Meltingly sweet and tender pumpkin contrasts with gently savory yoghurt in this Afghan favorite appetizer/side, kaddo bourani. It's comforting and moreish, and a dish you'll want to find any excuse to have again.

piece of Kaddo bowrani, Afghan pumpkin, topped with yoghurt sauce

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When we first moved to Cambridge, we really had very little idea about the area we had moved to. It seems a bit naive, in reflection, but the house seemed to tick the main boxes we had in mind.

For a start, it was walking distance from my husband's work and not too far from the train station to get into Boston. It had some outdoor space for a grill and sitting out, and there was a supermarket not too far away.

Kaddo bowrani (Afghan pumpkin with yoghurt sauce) on small plate with skillet behind

As it turned out, the area has a lot more going for it than we first realized. First of all, pre-kids we didn't appreciate how great it is to have numerous playgrounds within a short walk.

Then there are the eating options around, which have become even better since we've lived there. One that has been there throughout is an Afghan restaurant which we first went to just a few days after we arrived.

I had never tried Afghan food, which I'm sure is probably true of many people, but I really enjoyed what we had, and we've been back a few times since. The food is kind of what you might expect if you think about where it's located - with influences from both the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent.

One dish I was immediately drawn to was kaddo bowrani, an Afghan pumpkin dish serve with yoghurt sauce. The pumpkin is cooked low and slow with cinnamon and sugar and just melts in your mouth.

stages making Kaddo bowrani - chunk of pumpkin, in chunks, topped with sugar and finished

How to make kaddo bourani, Afghan pumpkin

Naturally, despite thinking I should try to make it myself ever since, it took me a while, but it was worth the wait. While it takes a little time to cook, it' doesn't have to be too long and it's very easy to make. All you do is:

Gently fry slices of pumpkin in a pan.
Sprinkle the pumpkin with sugar and cinnamon
Cover the dish and roast.
Mix together the yoghurt sauce and serve over the tender roasted pumpkin.

Traditionally you would add a lot more sugar than I have here, and you may even cook it longer so that it's virtually falling apart. I have scaled the sugar back a bit here.

I think the amount in this is easily enough to get the lovely flavor without being overly sugary. You still get some lovely little crystalized sugar bits in the bottom of the pan and on the outside of the pumpkin.

close up of piece of kaddo bowrani (Afghan pumpkin with yoghurt sauce) with spoonful taken from chunk and spoon in front

This kaddo bowrani is so easy to make and makes a great side dish, or serve as an appetizer/tapas-style dish. There's a lovely contrast between the gently sweet, tender pumpkin and the garlic yoghurt. It's comforting and definitely going on our menu again soon.

Looking for more international pumpkin recipes? Try these!

Taiwanese pumpkin rice noodles
Pumpkin ravioli, tortelli di zucca
Bulgarian pumpkin strudel, tikvenik
Pumpkin halwa (an Indian dessert) and pumpkin erissery (a savory Indian dish)
Plus get more inspiration in the fall recipes archives.

Kaddo bowrani (Afghan pumpkin with yoghurt sauce)

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5 from 5 votes