Vegetarian Biryani (Indian Rice) Stuffed Winter Squash

Please enjoy our spin on this Indian-inspired vegetarian biryani rice stuffed winter squash recipe. It is hearty, healthy, and bursting with savory flavors – with just a hint of sweetness. A perfect soul-warming meal. The recipe is also quite flexible, allowing you to easily swap out seasonal veggies, use a variety of winter squash types, add your favorite nuts or dried fruit of choice, or make it fully vegan if you wish!

What is biryani? 

Biryani is a flavorful and aromatic traditional Indian rice dish. The term biryani has Persian roots, stemming from the words “birinj” (which means rice) plus “biryan” (to fry) or “beriyan” (to roast). The foundation of the dish is basmati rice seasoned with things like garlic, ginger, onion, cinnamon, fresh herbs, and other spices.

In addition to vegetables, many classic biryani recipes also include meat and/or eggs. It is commonly dolled up with a variety of optional fixings, such as dried fruit, nuts, and yogurt. Biryani is often spicy, but not always! This vegetarian biryani stuffed squash recipe is mild in heat. And while some aspects of our tribute to this dish certainly aren’t traditional, we always love an opportunity to use our homegrown turmeric, bay leaves, garlic, cilantro, onion and more.

A common question folks ponder is: “what do you eat biryani with?” As you can imagine, a bowl of seasoned rice alone may leave you wanting a little more variety, texture or substance, no matter how delicious it is. That is one reason biryani is often served with meat. So, this biryani stuffed squash recipe is a great option for us vegetarians! Roasted winter squash perfectly compliments the biryani rice, providing a boost of additional nutrients, flavor, fiber, and satisfaction. 

See this article from Global Voices to read more about the history of biryani.

INGREDIENTS

Listed below are ingredients to make enough vegetable biryani rice to stuff about 2 medium winter squash (four halves), perhaps a tad more. However, we often double the recipe so we have plenty of leftover biryani rice to enjoy for a few days to come! (In fact, the photos shown in this article are of a double-batch). I should also note that inspiration for the rice portion of this dish came from our Thug Kitchen vegan cookbook, with a few tweaks, substitutions, and additions.

First, grab your favorite hard squash of choice. We used Acorn squash for this particular batch of biryani stuffed winter squash. Delicata squash, kabocha squash, or even sugar pie pumpkins would also be divine! Any squash with a good size bowl once it is halved and gutted. That said, something like butternut squash may have too small a cavity and result in a less ideal stuffing-to-flesh ratio. See 28 awesome varieties of winter squash and pumpkins to grow here.

Sautéed veggie mix:

• 1 Tbsp butter or coconut oil
• ½ medium to large yellow onion, diced
• 2 whole carrots (about 1/2 cup chopped)
• Cauliflower (cut into smaller than bite-size pieces, 1 cup after prepping) 
• 4 to 5 to large kale leaves or a small bunch, de-stemmed and chopped (about 1/2 to 2/3 packed cup after prepping.) We also tossed in a few mustard greens from the garden, just for fun.
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (this is flexible, go ahead and use a full 16 oz can if you wish!)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ tsp garam masala (don’t skip this!)
• 1 heaping tsp fresh grated ginger
• Salt and pepper, to taste (but go lighter on the salt if you use full-sodium vegetable broth below) 

For the rice:

• 1 Tbsp butter or coconut oil
• 1 cup basmati rice. We personally prefer the added nutritional value of brown basmati rice over white. 
• 2 cup vegetable broth (low-sodium or full sodium, your choice). Learn how to easily make homemade veggie broth here! Or, use concentrated “better than bouillon” paste mixed with water to achieve the same volume. 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ tsp fresh grated ginger
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 1 cinnamon stick (sub with ½ tsp ground cinnamon)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder (sub with ½ Tbsp fresh grated turmeric if you happen to have some) 
• 1 or 2 bay leaves
• Optional: ½ tsp chili powder, if you prefer your biryani with some heat (we skip this)

Other fixings, added later:

• ¼ cup dried cranberries (sub with golden raisins or dried cherries)
• ¼ cup roughly chopped nuts such as cashews, almonds or walnuts (sub with shelled pumpkin seeds if you have a nut allergy). 
• 4 to 8 ounces of crumbled feta cheese (not traditional to biryani, but delicious!)  
• Fresh cilantro, chopped as a topping at the time of serving
• Plain yogurt, also for topping at the time of serving

What can I use if I don’t have garam masala?

If possible, buy some of the real deal! Garam masala is combination of whole spices that have been roasted and then ground, and is absolutely divine. In a pinch, you can combine 1 tablespoon of cumin, 1.5 teaspoons each of ground coriander, cardamom, and black pepper, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp of cloves and nutmeg each (according to All Recipes).

