with the amazing yogurt garlic sauce. So good and so easy to make!

This sweet & savory Afghan pumpkin with yogurt-garlic sauce (Kadu Bouranee or Kadoo Borani) tastes fantastic and it's so easy to make! #Afghan #pumpkin | cookingtheglobe.com

A few days ago I spun my old well-worn desk globe (got it as a birthday present when I was 6 years old, and YEAH back then kids were interested in exploring the world instead of spending all the time on the internet, shocker!) and my finger landed on exotic Afghanistan. It's one of those countries we hear about everyday on the news, most of which are not cheerful. However, this time we will talk about something beautiful, the thing that unites nations all around the world - food.

Afghan cuisine offers a wide variety of finger-biting-good dishes such as Qabili Palau, Korma, Bolani, Aushak and many others but I wanted something different. While browsing the blog of the amazing Humaira Ghilzai about Afghan culture, I came across this sweet and savory pumpkin dish called Borani Kadoo, Kadu Bouranee or Borani Kadu. I think it's still not a complete list of spellings but I give up already, guys and gals. These are the most popular ones.

This sweet & savory Afghan pumpkin with yogurt-garlic sauce (Kadu Bouranee or Kadoo Borani) tastes fantastic and it's so easy to make! #Afghan #pumpkin | cookingtheglobe.com

Kadu or Kadoo means pumpkin, while Borani or Bouranee refers to yogurt based appetizer or dip. Simple as that. This Afghan pumpkin recipe became popular in Western countries only in the last decade. It was brought by U.S. and European soldiers who were mesmerized by the taste of this simple, yet comforting dish. It is said that it was their favorite local food. I am not surprised at all.

This sweet & savory Afghan pumpkin with yogurt-garlic sauce (Kadu Bouranee or Kadoo Borani) tastes fantastic and it's so easy to make! #Afghan #pumpkin | cookingtheglobe.com

Kadu Bouranee is made of pumpkin or butternut squash sauteed with spices and topped with the yogurt garlic sauce. Sounds amazing, isn't it? Sweet pumpkin goes really well with the tartness of tomatoes and freshness of the yogurt garlic sauce.

This sweet & savory Afghan pumpkin with yogurt-garlic sauce (Kadu Bouranee or Kadoo Borani) tastes fantastic and it's so easy to make! #Afghan #pumpkin | cookingtheglobe.com

In the Afghani restaurants based in the US and Europe Kadu Bouranee is sometimes served hot with some sort of meat sauce but in Afghanistan, the vegetarian version of the dish is preferred. They serve it as an appetizer hot or cold, usually with Naan bread.

This sweet & savory Afghan pumpkin with yogurt-garlic sauce (Kadu Bouranee or Kadoo Borani) tastes fantastic and it's so easy to make! #Afghan #pumpkin | cookingtheglobe.com

Afghan Sauteed Pumpkin - Kadu Bouranee

CookingTheGlobe
Afghan Sauteed Pumpkin (Kadoo Borani) is a pumpkin or a butternut squash cooked in spices and served with a magical yogurt garlic sauce. Really easy to make!
4.84 from 6 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Cuisine Afghan
Servings 4 people
Calories 315 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the pumpkin:

  • 4 tablespoons Olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 lb (900g) pumpkin or butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 14 oz (400g) can chopped or crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup (50g) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup water or vegetable / chicken broth (plus more if needed)

For the sauce:

  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

For the garnish:

  • fresh or dry mint leaves, cut into small strips

Instructions
 

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pan on a medium heat. Add the onion and saute until golden brown (4-5 minutes). Add the garlic, turmeric, ginger, sugar, salt, pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously, until fragrant.
  • Add the tomatoes and water or broth and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
  • Add the pumpkin and stir again. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 25-30 minutes, until pumpkin is tender, but still holding its shape. Stir few times while cooking. Check periodically to see if there is enough liquid. If the pan gets dry, add more.
  • To make the sauce, combine the yogurt, garlic and salt.
  • Serve the pumpkin with Naan bread and the yogurt sauce on top.

Nutrition

Calories: 315kcal
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
« Homemade Naan Bread
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Comments

  1. Elizabeth

    November 03, 2016 at 1:54 am

    Thank you! Just made this and loved it. It was really filling, even though I just ate it plain without the naan. And my 7 year old picky eater even ate a small bowl: he says it was "uncommon tasting" and "kind of heavy". Love your blog and website!

    Reply
    • Igor

      November 25, 2016 at 2:47 pm

      Thank you for the comment, Elizabeth! I am so happy that you and your child loved this exotic pumpkin 🙂

      Reply
  2. Celia Spivack

    April 03, 2017 at 8:30 pm

    This looks really delicious, but despite reading and re-reading, I cannot find the quantity or style of tomatoes in the recipe itself.

    Reply
    • Igor

      April 17, 2017 at 6:36 pm

      Oops, sorry, my mistake! Thanks for pointing it out. It's a 14 oz. (400g) can crushed or chopped tomatoes. I have added it to the ingredient list. Thanks one more time!

      Reply
      • Glenda

        November 06, 2020 at 10:01 pm

        Wow, amazing dish, found your recipe and made it tonight, so different! Will keep this one in my mind and use as my ‘go to’ recipe!

        Reply
  3. pvogen

    November 23, 2018 at 5:15 am

    5 stars
    Made for Thanksgiving this year! I thought your article was a VERY helpful read, Thank You! I added lots of more spice (Cardamom, Fennel Seed, Lots of Cumin, Pimenton, Chili Flakes, Cayenne) and omitted the sugar. It turned out perfect! Wonderful texture and flavor! I also garnished with fresh Tarragon and Spearmint leaves, Toasted Pepitas (which added a texture element) and a Middle Eastern Pomegranate Molasses.

    My husband requested this dish for Christmas too! WIN!!

    Reply
  4. Nico

    February 25, 2022 at 2:31 am

    5 stars
    Excellent! We used pumpkin grown in our garden here in Atlixco, Puebla, Mexico. The recipe comes together easily and quickly (once the pumpkin is peeled) and it is delicious! We’ve made it twice so far and will make it again often.

    Reply

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