8 Russian dishes made with pumpkins that are perfect for autumn

1. Millet porridge in a pumpkin

Millet porridge with nuts, raisins and dried apricots served in a pumpkin is a festive option for making porridge, which has been eaten in Russia since the olden days. Even children won't say ‘No’ to this porridge in an orange "barrel". Remove the pumpkin core and bake in the oven. Separately cook the millet porridge. Boil the milk and add pumpkin pulp. Boil for 10 minutes, and mix the resulting mass with the porridge. Put everything in the pumpkin, adding nuts, raisins and dried apricots.

Recipe

2. Creamy pumpkin soup

The recipe is from the ‘Bible’ of Soviet housewives - The Book of Tasty and Healthy Food (1952). The main ingredients are simple - pumpkin, potatoes, milk, vegetable oil and croutons. Everything except the croutons is boiled and turned into a mash. The croutons are served separately.

Recipe

3. Pumpkin pancakes

Fritters and pancakes can be made from almost anything. And pumpkin is no exception. Pumpkin pancakes have a pleasant yellow color with a slight caramel flavor. If you have flour, eggs, some pumpkin, sugar and salt, feel free to read our recipe.

4. Lazy pumpkin dumplings

Vareniki (dumplings) are made using any berries, but if there are no berries then you can make lazy vareniki without a filling. Adding some pumpkin will give them an interesting flavor. Mix pumpkin puree with the classic ingredients (cottage cheese, eggs, sugar and salt), and then add a little flour. Leave the dough in the fridge for half an hour, and then roll into sausage-shaped lengths. Next, cut them into pieces to get vareniki. Boil for 3-5 minutes in salted water, and enjoy them with sour cream or honey. Very tasty!

Recipe

5. Pumpkin syrniki

You can have pumpkin syrniki for breakfast, as a snack during the day, or as a dessert in its own right. To prepare, mix high-fat cottage cheese (9%), pumpkin puree, an egg, sugar, salt and flour. Shape the syrniki and fry in sunflower oil. Serve with sour cream, honey or jam.

Recipe

6. Pumpkin and apple pudding

This dessert is recommended for people who have heart or kidney problems, or high blood pressure; but healthy people will also enjoy. Peel and chop the pumpkin, and add milk until half cooked; then, add the chopped apples, and simmer until the pumpkin is ready. Next,add the semolina, mix and cook for another 5 minutes. After that, cool, add sugar, an egg yolk and a whipped egg white; mix gently, put on a greased frying pan and cook. Sprinkle with oil before serving.

7. Baked pumpkin with apples

This is a very simple dessert for anyone who observes a fast or watches their figure. The dish requires neither flour nor sugar. It is made from ingredients that can be stored all winter - pumpkins, apples and raisins. The pumpkin and apples are chopped into cubes, sprinkled with lemon juice and baked in the oven, sprinkled with cinnamon.

Recipe

8. Pumpkin and apple compote

Compote is a beverage made with fruit or berries, and, in order to enjoy it, children will eat everything that precedes it. Add 300 grams of pumpkin and 200 grams of sugar (or less if you don't like it too sweet) to three average-sized apples, and pour water over the mixture. When the water heats up, add half a teaspoon of vinegar or citric acid. Then the pumpkin pieces won't boil soft. You need to boil the compote until the pumpkin is completely ready - about 25 minutes. It can be served immediately or preserved for the winter. For compote, choose a small pumpkin that has juicy, bright orange pulp.