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Prep & Cook Veggies

This is a one-pot meal. Meaning we’re going to cook the veggies in a pot, take them out, set them aside, and then use that same pot to cook the rice. So choose a large saucepan or small stockpot that you can use for both! 

Heat the pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add oil or butter to the bottom of the pot along with the diced onion. Allow the onion to cook until it becomes translucent and soft. Next, add the chopped carrots and cauliflower with a dash of salt and pepper. Cook these for about 7-10 minutes (stirring occasionally) until the carrots and cauliflower become slightly tender when poked with a fork, but not overly soft. They’ll continue to cook a bit in the oven once they’re stuffed in the squash. 

Now, add in the called-for grated ginger, minced garlic, garam masala, chopped kale, and cooked chickpeas. Stir and cook for another few minutes, until the kale wilts nicely. After this, remove the cooked veggies and place them in a separate bowl… but don’t wash or rinse the pan! Those leftover (or even slightly stuck) bits and seasonings will enhance the flavor of the rice.

2) Cook the Rice

Into the same (hot) pot, add a bit more oil or butter to the bottom and then toss in the raw rice. Yes, raw! We’re going to give the dry rice a quick pan-fry before adding the liquid. Along with the rice, add the called-for minced garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric powder, cinnamon and bay leaves. Stir well and cook over a medium-high heat for just a minute or two. It’s okay if the seasonings begin to stick to the bottom of the pot too! They’ll be deglazed when the broth goes in. 

After everything in the pot has gotten happy together, go ahead and pour in the veggie broth. Bring everything to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook the rice to completion. (Follow the instructions on your package of rice for cooking time).

Note: This is the time we prep and roast our squash. The squash usually takes about 35 to 45 minutes to roast in the oven, which is about how long brown rice takes to cook. Then they’re finished at about the same time. However, if you’re using a white rice for this biryani stuffed squash recipe, you *could* prep and start roasting your squash before tackling the rice (since white rice cooks faster). Really, it’s not a big deal if they’re not done at the exact same time… they’ll go into the oven together once everyone is good and ready!

3) Roast Squash

While rice is cooking, prep and roast the acorn squash (or other hard winter squash of choice). Preheat your oven to 400°F. Start by carefully cutting the winter squash (or two) in half, and then scoop out the guts and seeds. If the seeds look nice and meaty, consider saving them to try our soaked and roasted pumpkin seed recipe! Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on the flesh side of each squash half.

Now, you can either roast the squash face-down or flesh side up. The main difference is that face-down, the squash will trap steam inside itself, and therefore usually cook a little faster while also retaining more moisture. In contrast, keeping the squash with its flesh facing upward allows it to lightly brown and caramelize nicely. If you do the latter, add a small drizzle of olive oil or pad of butter across the squash surface. You can also pour a small amount of water (about a quarter inch) to the bottom of your roasting pan to add moisture and steam to the oven and help cook the squash. We used our favorite large Lodge cast iron skillet, though you could use any deep dish for roasting.

Roast the squash until it is tender when you poke it with a fork. This should take about 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the type, size and thickness of your squash, as well as if you chose to roast it face up or face down. The squash will continue to cook slightly after you stuff it and return it to the oven, so don’t overcook it here! It should be just about done and suitable to eat here, but not mushy.

4) Mix the Biryani and Stuff the Squash

Once the rice has finished cooking, combine the rice with the reserved veggies. Do this in the same cooking pot if it is large enough, or in a separate mixing bowl if needed. Don’t forget to fish out the cinnamon stick and bay leaves! Then add the called-for dried fruit, nuts, and optional feta cheese. Ta da! There is your finished vegetarian biryani rice. 

Now, it’s stuffing time. Spoon the biryani rice into the cavity bowl of each roasted squash. We generously pack it in there. Return the now-stuffed squash to the oven for a final 10 to 15 minutes, until everything is fully cooked and hot.

Serve and enjoy! I highly recommend serving your finished biryani stuffed squash with a sprinkle of fresh chopped cilantro and dollop of plain yogurt. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container and use within 5 days. 

Put a fork in me, I’m done.

Well, I certainly won’t pretend we are experts on Indian food, but I do hope you enjoy our effort to make and share this vegetarian biryani stuffed squash recipe! With a little Greek flair, it seems… If you give it a try, please come back to leave a review – and maybe try something else from our ‘favorites’ menu below. Thank you for tuning in!

Don’t miss these delicious vegetarian recipes:

• Black Bean & Quinoa Homemade Veggie Burger Patties
• Vegan Roasted Sugar Pie Pumpkin 3-Bean Chili Recipe
• Easy Parmesan Zucchini Fritters Recipe with Healthy Yogurt Dill Sauce
• Fiesta-Style Wild Rice & Veggie Stuffed Summer Squash
• Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash & Sage Soup Recipe