Pumpkin biriyani

By Dina Macki
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

Baharat Spice Mix

• Black peppercorns: 50g/1¾oz
• Cardamom pods: 35g/1¼oz
• Whole nutmeg: 40g/1½oz
• Cinnamon bark: 100g/3½oz
• Cloves: 50g/1¾oz
• Cumin seeds: 150g/5½oz
• Coriander seeds: 100g/3½oz

Biriyani

• Whole pumpkin: 1, inside carved out, keep the lid
• Vegetable oil: 1–2 litres/1¾–3½ pints, for frying
• Onions: 1kg/2lb 4oz, thinly sliced
• Tomato purée: 200g/7oz
• Baharat spice mix: 30g/1oz, plus 2 tbsp (see above)
• Garlic paste: 50g/1¾oz
• Ginger paste: 50g/1¾oz
• Plain yoghurt: 400g/14oz
• Aubergine: 1, cut into 1-2cm pieces
• Lemon juice: 100ml/3½fl oz (approx. 4 lemons)
• Basmati white rice: 450g/1lb
• Saffron strands: 3 pinches
• Sugar: 1 tbsp
• Boiling water: 50ml/2fl oz
• Medium potatoes: 2 large, cut into 4 or 6 pieces depending on size
• Salt: pinch

Yoghurt Salad

• Natural yoghurt: 300g/10½oz
• Cucumber: ½, finely chopped
• Fresh coriander or parsley: ½ bunch, finely chopped
• Onion: ½, finely chopped
• Tomatoes: 2, chopped

Method

Baharat Spice Mix

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C Fan/Gas 3).
2. Spread all spice ingredients on a baking tray.
3. Roast for 15 minutes.
4. Transfer roasted spices to a spice grinder and blend into a powder.
5. Store in an airtight container until needed.

Pumpkin Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C Fan/Gas 5).
2. Place whole pumpkin in the oven for 15 minutes to soften.
3. Remove pumpkin from oven and cut off the top (reserve for later).
4. Scoop out the filling and seeds.
5. Set aside 400g of pumpkin flesh, cut into chunks.

Crispy Onions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan.
2. Fry half the onions until golden-brown, stirring constantly. (CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
3. Remove fried onions and place on a tray without paper towels.
4. Repeat with remaining onions.

Vegetable Sauce

1. In a saucepan, combine tomato purée, 30g baharat spice mix, garlic, ginger, yoghurt, aubergine, chopped pumpkin, and salt.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.
3. Cover and cook for 30 minutes until pumpkin is slightly soft.
4. Add lemon juice and one-third of the crispy onions.
5. Cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Rice Preparation

1. Boil salted water in a saucepan.
2. Add rice and cook for 10-15 minutes until soft but not fully cooked.
3. Drain rice and set aside.

Assembly

1. Pour vegetable sauce into the hollowed pumpkin.
2. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of baharat spice mix over the sauce.
3. Add one-third of the crispy onions.
4. Layer rice on top.

Saffron Mixture

1. Grind saffron and sugar in a pestle and mortar until almost powdered.
2. Add 50ml boiling water and stir well.

Final Assembly and Cooking

1. Make holes in the rice with a spoon.
2. Pour saffron mixture over rice, ensuring some goes into the holes.
3. Add two small ladles of onion oil over the rice.
4. Top with remaining crispy onions.
5. Place pumpkin lid on top.
6. Bake at 180°C (160°C Fan/Gas 4) for 1 hour.

Yoghurt Salad

1. Mix all yoghurt salad ingredients together.

Serving

• Option 1: Spoon rice onto plate first, then layer with deeper ingredients.
• Option 2: Slice the pumpkin.
• Serve with yoghurt salad on the side.