Pumpkin and butternut squash kibbeh (vegan)

Pumpkin kibbeh ranks very high on my all-time favorite dishes and if you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend that you do! I cut the pumpkin and the butternut squash into wedges and roasted them the day before I prepared the kibbeh. The day of preparation, I simply peeled and mashed the pumpkin and butternut squash with a fork.

Ingredients

For the kibbeh dough:

- 1 cup roasted pumpkin, mashed with the fork

- 1 cup roasted butternut squash, mashed with the fork

- 1 cup burghol nr. 1 (fine), washed

- 1 large onion, minced

- 1 teaspoon allspice

- 1 teaspoon sumac

- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

- a pinch cayenne

- sea salt, to taste

- extra virgin olive oil, to garnish

For the filling:

- 150 g frozen spinach

- 1 cup boiled chickpeas, rinsed

- 1 large onion, minced

- 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

- 3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more,  to taste

- 1/2 teaspoon sumac

- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

- salt and pepper, to taste

To prepare the kibbeh dough, place the burghol in a bowl and add enough water to completely cover the burghol. Allow burghol to soak up the water (if there's any water left, squeeze it out). In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin with the butternut squash, the burghol, onion and spices. Taste and adjust seasonings. Knead the mixture with your hands, it should hold together.

Prepare the filling as follows: heat the olive oil and sautée the onions until translucent, add the spinach, season with salt and pepper and cook until the water has evaporated. Add in the walnuts, chickpeas, sumac and a tablespoon of lemon juice at a time, until the flavor suits your taste.

Assemble the kibbeh in a deep oven proof dish: place half of the kibbeh dough on the bottom of the pan and spread it out evenly, making sure you leave no gaps. Add the filling and finish with the rest of the kibbeh dough. Smooth it out using the back of a spoon then, using a knife (without much pressure), make a diamond shape pattern. The cut should be shallow, it should not reach the filling. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on the top of the kibbeh then bake at 375F for about 30 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown and the top seems quite firm to the touch. Allow to slightly cool before cutting. Serve with pita bread and kale tabouleh and enjoy!