Pumpkin Rice for Thanksgiving (Arroz con Calabaza -- Vegan Recipe)

Blogging Marthon# 46: Week 1/ Day 1
Theme: Festival Special -- Thanksgiving
Dish: Pumpkin Rice/ Arroz con Calabaza

We are starting a new edition of Blogging Marathon today and my theme for this week is 'Festival Special. Since it's November and we are only few weeks away from Thanksgiving, I decided to make some easy Vegetarian dishes for the occasion.

Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday that is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in the United States. It is the day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. The holiday's history in North America is rooted in English traditions -- it has aspects of harvest festival almost similar to that of Pongal in South India. 

For the very first Thanksgiving in the US, the Dean of our Department invited few of us poor graduate students who didn't have anywhere to go. There was so much food and that was the first turkey I saw in my life (dead that is...) Thankfully they had lot of vegetarian food too that I was able to enjoy.

In the last 12+ years I lived in the US, I went to many Thanksgiving parties, but it wasn't until last year that I hosted one in my house. Thanks to my dear family & friends, I didn't really cook a lot -- it was a pot luck dinner that we thoroughly enjoyed.

I wanted to post some Vegetarian dishes that can be served as a main dish for vegetarians or as a side dish in the traditional Turkey dinner. First up is a very simple Pumpkin Rice/ Arroz con Calabaza. Pumpkin happens to be in season this time of the year is associated with fall, so it makes perfect sense to cook or bake with it for Thanksgiving. I found this recipe in Saveur and liked the simplicity of the dish. It is a dish that can be whipped up in no time. It was mildly flavored and will go well with the other side dishes typically served at Thanksgiving dinner.

Recipe adapted from Saveur:

Ingredients: Serves 4~6
Long grain Rice - 2cups (I used Basmati)
Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped
Garlic - 3 cloves, finely minced
Green Pepper/ Cubanelle pepper - 1 medium, finely chopped
Pumpkin - 1lb. peeled and chopped into ½" pieces (3~4cups chopped)
Red Pepper flakes - ½tsp
Salt & Pepper - to taste

Method:

• Wash and rinse the rice. Soak in cold water for at least 15~20 minutes.
• Heat 1tbsp olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add garlic and cook for 30sec ~ 1min or until garlic is lightly browned.
• Add the onions, green peppers and red pepper flakes. Cook till the veggies are tender.
• Next add the pumpkin and cook on medium flame for 2~3 minutes.
• Drain the rice and add to the pan. Mix well and add cook for 2 minutes.
• Add 1½cups of rice and season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat and cook covered until all the water is absorbed and rice is cooked through. Turn off the heat and let rest for 5~10 minutes before serving.

Lets check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked today for BM# 46.