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Winter Pumpkin Dessert, Turkish Style – Kabak Tatlisi


Luscious bright orange pumpkin prepared this way warms up any winter evening. In Turkey, the seeds of the pumpkin are never discarded but oven roasted with salt to nibble on thru winter months, very delicious, nutritious and a huge Anatolian pastime!

This lovely light dessert is wonderful served with crushed walnuts. If you can get clotted cream, it accompanies Kabak Tatlisi wonderfully.

Serves 6
Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes

1 kg/2 ¼ pumpkin, peeled and deseeded
450 gr/1 lb sugar
8 lf oz / 1 cup water
Juice of 1 lemon

Crushed walnuts and clotted cream (if available) to serve

Cut the pumpkin into manageable wedges. Place in a broad-based pan in layers, sprinkling sugar between the layers. Add the lemon juice and water and cook on a low heat until the pumpkin is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Add a little more water if required during cooking time to prevent the fruit sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Leave to cool in the pan. Serve sprinkled with crushed walnuts and accompanied with a dollop of clotted cream.

Afiyet Olsun!

4 Responses to Winter Pumpkin Dessert, Turkish Style – Kabak Tatlisi

  1. StaceyLC November 22, 2010 at 4:31 am #

    Thank you for posting this. This is my husbands favorite dessert at Mantar restaurant in Ankara. Now I can make it for him at home!

  2. sangeeta December 22, 2010 at 1:58 am #

    Loved your blog , many recipes are new for me and yet i want to try them .
    Clicked in here from " ? " blog and i am glad i did so.

  3. Nadine December 9, 2011 at 5:49 pm #

    there is another style of making this deesrt with slaked lime or cal which hardens the outside of the pumpkin…do you have the recipe?

  4. Rosemary November 4, 2016 at 1:31 am #

    Yes I would also love the recipe as Nadine mentioned with lime.I had it while in Turkey and fell in love
    with the texture and taste.It was eaten at breakfast.Like a jam or preserve.Somewhat crunchy and sweet.

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