Pumpkin Rice

Pumpkin rice is tender rice stewed with pumpkin, fresh herbs, and coconut milk for a nutritious side. Creamy and fragrant, with a subtle sweetness, this pumpkin rice recipe is going to become your new favourite rice dish!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Jamaican, Sides

Keyword: how to cook pumpkin rice, how to make pumpkin rice, jamaican pumpkin rice, Pumpkin rice, pumpkin rice calories, pumpkin rice jamaican, pumpkin rice recipe, what is pumpkin rice

Servings: servings

Author: Taneisha Morris

Equipment

Large Pot or Dutch Oven

Ingredients

3 cups Long-Grain Rice parboiled preferred, rinsed
2-3 cups Pumpkin calabaza or butternut squash, peeled and diced
3 cloves Garlic crushed
4-5 whole Pimento Seeds allspice berries
2 sprig Thyme
1 stalk Scallions crushed
1 whole Scotch Bonnet Pepper
2 cups Coconut Milk
3 1/2 cups Water
1 tbsp Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large pot or Dutch oven, add 2 1/2 cups water, garlic, pimento seeds, thyme and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, carefully add the pumpkin chunks. Let simmer until pumpkin tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.
Add the rice, scallion, scotch bonnet pepper, coconut milk, an additional cup of water, butter, vegetable bouillon, salt and pepper to the pot. Stir the ingredients well to ensure even distribution. Reduce heat to medium, cover the pot and let the mixture simmer until the liquid has absorbed then lower heat to low.
Once the rice is cooked, let rest undisturbed for a few minutes. Then, fluff with a fork to separate the grains and evenly distribute the pumpkin. Serve the dish while hot and enjoy!

Notes

Resting Period: After you remove the rice from heat, it continues to absorb some of the residual moisture. This allows the rice grains to firm up slightly and helps to avoid a mushy or overly sticky texture. The grains will also separate more easily when fluffed with a fork, giving you a lighter and fluffier end result.

Rice Fluffing: After the rice is cooked, use a fork to fluff it gently. This helps separate the grains and ensures an even distribution of pumpkin throughout the dish, enhancing both texture and flavour.

Consistent Pumpkin Size for Even Cooking: Dice the pumpkin into uniform-sized pieces to promote even cooking. This ensures that all the pumpkin pieces are tender at the same time, preventing some from being undercooked while others are overcooked.

Nutrition