stuffed pumpkin

Parve, Vegan, Dairy Free

This can be prepared in advance and eaten cold or if you prefer kept hot in a oven though take care not to let it dry out . Excellent a Succot Dinner Party as a centrepiece show dish.

250g (9oz) long grain rice
Small pumpkin roughly 18-20cm (7-7.5 inch) diameter
1 small onion
50g (2oz) frozen/fresh peas or soya beans
100g (4oz) pine nuts or almonds, cashews, pecans whatever you choose
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp cinnamon
3 cloves crushed garlic
Little olive oil for frying
3-4 chopped sun dried tomatoes (optional)

Wash the pumpkin thoroughly. Slice the top off so you have a lid (slice about 4-5cms 1.5-2 inches thick)

Scoop out the seeds and de-string, set these to one side. If using large nuts roughly chop.

Place the Pumpkin in a microwave proof dish and ¼ fill the cavity with hot water. Balance the Pumpkin lid on top slightly open to let steam escape and microwave for 15-20 minutes on high. You want it to be just soft enough to scoop the flesh out with a spoon with a little effort - not too soft so that it collapses; check after 15 minutes and either remove or microwave for longer if need be - my neighbour found she needed 25 minutes so it is not written in stone. Allow the pumpkin to cool so you can handle it.

Meanwhile dice the onion and fry off for 3-4 minutes in the oil. Add the pumpkin seeds and the nuts and cook until they colour add the spices and garlic to this mix turn off the heat and stir well to release the spice flavours.

Cook the rice in double its volume of slightly salted water (10 minutes in the microwave) or 15 minutes on top of the cooker until the water is absorbed and the rice is light and fluffy.

Keeping the pumpkin in the bowl you cooked it in, take off the lid and pour out any remaining liquid into the rice. Scoop out most of the flesh taking care not to break the skin. Chop the flesh into pieces roughly you can use all of this or keep some aside for other dishes (ie Simchat Torah Tart which used ¼ of the pumpkin's flesh)

In a large bowl mix the chopped pumpkin, rice, onion/nut mix, peas and tomatoes if using. Stuff back into the pumpkin shell and put the lid on top. If you are going to reheat do so in a slow oven with a little more liquid added but its excellent cold.

Gluten Free Succot Stuffed Pumpkin