Middle Eastern Whole Stuffed Pumpkin - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 kg pumpkin (Kent or Jap whole recommended)
2 cups brown rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 brown onions (medium chopped)
500 g lamb mince
3 teaspoons harissa
2 teaspoons cumin (ground)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
1 teaspoon chili flakes (dried)
3/4 cup chicken stock (salt reduced)
400 g chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
400 g lentils (drained and rinsed)
1 cup coriander leaves (chopped)
160 g pistachio nuts (kernels specified chopped)
yoghurt (greek style to serve)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 210C/190C fan forced.
Using a sharp knife, carefully cut a circle from the top of the pumpkin, leaving a 4 cm border.
Wrap pumpkin lid in foil and place on a baking tray.
Scoop seeds and membrane from pumpkin and discard.
Place pumpkin, cut side down on a baking tray and cover with foil.
Bake for 1 hour or until flesh is just tender.
Meanwhile cook rice following packet instructions and drain and then transfer to a bowl and cover.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat and cook onion stirring for 5 minutes or until soft and then add lamb mince and cook stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the mince, for 6 minutes or until browned.
Add harissa, cumin, cinnamon, chilli flakes, stock, chickpeas and lentils and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes or until heated through and season with salt and pepper and then add rice to lamb mixture and stir in the coriander and half the pistachios and set aside.
Transfer pumpkin to a board and cut 1 cup of flesh from inside the pumpkin and roughly chop the flesh and add to rice mixture.
Fill pumpkin cavity with rice mixture, pressing down firmly with the back of a spoon (see note in intro about excess mix) and return the lid to the pumpkin.
Wrap pumpkin in foil and return to baking tray and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours or until tender when pierced with a skewer and let stand for 5 minutes.
Remove foil from pumpkin and transfer to a plate (base will be quite soft) and cut into wedges and dollop with yoghurt and sprinkle with remaining pistachios and serve.