Pumpkin Enchiladas Verde are the perfect way to enjoy pumpkin or winter squash. Enchiladas are one of my favourite Mexican dishes and pumpkin is one of my favourite vegetables making this a dish to remember. I chose to do this batch of enchiladas using a green salsa called Salsa Verde that I had made from a batch of tomatillos that I had grown, but the recipe is equally as nice with a traditional red enchilada sauce.
Traditional enchiladas are made with soft corn tortillas which can be found almost everywhere in America, but are a bit harder to find here in the UK. Cool Chilie Co sells them online and their products are available on their market stall at the Borough Market stall every Thursday, Friday and Saturday or at a select number of shops. I use there soft corn tortillas for soft tacos, with juevos rancheros, in tortilla soup and what ever else I can think of on the day. I always make sure I have some in the freezer.
Pumpkin Enchiladas Verde
600g pumpkin or squash purée
6 spring onions, finely sliced
1 400g tin of black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
125g cooked kale or spinach
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
salt to taste
200g mild cheddar or feta, reserve 50g for top
400ml salsa verde or enchilada sauce
3 tbsp sour cream
12 soft corn tortillas
To make pumpkin purée, slice a pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Preheat oven to 200C/180 Fan/Gas Mark 6. Place cut side down on a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife can easily be inserted. Remove from oven and let cool. Scrape pumpkin away from the skin and discard the skin. Purée pumpkin with a food processor or hand blender until smooth. Measure 600grams for the enchiladas. The rest of the purée can be used in soups, made into a pie, sauce, used in cookies, to fill pasta, muffins or simply warmed, seasoned and eaten as a side.
In a large bowl, combine pumpkin purée, spring onions, beans, kale, lime juice, oregano, cumin, salt to taste and 150g of cheese. To make the enchilada sauce, combine salsa verde with sour cream or use red enchilada sauce.
In a large fry pan at medium-high heat add 2 tbsp of oil. Add a tortilla to the pan. Cook for 2-3 seconds, lift up the tortilla with a spatula, add another tortilla underneath. Cook for 2-3 seconds, lift again, both tortillas, and add another tortilla underneath. Repeat the process with all the tortillas, adding a little more oil if needed. This way you can brown and soften the tortillas without using a lot of fat. You do this process to develop the flavour of the tortillas. As the tortillas brown a little, remove from the pan one by one to rest on a paper towel, which absorbs any excess fat.
Preheat oven to 180C. In a casserole dish, spread a couple of spoonfuls of salsa verde sauce. Fill each tortilla with a couple of tablespoons of filling. Roll into a cigar shape and place seam side down in casserole dish. Each enchilada will help the next from unrolling. Spoon salsa verde sauce over enchiladas, make sure to cover the edges. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Serve with your favourite hot sauce and pickled jalapeños. Yum!