Pumpkin biryani

Name: Pumpkin biryani
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 300 g easy cook basmati rice; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 cloves; 1 bay leaf; 4 cardamom pods, bashed; 3 tbsp milk; 1 pinch saffron, crushed; 3 tbsp ghee; 3 red onions, thinly sliced; 1 tsp crushed garlic; 1 tsp finely grated fresh root ginger; 1 green chilli, finely chopped; 2 tbsp medium or hot curry powder, to taste; 1 tbsp garam masala; 1 tbsp ground cumin; 1 large plum tomato, roughly chopped; 1 delicate pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2.5cm chunks; 10 g coriander leaves, chopped; 10 g mint leaves, chopped

Ravneet Gill says "This is not a traditional recipe – my mum would make biryani with chicken, spices and saffron. But I always love to use delica pumpkin in everything when it’s in season and it works so beautifully here".

4 out of 5 stars(2) Rate this recipe

Serves4
CourseMain meal
Prepare25 mins
Cook1 hr
Total time1 hr 25 mins

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Ingredients

300g easy cook basmati rice
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
4 cardamom pods, bashed
3 tbsp milk
1 pinch saffron, crushed
3 tbsp ghee
3 red onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp finely grated fresh root ginger
1 green chilli, finely chopped
2 tbsp medium or hot curry powder, to taste
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 large plum tomato, roughly chopped
1 delicate pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2.5cm chunks
10g coriander leaves, chopped
10g mint leaves, chopped

Method

Wash the rice under running water at least 6 times or until the water is running clear. Fill a medium saucepan with water and add a pinch of salt, the cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaf and cardamom pods; bring to a rolling boil. Add the rice and cook for 7 minutes, until tender but still with bite. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the whole spices, then strain the rice through a sieve (reserving 80ml of the cooking water) and set aside. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until bubbles start to appear, then add the saffron. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for at least 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add 1½ tbsp ghee and the onions; cook until golden and caramelised (about 10 minutes). Transfer ½ the onions to a bowl and set aside. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add the curry powder, garam masala and ground cumin; cook for 30 seconds. Add the chopped tomato and cook for 1 minute. Add the squash, 150ml water and a pinch of salt. Cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes until the squash is tender. Season with salt if needed.
Add the reserved 80ml rice water to the squash curry. Spoon ¹⁄³ of the rice on top in an even layer. Drizzle with 1 tsp ghee, 1 tsp of the saffron-infused milk and scatter with ½ the coriander and mint. Repeat with a second layer. Add the remaining rice, then top with the remaining ghee and saffron milk. Scatter over the reserved onions. Cover with a clean tea towel and a lid. Cook over a low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave with the lid on for a further 10 minutes. Carefully stir up from the bottom of the pan to mix the squash and rice together. You can serve this with thick yogurt or raita.