Oaxacan-Inspired Butternut Squash & Black Bean Tamale Pie

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grease a 20 cm square baking dish or pie dish.

Prepare the vegetables: Peel, seed, and dice the 400g raw butternut squash into 1 cm cubes. Finely dice the yellow onion. Mince the 3 garlic cloves. Finely chop half of the fresh jalapeño (removing seeds for medium heat); thinly slice the remaining half into rounds and set aside to serve at the table. Finely chop the 15g fresh cilantro.

Rinse and drain the canned black beans, then grate the 100g Monterey Jack cheese.

Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced butternut squash and sauté for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and beginning to soften. Transfer the squash to a bowl and set aside.

Reduce the skillet heat to medium-low. Add 1.5 tbsp of ghee to the pan. Once warm, add 1 tbsp mild chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, and 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano. Stir constantly for 45 seconds to bloom the spices in the fat until highly aromatic.

Immediately add the diced onion, minced garlic, and finely chopped jalapeño to the spiced ghee. Sauté for 5 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.

Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Return the sautéed butternut squash to the skillet along with the drained black beans and 100ml of the vegetable broth. Simmer gently for 5 minutes until the squash is tender and the liquid has reduced to a thick, rich sauce. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Transfer this filling to the prepared baking dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 120g masa harina, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Warm the remaining 250ml vegetable broth and melt the remaining 0.5 tbsp of ghee. Pour the warm broth and melted ghee into the masa mixture, stirring until a soft, spreadable, cake-batter-like dough forms. If too dry, stir in 1-2 tbsp of warm water.

Gently spread the masa dough evenly over the butternut squash and bean filling in the baking dish. Sprinkle the 100g grated Monterey Jack cheese evenly over the top.

Bake in the preheated oven at 190°C for 22 minutes, or until the masa is cooked through, the filling is bubbling at the edges, and the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Let the tamale pie rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with the chopped fresh cilantro and serve hot, passing the reserved sliced jalapeño rounds at the table for customizable heat.