Shrimp and Pumpkin

Nothing in this world could persuade me to eat shrimp and pumpkin as a youngster. It was undoubtedly among my least favorite things. As the years passed, I became more and more determined to avoid this meal, which I just abhorred. When I became older, I made it a goal to eat most of the meals I had avoided as a child since I understood that as we get older, our taste buds develop, and the foods we detested as kids might really be rather delicious as adults.

To my astonishment, I developed a passion for pumpkin, shrimp, and roti. Despite the fact that I don’t cook it frequently, I always look forward to eating it. I’ve cooked it using both large and little white belly shrimp, and the smaller shrimp works best, in my experience.

Shrimp and Pumpkin
1 pound of white-bellied shrimp
Green seasoning, 1 teaspoon
juice of one lime.
1 tablespoon of oil
2 smashed garlic cloves and 1 small onion

West Indian pumpkin, 5 cups (calabaza squash)
a single wiriwiri pepper (scotch bonnet, or habanero would do)
10 thyme sprigs
1/tsp. salt
12 teaspoon black pepper
water, 1/4 cup
2 finely chopped scallions

Combine shrimp with lime juice and green seasoning. Add oil to a big saucepan set on medium-high heat. Add shrimp to heated oil and cook until liquid is gone.

Then add pumpkin, wiri wiri pepper, thyme, salt, and black pepper and mix to incorporate. Add onion and smashed garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Cover the pot after adding water. Cook the pumpkin for about 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Scallion should be added after removing from heat. Serve hot.

*If you don’t like spicy cuisine or will be preparing meals for children, remove the seeds from the pepper.