Red Beans and Basmati Stuffed Kabocha Squash

It is mid January already and 2016 is well on its way. I think I’m going to like this year. I have just decided its going to be good!

2015 was a meh year for me but only because I chose it that way. As time goes by and I look around me, I notice how much of what I emanate comes back to me. It really is a boomerang effect and I wish more people would look at themselves and evaluate what they are doing to make a situation good or bad. We do that way too little. It is the biggest gift we can give ourselves, the power to look into a mirror, unashamedly and acknowledge our part in things. I am guilty of having done that too, for years.

As my social conditioning gradually (I am hardly there yet) fades away, it is almost like magic that I can see how my behaviour has an effect, negatively or positively on other people.

When 2015 closed with a friend being upset because I was happy, it filled me with all sorts of anger. When the hurt and anger subsided, and hours of analysing passed with the help of another dear friend, I realised what I had done to warrant such a cruel and hateful reaction from someone I thought was a friend. As lofty as this may sound, I realise I give way too much of myself in a friendship. I will stand on my head and walk on coal for you if need be. That usually means I build expectations and when I cannot live up to them (having set a pattern of behaviour) it usually results in volatile eruptions. It was so cool to learn this of myself and it also meant I could try and not repeat such a habit. I could also free myself of the anger I felt towards this person.

As Julia Roberts says, “when people walk away from you, let them go. Your destiny is never tied to anyone who leaves you, and it doesn’t mean they are bad people. It just means that their part in your story is over.” I fell in love with this quote, because it is so true.

And so I begin this year with letting go off a friend that chose to be bitter and horrible. I hold no grudges and am so happy to be free of a friendship that I accept I had a part to play in going sour.

Now, Rajma is perhaps one of the most favourite foods in India. It is made with red beans and is somewhat like a vegetarian chili if I am to compare it with any other dish. I used to binge eat it as a child. 🙂 And mom always made it on a Sunday. For years it was a staple Sunday lunch. And I miss it so much.

Red Beans and Basmati Stuffed Kabocha Squash

 

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Prep time

45 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 45 mins

 

Author: boxofspice

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• For the squash
• 2 small kabocha squashes
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 1 tbsp chilli pepper
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsps mustard seeds
• ½ tbsp nigella seeds
• rock salt to taste
• 
  
• For the Filling
• 1 cup pre-cooked basmati rice
• ½ cup rajma (red kidney beans) soaked overnight
• ½ cup whole masoor dal, soaked overnight
• 2 small red onions, finely chopped + more for topping
• ½ tbsp turmeric powder
• 1 inch ginger, julienned
• 5-6 cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt to taste
• pinch of garam masala

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 205°C/400°F. Prepare a baking tray lined with foil.
2. Cut the top of the squash. Scoop out the filling and remove any fibre. Place both the squashes and generously splash the olive oil. (I also rubbed some in so that it covered the whole squash). Now take the dry spices and mix them well together. Now sprinkle with liberally on both squashes. Place in the oven for about 45 minutes or till your knife can pierce the squash with ease.
3. While your pumpkin is roasting in the oven, lets prepare the filling.
4. In a pan, heat the oil and saute the onions till they are transparent. Add the ginger and cook till the ginger is not raw anymore. A minute or two. Add the turmeric powder and then the basmati rice.
5. Drain the rajma and the dal and add to the rice mix. Cook for around ten minutes. Set aside.
6. Once the squash is roasted, take out of the oven and fill with the rajma rice mix. Top with halved cherry tomatoes and circular strips of some red onion. Sprinkle some garam masala on top of both and serve hot!

Notes

If you cannot find kabocha squash this dish can be made with any sort of pumpkin. Be sure though that the size of your pumpkin is small or it won't work if you want to serve individual portions. Alternatively you could prepare one large one and have everyone serve themselves from it.
You are meant to scoop out the pumpkin too as you take a scoop of rice.

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