A traditional biryani with a twist - the vegetables and spiced rice are served inside a large pumpkin, baked until it's steaming hot. Crack open the lid when all the guests are around, and savour the aroma of saffron, rose water and spices.
Serves 4-6 as a vegetarian main course, or try it as a vegetable side dish for 8-10 people.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Wash the rice and soak in cold water for 20 minutes.
For the pumpkin, mix the tamarind, chilli and salt and smear it on the inside of the hollowed out pumpkin. Bake it in the oven (without the pumpkin lid) for 30-50 minutes. When cooked, remove from the oven and set aside.
Mix all the ingredients for the marinade.
For the vegetables, place all the vegetables in a heavy-based casserole and add the marinade. Set aside for 15 minutes.
For the rice, boil 3 litres/5¼ pints of water and add the whole spices and salt.
When the water is boiling, add the strained soaked rice and boil for about 6-8 minutes until two-thirds cooked then drain using a colander.
Meanwhile bring the vegetables to a simmer over a low heat.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
To finish, soak the saffron in the warm milk for 3-5 minutes then mix in the ghee and rosewater (or kewra water) and set aside.
Fill the bottom of the pumpkin with layers of the vegetables and rice, sprinkling some chopped mint and the soaked saffron mix over the rice as you go.
Put on the pumpkin lid. You may wish to seal the lid using some dough to create a pressure cooking effect.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
To serve, take the lid off the pumpkin and garnish the rice with raisins.
Instead of using the pumpkin lid you can make a lid with puff pastry. Bake in oven until the pastry is golden-brown.
