Pumpkin biryani
Richly spiced rice, homemade sauce and crispy onions are layered inside a pumpkin for a magical vegetarian showstopper.
Ingredients
For the baharat spice mix
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú black peppercorns
- 35²µ/1¼´Ç³ú cardamom pods
- 40g/1½oz whole nutmeg
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú cinnamon bark
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú cloves
- 150²µ/5½´Ç³ú cumin seeds
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú coriander seeds
For the biryani
- 1 whole pumpkin, inside carved out, keep the lid
- 1–2 litres/1¾–3½ pints vegetable oil, for frying
- 1kg/2lb 4oz onions, thinly sliced
- 200g/7oz tomato purée
- 30g/1oz baharat spice mix, plus 2 tbsp (see above)
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú garlic paste
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú ginger paste
- 400g/14oz plain yoghurt
- 1 aubergine, cut into 1-2cm pieces
- 100ml/3½fl oz lemon juice (approx. 4 lemons)
- 450g/1lb basmati white rice
- 3 pinches saffron strands
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 50ml/2fl oz boiling water
- 2 medium potatoes large, (cut into 4 or 6 pieces depending on size)
- pinch salt
For the yoghurt salad
Method
To make the baharat spice mix, preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Place all the ingredients on a tray and roast for 15 minutes, then transfer to a spice grinder and blend into a powder. Store in an airtight container until needed.
To make the biriyani, preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Place the whole pumpkin inside for about 15 minutes to soften, then remove, cut off the top (keeping it for later) and scoop out all the filling, making sure to remove the seeds. Set aside 400g/14oz of the flesh, cut into chunks.
Add the oil to a large saucepan along with half the onions – the onions should be fully covered in oil. Starting at room temperature, place on a high heat and fry until they are golden-brown. Make sure to keep turning and moving the onions in the pan so they don’t burn. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Once the onions are cooked, place on a tray, but do not line with kitchen paper as we want the oil. Repeat for the remaining onions.
While the onions are cooking, in a saucepan combine the tomato purée, 30g/1oz baharat spice mix, garlic, ginger, yoghurt, aubergine, chopped pumpkin and some salt and place on a high heat until it starts to bubble. Reduce to a medium-low heat, then keep a lid on the pan and leave to cook for 30 minutes until the pumpkin is slightly soft.
Add in the lemon juice and one-third of the crispy onions, mix through well and leave to cook for another 10 minutes.
While the sauce is cooking, fill a saucepan with enough water to cover the rice, add salt, bring to the boil and then add in the rice. Leave it to cook for around 10–15 minutes until the rice is soft, but not completely cooked. Make sure the water does not all absorb. Drain the rice and set aside.
The vegetables by this point should be tender. Check the tomato sauce for seasoning and add more salt if needed, then pour it into your pumpkin, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of baharat spice mix over the top of the sauce, sprinkle over one-third of the crispy onions, then add the rice on top.
For the saffron, grind it with the sugar in a pestle and mortar until the saffron is almost powder. Add 50ml/2fl oz boiling water to it and stir well.
Make holes with a spoon all around the rice, then pour the saffron mixture all over the top, making sure some goes inside the holes. Next, pour over two small ladle spoons of the onion oil over the rice. Finally top off with the rest of the crispy onions.
Put the lid of the pumpkin on top then place in the oven at 180C/160C fan/Gas 4 for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, to make the yoghurt salad, mix all of the ingredients together.
To serve either spoon the rice onto the plate first, then dig deeper and layer the plate – or slice the pumpkin. Serve with the yoghurt salad.