Ingredients

1 5 to 6lb. pumpkin
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion — diced
1 red bell pepper — seeded and diced
1 small jalapeno pepper — seeded and minced
1 small courgette — diced
2 tablespoons minced spring onions
2lbs brown rice
2oz raisins
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon salt
750ml/ 11/2 pints water
8 medium broccoli florets — blanched
2 tablespoons minced fresh coriander

Preparation Method

To cook pumpkin:

Preheat oven to 375/190/Gas 4
With a sharp knife, cut a 4-inch lid off top of pumpkin.
(Angle cut so lid goes back on more easily.)
With a large spoon, scoop out seeds and stringy fibers; discard or reserve for another use.
Cover hole with a sheet of foil and set pumpkin lid back on top.
Place in a baking pan with 1/2-inch water; bake until inside is tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
Remove from oven and keep warm.

Vegetable Rice:

Heat oil in a large saucepan.
Add onion, peppers, courgettes and spring onions
Saute until vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes.
Stir in rice, raisins, black pepper, turmeric and salt; cook 1 minute more.
Add water; cover and cook over medium-low heat until liquid is absorbed, about 45 minutes.
Fluff rice with a fork and stir in broccoli and coriander if desired.
Spoon vegetable rice into pumpkin and cover with lid. (Discard foil.)

Set stuffed pumpkin on a large platter in center of table.
When serving vegetable rice, scrape inside of pumpkin with serving spoon and mix pumpkin into rice.

Serves 4 to 5