Pumpkin Lentils Rice Caramelised Onions

Okay, so it's pumpkin season here in Australia.  Time for pumpkin soup to pop up in every café over Winter.  Mmm, I have to say I am not a fan.  When I first met Mr P., and we visited his mum and sisters at their respective homes, guess what they made for dinner?!  Yes pumpkin soup - without fail.  Oh dear; I just had to woman up and swallow it down - hehehe.

I've mentioned before in my barramundi post, that I recently discovered the Alice Zaslavsky method of caramelising onions, which makes this dish sooooo much easier.  So this is an adaptation of her recipe for pumpkin wedge Mujadara, a classic Arabic/Middle Eastern dish.  Mine is different to hers, and obviously nowhere near the classic recipe.  My ingredients are mostly the same as hers (sans kale and pomegranate!) but my method is a bit different.  I tried to make this super easy!  So even though there are a few parts to this, they are very easy and not labour-intensive.   

crunchy, spicy and tasty

Serves 4-6:

ingredients:

For the pumpkin:

500g./18 oz pumpkin, peeled and diced  See Notes

sea salt flakes and black pepper, to taste - maybe 1 tsp of salt

2 Tbs chives, finely chopped - or herb of your choice

1-2 Tbs EV olive oil

For the onions:

4 red onions, thinly sliced

2 tsp sea salt, and black pepper to taste

1/2 tsp gochugaru or other chilli powder

dried herbs - I used chives and rosemary - maybe 1 tsp of each?

30 mL/1 big ounce of EV olive oil

For the rice:

1 cup/200g. brown basmati rice

35g./1.3 oz butter

600 mL/20 fl oz water

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 dozen saffron threads

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

The other ingredients:

The seeds:

40g./¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

40g./¼ cup sunflower seeds

Plus:

1 tin of brown lentils (400g./14 oz)

1/2 tsp black lime powder (optional) or a big squeeze of lemon or lime juice

1/2 tsp ground cum(m)in

1 tsp chicken or veg. stock powder

1/2 cup water

2 Tbs pomegranate molasses (I used quince syrup!)

black pepper, to taste

fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, for serving

1-2 tsp EV olive oil, to serve

dried barberries, to serve (optional) - or use pomegranate arils if you please  (I used dried sour cherries I'm pretty sure)

Method:

Really you can start with the rice or the pumpkin or the onions, but we will start with the pumpkin which you place on a lined baking tray, tossed with the salt, pepper, herbs and olive oil and baked at 180C/360F for 20 minutes till tender - and then put aside till you have baked the onions and cooked the rice

Now the onions:

Toss the onion slices in a large bowl with the salt, pepper, chilli powder, herbs and olive oil

Place on another lined baking tray (or the same one if the pumpkin is already baked) and bake at 210C/410F for 30 minutes; you then give them a really good stir, and slide them back into the oven for another 20 minutes till they are beautifully caramelised

Now for the rice:

Get Mr P. to make this!!  He is the rice man in this house :=)  Here is how he does it:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, tip in the rice and toast it for 2-3 minutes till going opaque

Add the water, bay leaves, salt, saffron, and garlic

Boil for 15 minutes on the lowest heat you can get on your stovetop (we have gas), then turn it off and rest it for 15 minutes with the lid on

Now toss both sorts of seeds in a very hot frypan (no oil) just for a minute or 2 till slightly toasted, and put them aside

Grab a big skillet and add 2/3 of the rice (or all of it if you fancy), plus the onions and lentils over a medium-low heat

Stir in the black lime powder or lemon/lime juice, cummin, stock powder, water, pomegranate molasses and black pepper

Heat the whole shebang for a few minutes, then drizzle on the olive oil, and serve with the scattered coriander leaves, the toasted seeds and the barberries if using (and add a spritz of extra lemon juice if you fancy)

We ate the leftovers the next night with panko-crusted, baked chicken tenderloins

Notes:

Buy the pumpkin peeled and diced from the grocery store

Make sure you use gluten-free stock powder if necessary, and obvs. make it vegetable for vegetarians

You can bake the pumpkin and onions the day before, so it's an easy dinner after a day's work

ingredients gathered

bake at 180C for 20 mins. till tender

ready for baking at 210C

and after 30 mins. baking, give it a good stir

and another 20 mins. baking

and Mr P. cooks up the rice for our dinner

toast your seeds!

rice lentils onions

and pumpkin :=)

and toasty seeds!

dive in!

team with panko-crusted chicken tenderloins the next night :=)

a tasty dinner with all the good things - protein, veg., grains, seeds ...

c. Sherry M.