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pumpkin rice

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Gluten Free Vegan

Carrot Pumpkin Rice (Vegan + Gluten Free)

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While I’m a HUGE fan of rice, I’m not overly fond of Basmati or any of the sort of scented rice which are widely available. However I find that when I make rice dishes with pumpkin, carrots or even coconut milk, using Basmati rice really enhances the dish overall. This vegetarian rice dish is very easy to put together and after the initial ‘cooking’ there’s no “work” for you, so you can sit back with your favorite beverage while the rice cooker does all the work.

You’ll Need…

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion (diced)
1 clove garlic (diced)
1 scallion (chopped)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
5 sprigs thyme
1 cup cubed pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 carrot (grated)
3 cups basmati rice
water (according to your rice cooker)
3/4 cup coconut milk

Important: Please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific vegan and gluten free dietary needs.

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Heat the olive oil on a medium flame in a wide saucepan, then go in with the onion, garlic, thyme and scallion. Then turn the heat down to low and cook for about 3-4 minutes before adding the cubed pumpkin. Cook on low for another 5 minutes or so.

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Add the turmeric as well as the black pepper and mix well, cook for another minute or two. Finally add the grated carrot, mix and turn off the heat. The residual heat will soften the carrot a bit.

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Place the rice in your rice cooker (I washed it first, but it’s up to you how you treat rice –  basically you place the rice in a bowl, cover with water and massage with your hands/fingers.. drain the cloudy water and repeat until the water runs relatively clear) and top it with water according to your rice cooker instructions.

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Add everything from the sauce pan, along with the salt and stir. Finally go in with the coconut milk and give it a quick stir. Turn on your rice cooker and allow it to do it’s thing. As it came up to a boil I gave it a stir and walked away (with it covered). When the rice cooker is finished cooking I usually turn it off completely (I find if I leave it on the ‘warm’ setting it creates a thick crust on the bottom). After 10-15 minutes after shutting it down, I go in with a fork and fluff the rice.

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A stunning basmati rice dish, with flavors  (and textures) of pumpkin, carrots and coconut milk. Not only will the turmeric help give this a wonderful color, it does help in adding a unique overall flavor. Please keep in mind that this dish will work with any rice you prefer, just match the cooking time accordingly with your rice cooker.

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Vegetarian

Rich And Creamy Caribbean Pumpkin Rice.

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Pumpkin rice rice is a dish I only just started to appreciate after having it at an “Island Grill” fast food joint in Kingston,  just over a year ago. Though that pumpkin rice was rather bland, it worked well with the side of spicy jerk chicken and creamy coleslaw or maybe I was terribly hungry after a day with friends exploring the sights and sound of Jamaica. I recall our dad speaking about this dish when we were growing up and how good it was with pieces of “saltfish”, but I don’t ever recall my mom making it. The two main rices dishes in our home were cook-up rice and the king of rice dishes.. pelau. Even if our mom did make pumpkin rice, it would be her and the old man eating it alone as you couldn’t force us to eat pumpkin as kids.

You’ll Need…

2 cups diced pumpkin
2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
1 scotch bonnet pepper
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt *see note below
2 cups brown rice (long grain)
tablespoon olive oil (veg oil or butter)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
3 – 3 1/2 veg stock *see note below

Notes: By using the whole scotch bonnet pepper in the dish I got the flavor and not the heat. Break open the pepper near the end if heat is your thing. I used vegetable stock as I wanted to keep this dish vegetarian and I also wanted a mild stock which wouldn’t over power the pumpkin. You’re free to use chicken or beef if you prefer, but be aware that the overall flavor of the dish will be changed. I used Calabaza (Cucurbita moschata), also known as West Indian, Cuban, or Caribbean pumpkin, but I think butternut squash would make for an excellent substitution. Be aware that a lot of stock comes loaded with sodium, so if you’re not familiar with the stock you’re using, add half the salt and adjust near the end of cooking.

* Be sure to watch the video at the bottom to see how I peeled and cubed the pumpkin and for general instructions on cooking this tasty vegetarian pumpkin rice dish.

Start by peppering everything for cooking. Peel and dice the pumpkin, dice the garlic and onion and grate the ginger. Then in a deep pot, heat the oil on a med/high heat and add the diced onion, garlic and the thyme. I left it on the sprig as I wanted the flavor from the stems and near the end of cooking I have the opportunity to remove the stems from the pot. Allow this to soften up on a med heat for a couple minutes.

Now add the grated ginger and black pepper to the pot and give it a good stir. After cubing the pumpkin do give it a good rinse under cool water and drain. Now you can add the diced pumpkin pieces and give it a good stir. With your heat at a med/low setting, allow this to cook for a couple minutes to infuse all the wonderful flavors. As this cook, be sure to wash your rice (see video below) as we’ve done in the past. Basically all you’re doing is… place the rice in a deep bowl and cover with water, now using your hands do a sort of massage motion to allow the grains to work between your fingers. You will notice that the water will go cloudy… pour out and repeat until you have clear water. usually 3-4 times.

With the rice now washed/drained, add it to the pot and stir. Pour in the stock, add the salt (remember my note above) and plop in the scotch bonnet pepper into the pot.

Bring this up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer  and cover the pot to cook off the liquid and get the rice nice and tender. After about 10 minutes or so you’ll notice that your liquid would have reduced, the pieces of pumpkin will start to fall apart and the rice grains will start to get plump.

Here is where this can become a bit tricky as the brand of rice you use may have a bearing on this part going forward. After 18 minutes of my rice simmering away I noticed that the rice grains were almost all the way cooked and I still had some liquid. So I turned up the heat and burned that off… remember to stir or it will stick to the bottom of the pot. I like my rice a bit grainy so I had to account for it cooking further in it’s own heat, even after I turned off the stove. If you like you rice creamy, give it a bit more time cooking to really plump up the rice. The texture and consistency of the final pumpkin rice dish will depend on your own liking. remember to now remove the whole pepper and sprigs of thyme. Check for salt and if you want a blast of heat, do burst open the pepper.. but be warned.

There you go, a hundred times better than what you’d find at Island Grill and be sure to add a pinch or nutmeg and/or allspice (pimento berries) to really give this a wicked flavor infusion.

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