Dumplings reinvented: Add a touch of autumn with pumpkin

Homemade dumplings are a delicious alternative to classic potatoes for the main course. They taste great with mushroom sauce or goulash. They can also be served alone with any garnish, such as bacon bits. Besides potatoes, I add one more vegetable to the mix in the fall. The dish gains colour and nutritional value.

Of course, I'm talking about pumpkin, a seasonal ingredient everyone looks forward to at the end of summer. There is no shortage of tasty varieties, from Hokkaido and spaghetti to blue pumpkin. The easiest to process are those varieties that can be eaten with the skin on. An example is Hokkaido, which is best used in purée form to make the dough for dumplings.

The worst thing that can happen is overcooked dumplings. Unfortunately, when adding an ingredient other than just potatoes, you need to control the structure and consistency of the dough. At the same time, you can't use too much flour, or the dumplings will come out hard and rubbery. The following proportions solve this problem. It is best to throw the dumplings into boiling water, cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until they float to the surface, and let them simmer. It is best to take the dumplings out with a slotted spoon.

It is worth having cooked or baked pumpkin prepared in advance. Such pumpkin purée can be stored in a sterilized jar or frozen.

Ingredients:

• 500 grams of cooked potatoes (they can be leftovers from "yesterday's" dinner),
• 300 grams of pumpkin purée,
• 250 grams of wheat flour,
• 1 egg,
• a pinch of ground nutmeg,
• salt for cooking.

Preparation:

1. Pass the potatoes through a ricer, transfer to a bowl, and add the cooled pumpkin purée.
2. Then add the egg, flour, and season with nutmeg.
3. Knead the dough into a smooth mass. Divide the mass into two balls, form a roll, and cut at an angle into pieces, forming dumplings.
4. Sprinkle them with flour to prevent sticking, then throw batches of dumplings into boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes.