Pumpkin Risotto

Ingredients

500 g pumpkin (I love butternut squash)1 cup water1&1/2 cups short grain rice2 tbsp olive oil (divided)1 large onion (finely diced)3 cloves garlic (minced)2 tsp cumin seeds (toasted)1/2 tsp sweet paprika, cayenne or red chilli flakes7 cups chicken or vegetable stock (kept warm)1 tsp salt (divided)1/2 cup parmesan (grated)parsley (chopped, for garnishing)

Steps

Blend cumin seeds into a fine powder & set aside.Chop pumpkin into small pieces but set aside 1 cup of finely diced pumpkin & keep all the seeds.Clean seeds, pat dry, transfer to a baking dish along with the finely diced pumpkin, add olive oil, 1/2 tsp cumin powder & 1/2 tsp salt, toss to coat everything well then bake in a 200 deg C oven for 20-30 mins until they turn golden brown.Add remaining pumpkin plus water into a saucepan, boil till tender then process into a puree & set aside.Heat a large pan on medium high & add olive oil.When hot, add onion, saute till translucent, add garlic & cook till fragrant.Add remaining cumin powder & paprika, fry for 2 mins.Add rice & pumpkin puree, stir, add 4 cups of warm broth, stir, cover & let it cook for 15 mins or till almost all the broth has been absorbed by the rice.Add 1&1/2 cups of broth, stir, cover & cook for another 10 mins or till almost all the broth has been absorbed by the rice.Add remaining broth & stir, cover & cook for the final 5 mins or till almost all the broth has been absorbed by the rice.Add parmesan & remaining salt, stir well, taste & adjust seasoning.To serve, ladle risotto into serving plates, top with roasted pumpkin & seeds, chopped parsley, red chilli flakes plus a splash of balsamic vinegar (optional)