Pilaf with pumpkin and quince
10 servings
60 minutes
Pumpkin and quince pilaf is an amazing combination of traditional cooking techniques and unexpected yet harmonious flavors. This recipe embodies Eastern generosity and a warm autumn palette. Pumpkin adds gentle sweetness and softness, quince brings a subtle tartness and aroma, while cumin fills the dish with a characteristic Eastern spirit. Special attention is given to the cooking stages: the spice-rich zervak ensures deep flavor, while quince and pumpkin add originality. This pilaf is perfect for cozy home lunches as well as festive gatherings, surprising guests with an unusual yet balanced combination of ingredients. It is served hot with pieces of pumpkin and quince, revealing the richness of flavors and aromas of Eastern cuisine.
1
Pour cold water over the rice and let it soak for at least half an hour.
- Rice laser: 1 kg
2
Cut the carrot into large sticks, one onion into thin quarter rings. Peel the pumpkin and cut it into pieces about seven centimeters long. Cut the quince into quarters and remove the core with the seeds.
- Carrot: 1 kg
- Onion: 2 heads
- Pumpkin: 1 kg
- Quince: 2 pieces
3
Heat vegetable oil in a cauldron. To flavor the oil, fry the second remaining onion by rolling it on the bottom of the cauldron until golden brown on all sides, then remove it. Next, fry the pumpkin in the oil and set it aside for later use.
- Vegetable oil: 250 ml
- Onion: 2 heads
- Pumpkin: 1 kg
4
Add chopped onion to the oil and fry until golden glossy. Add carrot and continue stirring until soft. During the process, sprinkle the vegetables with crushed cumin.
- Onion: 2 heads
- Carrot: 1 kg
- Ground cumin (zira): 1 teaspoon
5
Pour the vegetables with a liter of water — it must be cold to avoid strong boiling and to prevent the zervak from becoming cloudy, as cloudy environments poorly absorb rice. Add a teaspoon of salt to the cauldron, place the quince, and when the water boils, reduce the heat so that the liquid simmers slightly. After twenty to thirty minutes, when the quince is cooked, remove it and add the chopped pumpkin in its place. It should be cooked but not falling apart — then remove it.
- Salt: 1.5 teaspoon
- Quince: 2 pieces
- Pumpkin: 1 kg
6
Carefully rinse the soaked rice — place the bowl under cold water and tilt it so that a small cloudy stream flows out from the side. To avoid breaking the rice, do not rub it; it's better to gently toss it with your hands.
- Rice laser: 1 kg
7
Try it and, if needed, add salt to the zervak, increasing the heat to bring it to a maximum boil. Then spread the washed rice on top and level it out. There should be about half a centimeter of water above the rice — if there is less, you can add boiling water. Cook the rice for about twenty minutes, until almost fully cooked. To ensure the rice doesn't burn, you can gently stir it.
- Salt: 1.5 teaspoon
- Rice laser: 1 kg
8
When the rice is about ninety percent cooked, add quince, pumpkin, and a whole onion that was sautéed in oil at the beginning, cover with a lid, and leave on low heat for twenty minutes.
- Quince: 2 pieces
- Pumpkin: 1 kg
- Onion: 2 heads
9
Mix the cooked rice with the zirvak, place it on a plate, and top it with pieces of pumpkin and quince.
- Rice laser: 1 kg
- Pumpkin: 1 kg
- Quince: 2 pieces