This stuffed squash dish is redolent of my childhood winters in New Zealand, when my father would cook it in our coal-range oven. Sweet flavours like these need a little spice to bring them to life. I like to intensify the flavours by heating the spices in the oil before adding any other ingredients, a technique I learned in India. The coconut oil is my addition to my father’s recipe – it brings another element of flavour and really seems to complement the spices.