Peel the garlic clove and chop it up finely. Add it to a medium pan together with the vegetable oil, the fresh ginger (no need to peel the ginger for this recipe), the dried chili and the bay leaves.

Place the pan over medium heat and gently fry the ingredients in the hot oil for 4 minutes. In the meantime chop the fresh pumpkin up into small dice. Then add them to the pan.

Stir and cook the pumpkin for 5 minutes. Then pour in some water until the pumpkin is nicely submerged.

Also stir in half or the red miso paste.

Put a lid on the pan and bring the pumpkin to a good boil. Then turn the heat lower and simmer the pumpkin in the miso broth for 10 minutes or until you can easily mash the pumpkin bits again the side of the pan.

Then drain the cooked pumpkin (you can catch the flavorful miso broth in a saucepan and keep it for later!) and remove the dried chili, the bay leaves and the piece of ginger. Mash up the cooked pumpkin and season with a pinch of pepper.

Stir in half of the remaining red miso paste.

Stir the pumpkin puree again and check the taste. Season with extra pepper or red miso paste if necessary. Stir one last time and then scoop the pumpkin mash in a large serving dish. You can make a miso dressing just like I did: combine 2 tablespoons of water and 1 teaspoon of red miso paste. Sprinkle this on top. Serve hot.