Clean the pumpkin skin, cut off any dry sides and take out any seeds.
Cut the pumpkin into large chunks (with the skin on) and put the chunks into a bowl.
Add the neutral oil, ground cumin, smoked paprika, maple syrup and salt to the pumpkin. Thoroughly mix everything until the pumpkin is coated with seasoning.
Transfer the pumpkin chunks onto a tray lined with a silicon mat or baking paper.
Roast the pumpkin for 30 minutes at 180°C fan.
After 20 minutes, add the pumpkin seeds onto the same tray and toast for the last 10 minutes of the pumpkin chunks' roasting time.
Pickled Shallots
Once the pumpkin is in the oven, thinly slice the shallot and add the slices to a heat-proof jar or bowl.
Add the sugar, vinegar, water and peppercorn into a saucepan and bring the to the boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, pour the mixture on top of the shallots and let them pickle until the rest of the salad is ready.
Quinoa
Rinse out the saucepan that was used for the shallots.
Rinse the quinoa and then add it to the saucepan. Add the water and salt.
Cook the quinoa on medium heat for about 10 minutes until the seeds expand in size. Then, turn off the heat, put a lid on the pan and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes.
Kale
While the quinoa is cooking, wash the kale, remove the leaves from the stalk and add the kale leaves to a bowl.
Add the olive oil to the bowl and massage the kale for a few minutes until it starts to soften.
Dressing
Mix the olive oil, mustard and vinegar in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Assembly
Add the quinoa onto the bottom of the plate. Then, add the roasted pumpkin chunks and kale. Now, add some pickled shallots, crispy pumpkin seeds and mint leaves before pouring over the dressing. Enjoy!