Balkabaklı Bulgur | Turkish Warm Pumpkin Salad

Preheat the oven to 200 °C top/bottom heat. Thoroughly wash the Hokkaido pumpkin, remove the seeds, and cut it into bite-sized cubes of approx. 1.5 cm. Spread the pumpkin cubes on a baking tray lined with baking paper, drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil, and season with 1/2 tsp each of cumin and paprika powder, as well as a little salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for approx. 20–25 minutes until the pumpkin is tender and lightly caramelized at the edges.

While the pumpkin roasts in the oven, place the bulgur in a bowl, pour 400 ml of boiling, lightly salted water over it, cover, and let it swell for about 15 minutes until the liquid is completely absorbed. Then fluff it up loosely with a fork.

For the dressing, mix the lemon juice with the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil, the rest of the cumin, salt, and pepper. Peel the red onion and cut it into thin half-rings. Wash the parsley and mint, shake dry, and roughly chop. Briefly toast the walnuts in a dry pan without fat and roughly crumble them.