Ravinder Bhogal’s pumpkin and miso congee with chilli oil. Photograph: Yuki Sugiura/The Guardian. Food and prop styling: Aya Nishimura. Food styling assistant: Alex Jorge. View image in fullscreen Ravinder Bhogal’s pumpkin and miso congee with chilli oil. Photograph: Yuki Sugiura/The Guardian. Food and prop styling: Aya Nishimura. Food styling assistant: Alex Jorge. Food Roast chicken, congee and cookies: Ravinder Bhogal’s autumn squash recipes Nutty in flavour and creamy in texture, autumn’s bounty of squash and pumpkin has many uses, both sweet and savoury
Ravinder Bhogal Wed 7 Oct 2026 07.00 CEST Share Prefer the Guardian on Google T he shops are heaving with pumpkins and squash, and though there are so many different varieties to choose from, most of them are interchangeable. My favourites are kabocha, crown prince and delicata, for their deeply nutty flavour and creamy texture, plus they hold their shape well when roasted or braised. And if you’re carving a pumpkin for Halloween over the coming weeks, don’t waste the flesh: chop it up and throw into a risotto. It’s hard to imagine that such deliciousness could come from such a ghoulish grimace.
Congee is a favourite comfort food that is eaten across Asia, often for breakfast. This version isn’t particularly traditional, but it makes the most of pumpkin season. I love this with a drizzle of chilli oil as a contrast to the delicata’s natural sweetness.
600g delicata pumpkin , peeled and chopped into bite-size chunks, plus 6 wedges 3 tbsp avocado oil , or neutral oil Sea salt and black pepper 1 heaped tbsp white miso 2 garlic cloves , peeled and finely chopped 1 tbsp crushed ginger 200g short-grain white rice 1 piece kombu 1 bunch spring onions , trimmed and sliced on the diagonal
For the garnish 3 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds A few drops of sesame oil Chilli oil
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Lay out the pumpkin on a baking sheet, drizzle over one tablespoon of oil and season. Roast for 30-40 minutes, until very soft and caramelised, then remove and leave to cool. Set aside the squash wedges, then puree the remaining chunks in a food processor with a splash of water.
In a large saucepan, heat the remaining oil on a medium heat, add the miso and cook, stirring, until lightly caramelised. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir until fragrant.
Add the rice, kombu and 1.8 litres of water and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Partially cover, turn down the heat to a low simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes, until the liquid has reduced and the rice is plump and has turned into a porridge. Stir in the pumpkin puree and half the sliced spring onions.
Divide the congee between six bowls and top each portion with a wedge of roast squash. Garnish with the remaining spring onions, then finish with toasted pumpkin seeds, a drizzle of sesame oil and your favourite chilli oil.
View image in fullscreen Ravinder Bhogal’s pot-roasted chicken with kabocha squash and sage. This makes for a wonderful alternative autumnal Sunday roast, with minimal washing-up because it’s all cooked in one pan.
Sea salt and black pepper 1 whole chicken (about 1½kg) 1 whole garlic bulb , cut in half horizontally 1 unwaxed lemon, halved 1 bunch sage 2 bay leaves 2 tbsp olive oil ½ tsp dried chilli flakes 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 small kabocha squash (about 750g), unpeeled and cut into wedges 150ml dry white wine 800ml chicken stock 50ml double cream
Season the chicken generously i…