RECIPE: Chef Palak Patel shares her stuffed acorn squash recipe
Chef Palak Patel’s family moved from India to Atlanta when she was 12 years old, but her memories of Indian street food and her mother’s vegetarian cooking stuck with her. And, after years of working for corporate startups, Patel decided at age 31 to switch careers, completing her training as a chef at the French Culinary Institute in New York.
She went on to a string of Food Network appearances, including winning “Chopped” and “Beat Bobby Flay,” and becoming a finalist on “Food Network Star.”
Recently, Patel moved back to Atlanta, and, in August, she opened her first restaurant, Dash & Chutney, at Chattahoochee Food Works. The plant-based menu fuses Indian street food with family recipes.
“I love those moments when I see people take their first bite, and that delight in their eyes is one of my favorite things,” Patel said during a recent phone call.
She also is featured in “Cook With Jacques & Friends: Volume 3,″ released by the Jacques Pépin Foundation. The video cookbook features recipes from about 50 chefs and bartenders from across the country, and supports free culinary training through community-based organizations, such as Open Door Community House in Columbus.
Patel contributed a recipe for chilled peach soup with dried fenugreek and mint, which she said is a perfect combination of India and Georgia.
But, more fitting to the season is Patel’s recipe for stuffed acorn squash.
“It’s a little bit of an elevated dish, to combat a couple of things I often hear from people who have reservations about eating plant-based,” she said. “Mimicking texture is one of the biggest challenges. The second issue is people not feeling full.”
- 4-6 acorn squash, small to medium
- 2½ cups farro, cooked and cooled (or grain of choice cooked to package instructions)
- ¼ cup dried apricots
- 1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 cup brown lentils, cooked and cooled
- 1 package crimini mushrooms, chopped
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 cup carrot, diced
- 2 persimmons, diced (pear or apple works)
- 1 celery, diced
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- kosher salt to taste
- olive oil
- freshly ground black pepper
- Heat the oven to 400.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment or aluminum paper for easy cleanup.
- Use a sharp chef’s knife on a steady surface and slice the squash from the bottom, to even the surface. Pierce a small section on the top of the squash, about ½ inch down, and gently cut the top off. Use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy bits inside, and discard those pieces.
- Place the squash on the lined baking sheet. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil inside the squash, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until the squash flesh can be pierced easily by a fork, about 30 to 40 minutes. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, cook the farro according to package instructions.
- In a medium skillet, add olive oil and sauté garlic, onions, carrot and celery, seasoning with salt. Add thyme sprigs, carrots and mushrooms, cook for another 10 minutes (or until tender), and season again with salt. Add persimmons, lentils, grains and nuts to the vegetables, and season as needed. Turn off the heat and add parsley.
- Taste and add additional salt, if necessary.
- Divide the filling mixture evenly between the squash halves with a large spoon.
- Return the squash to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh herbs. Serves 8-12.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, based on 8: 447 calories (percent of calories from fat, 39), 12 grams protein, 61 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams fiber, 21 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 73 milligrams sodium.Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter
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