Give Me Five: Curried pumpkin rice

If you haven’t already carved your pumpkin, now’s the time. Leaving it until the last minute has its advantages: it means bargain pumpkins at rock-bottom prices.

I love that a pumpkin is the ultimate decoration this time of year and that we all flock to the shops and markets in search of these round orange gourds.

Originally the Jack O’Lantern was a hollowed-out turnip with a candle inside, but now we have the American influence in pumpkins, which are easier to carve. Samhain marks the end of harvest and the beginning of the leaner months of winter. Traditionally this was the time to take stock of the herds and food supplies. Now it has become the ultimate candy fest, as children become giddy in anticipation of all the sweets.

There’s nothing worse than running out of sweets for the trick-or-treaters. One year we resorted to just giving them coins, only to realise that the same little skeleton had knocked on the door and cashed in quite a few times.

I’ve made this week’s recipe more fun and festive by serving it in a pumpkin. Simply slice the top off a small- to medium-sized pumpkin. Keep the top for a lid. Hollow out the centre by scooping out the seeds and fibrous strands. You can hollow out all of the pumpkin flesh inside to make your curry, or keep it intact.

Place on a tray and roast in a hot oven (200 degrees) for an hour or so until the pumpkin is just cooked. Then you can fill with the curried rice, pop the lid on and bring to the table with a ladle. Kids absolutely love it. It’s a lovely way to serve soup, fondue or stew this time of year: in a perfectly edible serving bowl. If you can find small pumpkins, even better, and serve individual portions. When serving, scoop out some of the rice and some of the pumpkin itself. It will taste gorgeous.

I always end up adding coconut milk to my pumpkin dishes. When I make squash soup, I always use lemongrass and coconut milk. The two work really well together. This dish is almost like a Thai risotto, but looser. The curry is sweet because of the squash and coconut milk, so adding plenty of fresh coriander is a must. And a generous spritz of lime is great.

This curry is perfect warming fuel for a night of neighbourhood trick-or-treating: a pure, healthy meal before all of the sweet treats. It can be spooned in to bowls and scaled up quite easily. Add sugar-snap peas, chicken or red peppers. I’ve kept it plain and simple but it’s very versatile.

I use Irish brand Thai Gold’s curry pastes as they’re so pure, with no MSG, sugar or bulking agents. Different brands vary, so start by adding a few teaspoons, then taste and add more as you see fit. Remember you can add but not take away when it comes to chillies, so use curry paste with caution, especially when cooking for kids.

CURRIED PUMPKIN RICE: SERVES 4-6

The five ingredients

• 1kg pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 240g jasmine rice
• 400ml coconut milk
• 3-4tsp Thai red curry paste
• 20g coriander, roughly chopped

From the pantry

• Olive oil
• Lime wedges

Method

Place one tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy-based medium pan. Add the curry paste and fry for a minute or so until fragrant. Add 400ml water and the coconut milk. Add the cubed pumpkin or squash.

Rinse the rice in a sieve under running water. Add the rice to the pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 12-15 minutes until the squash and rice are just done. Fold through most of the coriander, reserving some to sprinkle on top. Serve immediately with wedges of lime.

• The Great Irish Bake Off is on TV3 at 9pm on Sunday. Read Lilly's Bake Off diary on irishtimes.com/life-and-style after each episode

• Every Thursday, we'll tweet the five ingredients from @lillyhiggins and @irishtimeslife so you can have them ready for Friday. Email givemefive@irishtimes.com with your suggestions for recipes