I have to say the '20 min. prep time' is a little misleading due the amount of time needed to prepare the pumpkin but I had an idea that would be the case when I started. I think it might have been closer to 40 minutes total with preparing the onion and apricots too. I had no idea how much pumpkin I would need for the 6 cups diced and bought too much just in case. It wound up that one small sugar pumpkin resulted in about 5 cups which I felt was close enough. I altered the rice called for in the recipe to 2 cups uncooked so it would be a bit more mixed and I prepared the rice in a chicken broth/white wine mix instead of water. I also substituted chicken broth for the water used to cook the pumpkin/apricots. I thought the pumpkin got a little too soft with the cooking (it wasn't holding it's shape when mixed with the rice) and I may have not paid close enough attention to the clock. I will watch closer next time and edit the time accordingly if necessary. I liked this recipe very much and the first time made it for a ladies' get together I participate on a weekly basis. I'll be making it again tomorrow for dinner guests and again next week for an office potluck. The only major work involved is the pumpkin but it was worth it in the end!
I have to say the '20 min. prep time' is a little misleading due the amount of time needed to prepare the pumpkin but I had an idea that would be the case when I started. I think it might have been closer to 40 minutes total with preparing the onion and apricots too. I had no idea how much pumpkin I would need for the 6 cups diced and bought too much just in case. It wound up that one small sugar pumpkin resulted in about 5 cups which I felt was close enough. I altered the rice called for in the recipe to 2 cups uncooked so it would be a bit more mixed and I prepared the rice in a chicken broth/white wine mix instead of water. I also substituted chicken broth for the water used to cook the pumpkin/apricots. I thought the pumpkin got a little too soft with the cooking (it wasn't holding it's shape when mixed with the rice) and I may have not paid close enough attention to the clock. I will watch closer next time and edit the time accordingly if necessary. I liked this recipe very much and the first time made it for a ladies' get together I participate on a weekly basis. I'll be making it again tomorrow for dinner guests and again next week for an office potluck. The only major work involved is the pumpkin but it was worth it in the end!
I was worried it would be bland but this was excellent. The 4 star rating is because I made some changes: I used half wild rice and half basmati replaced all water for chicken broth used half apricots and half currants and added crushed pecans at the end then salted to taste. Those changes merit a 5-star rating. Got lots of compliments. My advice is that you don't leave anything out- to get the intended flavour and texture at the end you'd need all of those ingredients! Worth trying when you have the time.
I was looking for something different to do with pumpkin other than the typical sweet pies and breads. This recipe was a great find. I used one cup of brown rice instead of the half cup of white rice it called for(adjust water to 2 1/4 c. for cooking rice). I also added a half cup of slivered almonds to the finished product before serving. The flavors blend fantastically. Thanks for the great recipe! I will make this again.
This was a great change from the regular mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. I used 3/4 cup of rice and cooked it for only 12 minutes at first to make it more like a pilav. I used only 1/2 cups of apricots. I did add 1/2 cup of slivered almonds which gave the recipe a much more crunchy texture. The school principal's wife asked for the recipe.
This does not have much flavor but it's very filling. It needs a strong main dish to carry it. If we make it again I'll pair it with nicely seasoned chicken.
