India Spiced Rice With Pumpkin Seeds Food

SPICY INDIAN RICE

Steps:

• Fry the onions in the sunflower oil in a large frying pan for 10-12 minutes until golden.
• Fill a roomy saucepan with water, bring to the boil and tip in a heaped teaspoon of salt - the water will bubble furiously. Add turmeric and the cinnamon stick to the water. Pour in the rice, stir once and return to the boil, then turn the heat down a little so that the water is boiling steadily, but not vigorously. Boil uncovered, without stirring (this makes for sticky rice) for 10 minutes. Lift some out with a slotted spoon and nibble a grain or two. If they're too crunchy, cook for another minute and taste again. They should be tender but with a little bite. Drain the rice into a large sieve and rinse by pouring over a kettle of very hot water
• Stir the crushed seeds of the cardamom pods into the onions with the cumin seeds and fry briefly.
• Toss in a large handful of sultanas and roasted cashew nuts, then the hot drained rice. This is great with curry and will also give an exotic edge to grilled meat or fish.

INDIA SPICED RICE WITH PUMPKIN SEEDS

Steps:

• Combine water and rice in large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat 10-15 minutes or until water is absorbed.
• Dry toast the pumpkin seeds in a large skillet over high heat by shaking the pan over the heat until the seeds begin to pop. Remove from pan and set aside.
• In skillet, heat the oil and hing. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and sesame seeds; saute until they begin to pop. This will only take a few seconds!
• Add onion and cilantro, saute until onion is soft and translucent. Remove from heat.
• Stir remaining ingredients into onion mixture, mix well. Add onion mixture and pumpkin seeds to rice, mix well. If rice has cooled, heat over low heat, stirring often.

SAUSAGE & RICE STUFFED PUMPKINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. Cut a 3-in. circle around each pumpkin stem. Remove tops and set aside. Remove strings and seeds from pumpkins; discard seeds or save for roasting. , In a large skillet, cook sausage, vegetables and garlic over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink, breaking up sausage into crumbles; drain. Remove from heat; stir in rice, 3/4 cup cheese, eggs, parsley, salt and thyme., Place pumpkins in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan; fill with rice mixture. Replace pumpkin tops. Bake 30 minutes., Reduce oven setting to 350°. Bake 25-35 minutes longer or until pumpkin is tender when pierced with a knife and a thermometer inserted in filling reads 160°. Sprinkle remaining cheese over filling. Cut to serve.

SPICED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
• Combine the margarine, salt, garlic salt, worcestershire sauce and pumpkin seeds.
• Mix thoroughly and place in shallow baking dish.
• Bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

PUMPKIN BIRYANI

Steps:

• Soak the saffron strands in 4 tbsp hot water and leave on one side for about 30 mins until the liquid turns a deep auburn.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Soften the onions in 100g of the butter for 10-15 mins in a covered pan. Give them a stir now and again to stop them catching. Put the garlic and ginger in a small food processor with 3 tbsp water and blend to a paste. Add to the onions and fry for 2-3 mins. Stir in the spices, green chilli and lime juice.
• Cut the top off the pumpkins and scrape out any seeds, leaving the flesh and skin intact. Transfer to a roasting tin and spoon the spiced onion mixture into the cavity of each pumpkin.
• Put the lids back on the pumpkinscover with foil, and bake for about 1 hr 15 mins - until the flesh is tender when pierced with a knife. Leave to cool slightly. Turn oven down to 160C/140C fan/ gas 2. Scoop the filling and most of the pumpkin flesh into a pan, leaving a thin layer of flesh inside the skin. Stir in the Greek yogurt.
• Wash the rice, then soak for 15 mins in enough cold water to cover. Drain, then partially cook the rice in a pan of fast-boiling water for 4-5 mins - it should still have bite to it. Drain in a colander.
• Warm the spiced pumpkin mixture and layer it inside the pumpkin shells with most of the rice and a scattering of mint leaves. Finish with a layer of rice on top. Dot the top of the rice with the remaining 75g butter and drizzle each pumpkin with the saffron and soaking liquid.
• Pour water into the base of the roasting tin to about 1cm depth. Put the lids on the pumpkins and cover with wet greaseproof paper, then seal the tin with foil. Bake for 1 hr - the rice should now be perfumed and perfectly cooked. Place the pumpkins on a serving plate, gently fluff up the rice with a fork and serve straight from the shells.