Red Beans and Basmati Stuffed Kabocha Squash
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
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.
Recipe by Box of Spice at https://boxofspice.com/2016/01/3231/