I love pumpkin and sweet potato, so I wanted to bring them into my Balkan dinners in a way that felt completely savoury.
This purée was designed specifically to pair with dishes that have bold, acidic flavours—especially rich tomato sauces, garlic and black pepper. I serve it alongside Balkan stuffed peppers in tomato sauce, and the combination is wonderful.
Unlike many squash and sweet potato purées, I deliberately leave out cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and other warm baking spices. They are delicious in sweet dishes, but here I wanted the vegetables to complement the main dish rather than compete with it.
The result is silky, naturally sweet, garlicky and savoury, with just enough butter to make it rich and smooth.
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Water, as needed
Optional
- 1–2 tablespoons warm milk or cream, if you prefer a softer consistency
Instructions
1. Cook the vegetables
Place the cubed butternut squash, sweet potatoes and whole garlic cloves into a large pot.
Add enough water to cover the vegetables by about 1 inch. Add a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15–20 minutes, or until the vegetables are completely fork-tender.
2. Drain very well
Drain the vegetables and garlic thoroughly in a colander.
Return them to the hot pot and let them sit uncovered for about 2 minutes off the heat. The remaining heat will help evaporate excess moisture.
This step is important because it keeps the purée from becoming watery.
3. Make the purée
Transfer the hot vegetables and garlic to a food processor or blender for a very smooth, velvety texture.
For a more rustic texture, you can use a potato masher or potato ricer instead.
Add the butter, salt and black pepper.
Blend or mash until smooth and creamy.
If you prefer a softer consistency, add 1–2 tablespoons of warm milk or cream and mix until you reach the texture you like.
4. Taste and serve
Taste the purée and adjust the salt and black pepper as needed.
Serve hot as a savoury side dish.
How I Like to Serve It
This purée is especially good with dishes that have rich or acidic sauces.
I love serving it with Balkan stuffed peppers cooked in tomato sauce. The natural sweetness of the butternut squash and sweet potato balances the acidity of the tomato, while the garlic and black pepper connect the flavours to the main dish.
And because there are no warm baking spices, the purée stays firmly in the savoury world.
A Small Tip
For the best texture, don’t skip the draining and steam-drying step. Butternut squash and sweet potatoes can hold quite a bit of water, and even a little extra moisture can turn a beautifully silky purée into something loose and watery.
The goal is simple: silky, savoury and naturally sweet—not sweet-potato dessert in disguise.
Slani pire od tikve i slatkog krompira
Obožavam bundevu i slatki krompir, pa sam želela da ih uključim u svoje balkanske ručkove na potpuno drugačiji način.
Ovaj pire sam osmislila posebno da se slaže sa jelima koja imaju izraženije, kiselkaste i pikantne ukuse — naročito sa bogatim sosovima od paradajza, belim lukom i crnim biberom. Najviše volim da ga poslužim uz balkanske punjene paprike u paradajz sosu i ta kombinacija je zaista odlična.
Za razliku od mnogih pirea od bundeve , ovde namerno izostavljam cimet, muskatni oraščić, đumbir i druge tople začine. Oni su odlični u slatkim jelima, ali ovde želim da povrće upotpuni glavno jelo, a ne da se takmiči sa njegovim ukusima.
Dobija se svilenkast, prirodno blago sladak i potpuno slan pire, sa ukusom belog luka, crnog bibera i putera.
Sastojci
- 1 srednja butternut tikva, oljuštena, očišćena od semenki i isečena na kocke
- 2 srednja slatka krompira, oljuštena i isečena na kocke
- 2 čena belog luka, oljuštena i ostavljena cela
- 3 kašike neslanog putera
- 1 kašičica soli, plus još po ukusu
- ¼ kašičice sveže mlevenog crnog bibera
- voda, po potrebi
Po želji
- 1–2 kašike toplog mleka ili pavlake, ako želite mekšu i nežniju teksturu
Priprema
1. Skuvajte povrće
Stavite kockice butternut tikve, slatkog krompira i cele čenove belog luka u veću šerpu.
Dodajte dovoljno vode da povrće bude prekriveno vodom oko 2–3 cm. Dodajte prstohvat soli i pustite da provri.
Smanjite temperaturu i kuvajte oko 15–20 minuta, odnosno dok povrće ne bude potpuno mekano i lako se probada viljuškom.
2. Dobro ocedite
Povrće i beli luk dobro ocedite u cediljki.
Vratite ih u toplu, praznu šerpu i ostavite oko 2 minuta, bez poklopca i van ringle. Toplota iz šerpe pomoći će da višak vlage ispari.
Ovaj korak je važan jer sprečava da pire bude vodenast.
3. Napravite pire
Vruće povrće i beli luk prebacite u blender ili seckalicu ako želite potpuno gladak i svilenkast pire.
Za rustičniju teksturu možete koristiti gnječilicu za krompir ili presu za krompir.
Dodajte puter, so i crni biber.
Izblendajte ili izgnječite dok ne dobijete potpuno gladak i kremast pire.
Ako želite mekšu teksturu, dodajte 1–2 kašike toplog mleka ili pavlake i promešajte.
4. Probajte i poslužite
Probajte pire i po potrebi dodajte još soli ili crnog bibera.
Poslužite toplo kao slani prilog.
Kako ga ja najviše volim
Ovaj pire je posebno dobar uz jela sa bogatim ili kiselkastim sosovima.
Obožavam da ga poslužim uz balkanske punjene paprike u paradajz sosu. Prirodna slatkoća butternut tikve i slatkog krompira lepo ublažava kiselost paradajza, dok beli luk i crni biber povezuju ukuse sa glavnim jelom.
Pošto nema toplih začina poput cimeta ili muskatnog oraščića, ovaj pire ostaje potpuno u slanoj kategoriji.
Mali savet
Za najbolju teksturu nemojte preskakati dobro ceđenje i kratko prosušivanje povrća u toploj šerpi. Butternut tikva moze zadržati dosta vode, a višak tečnosti lako pretvori lep, svilenkast pire u redak i vodenast prilog.
Cilj je jednostavan: svilenkast, slan i prirodno blago sladak pire — bez ukusa deserta.