BLACK GARLIC PILAF STUFFED PUMPKIN

SERVES: 4

PREP TIME: 20 minutes | COOK TIME: 1hr 30 mins

INGREDIENTS

1 medium pumpkin (approx. 2kg) or 2 smaller ones

2 onions finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 star anise

2 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp cardamom seeds

2 bay leaves

100g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

75g dried apricots, chopped

8 cloves The Original Black Garlic, whole

200g Basmati Rice

600ml vegetable stock

Oil for cooking

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Prepare the pumpkin by carefully cutting around the top to create a lid. Scoop out and discard the seeds, replace the lid and place in a roasting tin on a low shelf in the oven for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat some oil in a lidded pan on medium heat, fry the onions for a few minutes, then add the white garlic, all the spices and bay leaves, fry for another minute before adding the pistachios, apricots, black garlic cloves and rice. Stir well and then add the hot stock, cover and reduce the heat to simmer for around 10 minutes until the rice is almost cooked but still with a bite to it. 

Remove the pumpkin from the oven and fill with the rice mixture, replace the lid and loosely cover with foil. Place back in the oven for 1 hour until the flesh is thoroughly cooked through.

Enjoy as the perfect centrepiece for a Halloween supper, served with a hearty curry or stew, or keep it simple with rustic bread and dollops of The Original Black Garlic Pickle.

Recipe by Lara Green @_fromthegreenkitchen

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