This Kurdish preserve makes a ready sweet to serve with chopped walnuts or clotted cream.

　　

Ingredients

2 pounds orange pumpkin (weight free of skin, fibers, and seeds)

　　4 cups sugar

　　2 cups water

　　A squeeze of lemon juice

　　

Step 1

Cut the peel off the pumpkin and remove seeds and fibers, then cut the flesh into slices about 1/2 inch thick and 2 1/2 inches long.

　　

Step 2

Bring the sugar and water with the lemon juice to a boil in a large pan. Drop the pumpkin pieces in and cook for 15–20 minutes, or until tender.

　　

Step 3

Lift out the pieces with a slotted spoon and drop them into glass jars. Reduce the syrup until it is thick enough to coat a spoon, and pour over the pumpkin pieces. Let it cool before closing the jars tightly.

　　The New Book of Middle Eastern Food Copyright © 2000Knopf