Whole Baked Pumpkin with Harissa Rice, Oh How Wicked!

This whole baked pumpkin recipe stuffed with harissa rice is your Halloween show-stopper, a brilliant family meal or Sunday lunch for your ghosts and ghouls!

The inspiration for this whole baked pumpkin recipe came from my lovely friend Jayne, who cooked something similar on a recent trip to the Lake District.

I was so impressed, I decided to re-create it for you!

My version has a warming harissa rice stuffing, but it would be equally delicious stuffed with the Puy Lentils, bolognese, or rice in these recipes:

My hearty Puy Lentil stew

My smoky lentil walnut bolognese

And my baked Mexican rice-with beans

I also want to flag that you can use squash as an alternative to the pumpkin — there’s an important environmental reason you might want to do this, given the amount of Pumpkins wasted every year as their primary use is decoration rather than food.

This is a super tasty seasonal pumpkin recipe, and remember that if you are carving pumpkins for decoration, providing they are fit to eat afterwards, you can use the left-overs in an amazing soup or stew-style dish. It’s so important to reduce the amount of food waste we make, and Halloween pumpkins are a chance to do this.

And, as an alternative, any time of year you can use a round edible squash to make this recipe.

And, remember to scoop out the pumpkin seeds and roast them for a healthy snack, they are delicious!

I hope you enjoy my whole baked pumpkin with harissa rice recipe!

Love, Niki xx

Whole baked pumpkin with harissa rice, oh how wicked!

The Recipe

Prep time: 10

Cook time: 1 12

4 servings

5 from 1 vote

Ingredients

For the pumpkin

1 whole medium pumpkin - seeds removed
Drizzle olive oil
Sea salt

For the harissa rice

150 g long grain rice rinsed
Water to cover
1 red onion chopped
3 garlic cloves crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp harissa paste
1 can chopped tomatoes
Handful walnuts toasted and roughly chopped
Handful fresh thyme
Sea salt and black pepper

For the roasted seeds

The reserved seeds
1 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Instructions

Pre- heat your oven to 180c
Carefully slice the top off the pumpkin and remove all the seeds.
Place on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and sea salt.
Place the lip by the side of the pumpkin and bake for 45 minutes.

To make the rice

Cook the rice according to the pack instructions.
In a frying pan, add the onion and olive oil. Fry on medium for 7-8 minutes until soft.
Now add the garlic and spices. Fry for a further minute.
Add the harissa paste, chopped tomatoes and cooked rice.
Cook for 5-6 minutes then add in the remaining ingredients (walnuts, thyme and seasonings).
Remove the pumpkin from the oven, carefully fill with the rice mix and bake for 20 minutes with the lid on.

Whole Baked Pumpkin with Harissa Rice, Oh How Wicked!

The Recipe