Pumpkin and Vegetable Biryani, Stuffed Pepper

It’s World Mental Health day today I have created this recipe packed full of mood foods. This recipe includes brown rice, walnuts, almonds, lentils, sweet potato and broccoli, these are GABA foods high in glutamic acid. GABA is the zen of neurotransmitters, which our body makes naturally and impacts our emotions, it calms us down, helps with restful sleep and feel positive.

Because Halloween is not far away I thought I should share the recipe now so you can order ingredients ready for Halloween. A great recipe to make with the kids, have some fun together cutting out faces on the peppers and filling them with the yummy, nutritious Biryani Rice. See who has the scariest face. Enjoy

Ingredients

250g Brown rice

1 tbsp Coconut oil

1 Onion

3 Garlic cloves

1cm Ginger

1tsp Fennel seed

1tsp Cumin

1tsp Coriander

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp Smoked paprika

100g Sweet potato, small dice

1 Carrot, small dice

120g Pumpkin of your choice (diced) or fresh/frozen butternut

60g Frozen sweetcorn

60g Frozen peas

80g Broccoli florets

120g Aubergine, small dice

60g Red lentils

50g Quinoa

800 ml Vegetable stock

Almonds, rough chopped (optional)

Walnuts, rough chopped (optional)

X4 Whole peppers, red yellow or orange

Optional seasoning and chilli

Method

Heat the oil in the pan, add fennel seeds and cook for 30 seconds then add finely chopped onions and cook until soft with some colour.

Add finely chopped garlic and ginger, cook for 2-3 minutes.  Then add all the spices and cook for 1 minute.

To the pan add the chopped aubergine, carrots, sweet potato, butternut squash or pumpkin, lentils, quinoa and brown rice. Coat in the spices. Pour in the stock and stir.

You can either cover and cook on the hob until the rice has cooked, stirring occasionally. You may need to add some extra water.

Or decant into the slow cooker and cook on a low setting for 2 hours.

In the last 20 minutes of cooking add the peas, broccoli, nuts and fresh chopped coriander.

For the stuffed peppers, cut off the lid/stalk of the peppers (keep) and scoop out all the seeds.

Fill the peppers with the rice mix, warm or cold. Place the stalk back on top of the stuffed pepper. Use a cocktail stick to hold it in place while cooking.

Heat the oven to 180oC fan, gas 6.

Put the peppers in a deep roasting tin with the carved faces facing upwards. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover for the final 10 minutes. The peppers should be soft and the filling piping hot.

You can cook in the air fryer, set to 180oC for 15-20 minutes.

The rice mix can be made in a large batch and frozen.

The pumpkin and Vegetable Biryani rice is delicous served with tandoori chicken and mint raita.

This recipe also contains gut-supporting ingredients, which can help your mood, Almonds, ginger, garlic, peas, broccoli, lentils and brown rice encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria, helps digestion and reduces inflammation. I have included a diverse range of plant food that encourages a diverse range of gut microbes. You can choose any vegetables you have in your fridge or freezer.

This is also a great vegetarian/vegan recipe packed with protein from quinoa, almonds, walnuts and lentils.