Whole Baked Pumpkin with Harissa Rice, Oh How Wicked! | Rebel Recipes (2024)

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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!

Whole Baked Pumpkin with Harissa Rice, Oh How Wicked! | Rebel Recipes (2)

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 xxx

Whole Baked Pumpkin with Harissa Rice, Oh How Wicked! | Rebel Recipes (3)

Whole Baked Pumpkin with Harissa Rice, Oh How Wicked! | Rebel Recipes (4)

Whole Baked Pumpkin with Harissa Rice, Oh How Wicked! | Rebel Recipes (5)

Whole Baked Pumpkin with Harissa Rice, Oh How Wicked! | Rebel Recipes (6)

Whole Baked Pumpkin with Harissa Rice, Oh How Wicked! | Rebel Recipes (7)

Whole Baked Pumpkin with Harissa Rice, Oh How Wicked! | Rebel Recipes (8)

Whole Baked Pumpkin with Harissa Rice, Oh How Wicked! | Rebel Recipes (9)

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!

Prep time: 10 minutes mins

Cook time: 1 hour hr 12 minutes mins

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.

To make the roasted seeds

  • Remove any flesh, rinse and then add the seeds to a baking tray.

  • Drizzle with olive oil, salt and smoked paprika

  • Place in the oven and roast for approx 10 minutes until toasted.

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If you recreate this recipe, tag me on Instagram:@rebelrecipes or #rebelrecipes for a chance to be featured.

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Discuss this Recipe with Niki

Whole Baked Pumpkin with Harissa Rice, Oh How Wicked! | Rebel Recipes (16)

Buy Me a Coffee

If you’ve enjoyed using my recipes, I’d love you to support my blog.

I’ll be cooking up a plateful of super-delicious vegan recipes here over the coming months.

To support my work, promote the vegan message far and wide, and of course help keep Dill in kittie food, you can buy me a coffee here.

Thank you, and much love, Niki xxx

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FAQs

How to use whole pumpkin for baking? ›

Here are the easy steps:
  1. Place the whole pumpkin on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Cover loosely with foil. ...
  2. Bake in a 375°F oven for 1 hour. (It's done when a knife slips in easily.) ...
  3. Slice off the top. ...
  4. Fill with your favorite soup, strata or bread pudding – and make everyone smile big pumpkin grins.
Oct 30, 2023

How to roast pumpkin in Jamie Oliver? ›

Preheat the oven to 170°C/340°F. Half the pumpkin and remove the seeds (you can keep these for roasting), then chop into wedges. Place the pumpkin on two large baking trays and drizzle over a little olive oil. In a pestle and mortar, grind the chilli and coriander seeds with a pinch of salt until finely ground.

Can you bake a pumpkin and eat it? ›

For a savory recipe, rub the pumpkin with olive oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper. Place pumpkin flesh side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast at 375 degrees F for 40-50 minutes. Peel off the skin and enjoy!

How to prepare and cook pumpkin? ›

Place 1/2 butternut pumpkin (cubed) in a large saucepan and fill with enough water to cover by 2.5cm. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20-25 mins or until the pumpkin is very tender. Strain in a colander and set colander over the hot saucepan to allow pumpkin to steam dry.

Can you bake a whole pumpkin without cutting it? ›

Preheat oven to 350. Pierce the pumpkin deeply with a fork 4-5 times around the exterior. Spray a sheet pan and the exterior of the pumpkin with non-stick cooking spray. Place the pumpkin onto the sheet pan and place the entire thing into the preheated oven.

How to use the entire pumpkin? ›

The easiest and cheapest way to enjoy the fall flavors is to simply roast a whole pumpkin yourself, and it's way simpler than you might think. You can use this pumpkin for soups, curries, or roasted veggie bowls, or blend it to make your own pumpkin puree for pies, muffins, and more!

What is the best type of pumpkin for roasting? ›

We like butternut pumpkins best when they're roasted, but this hardy oblong variety is one of the most versatile options in the pumpkin aisle. Butternuts are a little sweeter, dryer and can be turned into soups, roasted with cinnamon or put to use in most cooked pumpkin dishes.

Do you remove skin from pumpkin when roasting? ›

If you are making pumpkin for pumpkin puree, then there is no need to peel the skin first because the flesh just gets pulled away from the skin. What is this? However, if you want to make cubed roasted pumpkin, then it is best to peel before you roast it in the oven.

What part of the pumpkin is not edible? ›

Which part of the pumpkin can I eat? You can eat all of the pumpkin - except for its stalk. Whether you can eat the skin or not depends on the variety. Smaller varieties such as onion squash have deliciously edible skin, the skin of larger varieties may be too tough to eat or less than appealing.

Why is canned pumpkin better to use in baking? ›

So, Why Used Canned Pumpkin Instead of Fresh?
  • Canned Pumpkin Saves Time and Effort. “Making pumpkin puree is time-consuming,” says Maggie. ...
  • Canned Pumpkin Delivers Consistent Results. ...
  • Canned Just Tastes Better. ...
  • Canned Pumpkin Is Cost-Effective. ...
  • Canned Pumpkin Is Readily Available.
Nov 21, 2022

Can you cook a whole pumpkin? ›

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet pan with parchment paper. Wash and dry your pumpkin. Using a sharp knife, pierce entire pumpkin about 10 times to allow steam to escape. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 60 minutes.

How to make pumpkin taste good? ›

There are abundant ways to hack canned pumpkin purée so it tastes better.
  1. Roasting isn't just for whole veggies. ...
  2. Cook it on the stove. ...
  3. Strain it for a smoother texture. ...
  4. Change up your spices. ...
  5. Make a pumpkin purée infusion. ...
  6. Include a green apple. ...
  7. Incorporate some fat. ...
  8. Make other ingredients as fresh as possible.
Sep 21, 2023

Do you pour water when cooking pumpkin? ›

If you are using fresh pumpkin, remove the skin of the pumpkin with a sharp medium to large knife. Chop the pumpkin into medium cubes and place in a casserole over a medium flame with a little water (1/4 cup). No need to add a lot of water here as the pumpkin will also release liquid as it cooks.

Can I use large pumpkins for baking? ›

Those big pumpkins you see at the pumpkin patch for carving into jack-o'-lanterns look appealing, but they're the worst for cooking and baking. While yes, they are edible and you can cook with them, they're very stringy, bland, and watery.

Do you peel pumpkin before baking? ›

If you are making pumpkin for pumpkin puree, then there is no need to peel the skin first because the flesh just gets pulled away from the skin. What is this? However, if you want to make cubed roasted pumpkin, then it is best to peel before you roast it in the oven.

Can you use 100% pumpkin instead of puree? ›

Canned pumpkin (labeled as "100% pure pumpkin") is a purée of pumpkin that is sometimes mixed with other kinds of winter squash. It is unsweetened and does not contain any added spices. Canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree are the same thing, and you'll often see the terms used interchangeably in recipes and cookbooks.

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