Pumpkin is one of my favourite roasted vegetables, the sweet yet nutty taste gets me every time. So instead of enjoying it as a side dish, I wanted to make it the main focus for a change with this Roasted Pumpkin Stuffed With Moroccan Spiced Lamb.
The Moroccan spiced lamb’s flavours complimented the roasted pumpkin’s earthiness, and I know this will be a favourite dish during winter. So make that during all seasons!
The spices in this Roasted Pumpkin Stuffed With Moroccan Spiced Lamb dish include cumin, paprika and cinnamon – you could add fresh chilli or chilli flakes if you’d like some heat. When cooked, the spices become aromatic and fill the room with a beautiful earthy fragrance.
Roasted Pumpkin Stuffed With Moroccan Spiced Lamb
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion - peeled and finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic - crushed
- 1 teaspoon ginger - grated
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 500 grams ground lamb (minced lamb)
- 1 cup lentils - red
- 1 cup beef stock (beef broth or beef bouillon)
- 3 medium tomato - washed and diced
- 1 stalk celery - washed and diced
- 1 cup spinach - washed
- ½ cup cilantro (coriander) - washed and roughly chopped – extra leaves for decoration
- ½ cup plain yogurt - coconut
- ¼ cup mint - washed and finely sliced
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line the baking tray with baking paper.
- Place butternut pumpkin halves on baking paper and roast for 45 minutes.
- Add coconut oil to a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Cook onion, garlic and ginger for 2 minutes.
- Add cumin, paprika and cinnamon, then stir for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the lamb mince and allow to cook for 5 minutes or until brown, then stir through lentils for 1 minute.
- Add beef stock, tomatoes, celery, spinach leaves, salt, and pepper, then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed.
- Remove the pumpkin from the oven and spoon flesh from inside the pumpkin.
- Roughly chop the flesh and add to the lamb mixture and coriander.
- Fill the pumpkin with lamb mixture, then return the pumpkin to the oven for 20 minutes.
- Mix yoghurt and mint and set aside.
- Remove pumpkin from the oven, transfer to a plate, top with mint yoghurt and sprinkle with coriander leaves, pistachios and pine nuts.