Festive stuffed pumpkin with rice, bacon, dried fruit and spice
This stuffed pumpkin with rice, bacon, dried fruit and spice is absolutely delicious and luscious. It's an amazing addition to your festive spread and can be served either warm as a salad or hot from the oven.
Ingredients:- 1/2 large pumpkin (approx 4kg) ((ie. use 2kg of pumpkin) )
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
Rice stuffing
- 1 cup rice
- 1 rasher fatty bacon ((chopped) (optional))
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 onion ((finely diced))
- 1/4 cup mixed dried fruit ((raisins, currants, sultanas, citrus peel))
- 1/4 cup chopped nuts ((almonds, pecans, walnuts))
- 1 cup water / stock
- 1 cup plain greek yoghurt ((for dressing))
- 1 cup fresh coriander leaves ((for garnish))
Preheat oven to 180C / 350F
Slice your 4kg pumpkin in half horizontally and scoop out the seeds to create a bowl shaped cavity. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with spices and salt.
Make the rice stuffing by combining rice, bacon, melted butter and honey, mixed dried fruit and nuts in a bowl. Fill the cavity with the rice stuffing.
Lay a piece of non-stick baking paper over the top of the rice and pumpkin and then cover firmly with aluminium foil to seal in the steam.
Bake the whole pumpkin the oven for 45 minutes then carefully lift foil and pour 1 cup of water over the rice. Continue to bake for another 45 minutes.
Remove from oven, lift the foil and stir the rice. Cover again with foil and set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
To serve, slice pumpkin and stuffing into wedges, dollop on one tbsp of plain yoghurt and a sprinkling of fresh coriander leaves.
