A silky pumpkin-and-millet sauce-porridge from the shchips family: pumpkin simmered soft, thickened with toasted millet flour and finished with a butter-and-onion sear, served with paste.
Kebshchips (Pumpkin Sauce)
Ingredients
Method
- Simmer the pumpkin in the water or milk 15–20 minutes until very soft; mash to a purée in the liquid.
- Whisk the millet flour into a little cold water to a smooth, lump-free slurry.
- Stir the slurry into the simmering purée and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens to a pourable sauce.
- In a small pan, fry the onion gently in the butter until golden and sweet.
- Stir the butter and onion into the pumpkin; season with salt (and honey, if you like it slightly sweet).
- Cook 2–3 minutes more. Serve warm with paste, or spooned over cold soured milk.
This is the recipe from the Recipes section of the Circassian app, where you can also scale it and save it to your favourites.
Kitchen words in Circassian
The words for what is in this dish, in Kabardian (East Circassian) and Adyghe (West Circassian), with audio from the Circassian app’s lessons and audio course.
| English | Kabardian | Adyghe |
|---|---|---|
| milk | шэshe | щэshche |
| butter | тхъуцынэtkhwutsyne | тхъуtkhu |
| honey | фоfo | шъоуshow |
| water | псыpsy | псыpsə |
| salt | шыгъуshyghu | щыгъуshchəghu |
| food | шхынshkhyn | шхыныshkhənə |
| delicious | IэфI'ef' | IэшIу'eshIu |
| This is delicious! | Мыр IэфIщ!Myr 'ef'shch! | Мыр IэшIу!Myr 'esh'u! |
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Kebshchips: questions
How long does it take to make Kebshchips?
About 40 minutes, according to the recipe in the Circassian app.
How many people does this Kebshchips recipe serve?
It serves 4. The servings control above the ingredients recalculates every quantity for 1 to 40 people.
What is Kebshchips made of?
The ingredients are: 800 g pumpkin, peeled and cubed; 500 ml water or milk; 3–4 tbsp millet flour (or fine cornmeal); 1 onion, finely chopped; 40–50 g butter; 1/2 tsp salt; 1–2 tsp honey (optional); paste or soured milk, to serve.
Is Kebshchips an everyday or a festive dish?
The Circassian app files it as an everyday dish (Vegetables & Sides).
Where does this Kebshchips recipe come from?
From the Recipes section of the Circassian app. The app’s recipes draw on Amjad Jaimoukha’s book Circassian Cuisine and were cross-checked against Russian and Adyghe food sources.
Sources
- Circassian app, Recipes section, recipe “Kebshchips (Pumpkin Sauce)” (recipe data last changed July 2026). The app’s recipes draw on Amjad Jaimoukha’s book Circassian Cuisine and were cross-checked against Russian and Adyghe food sources.
- Circassian app: audio course, Kabardian and Adyghe (the kitchen words: cheese, meat, milk, bread, tea, water, food, delicious), and the lessons’ vocabulary (chicken, salt, butter, honey).
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