The best roasted butternut!

Butternut, like carrots, is a rich source of beta carotene which gives it that orange pigment. Beta carotene is a form of Vitamin A, an essential vitamin in the body. Vitamin A is needed for growth and development, cell recognition, vision, immune function, and reproduction. It is also a powerful antioxidant.

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin meaning that it needs fat in order to be absorbed in the gut. Cooking your vitamin A-rich foods with some healthy fats (such as olive oil) will ensure good absorption and utilization in the body.

Roasted Butternut Recipe

Prep time 10 min; Cook time 30 min; Total time 50 min

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 whole butternut, peeled and chopped into cubes
• 1 whole onion, peeled and chopped into chunks
• 1 teaspoon of crushed garlic
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 whole chili, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to season

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
2. Pre steam or boil your butternut until not quite cooked. It should be only starting to go soft.
3. In a baking tray, spread out your onion and add your pre-cooked butternut. Add your garlic, turmeric, cumin, paprika, chili, oil and seasoning and toss all together so that your butternut and onion is well coated.
4. Place the baking tray in the oven for 20-30 minutes. Make sure that you toss the butternut a few times during cooking so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
5. When the onion and butternut have started to caramelize it is ready to be taken out the oven.
6. Sprinkle over some chopped parsley or coriander and serve hot as a side dish.