Title: Dolme Kadoo Halvoee (Stuffed Pumpkin for Sabb
Categories: Meat Israel Jewish Persian
Yield: 8 Or more

2	c	Raw rice, well rinsed & soaked IN 4 c water w/
1	ts	Salt, for 4 hrs & drained
1/2	c	Yellow split peas, soaked IN
1	c	Water, for 4 hrs & drained
1		(3 or 4 lbs) pumpkin
2	tb	Corn oil
2	md	(1 cup) onions, chopped
1	ts	Ground cuminseed
1/2	c	Raisins
1/4	c	Barberries (zereshk) (opt but traditional)
1	tb	Dried lime (limoo amoni), ground
1/4	ts	Pepper
1	lb	Ground lamb or beef
3	c	Water

This is a grand Jewish dish that is assembled on Friday afternoon and cooked the entire night at lowest heat. It is served on Sabbath noon after returning from synagogue.

The pumpkin is put in a colander or, if nothing else is available, it may be tied up in a kitchen towel for cooking. After cooking slowly for many hrs, pumpkin in towel can be easily lifted from an outsized pan without disintegrating, so that it may be served intact. There may be some liquid in pan after hrs of cooking & this is often served as a sauce.

To prepare Dolme Kadoo on a weekday, simply cook over moderately low heat, covered, for 3 to 3-1/2 hrs -- long enough to cook all stuffed ingredients.

A stuffed grape leaf is a dolme & so is this pumpkin a dolme. The difference is that wrapper is a large, firm pumpkin instead of a small, flexible leaf.

1. In a large bowl, mix rice & peas together. Set aside.

2. Cut 3-inch circle in top of pumpkin to make a lid. Scoop out & discard seeds & loose strings. The pulp of pumpkin remains intact. Set aside.

3. Heat oil in a skillet & stir-fry onions over low heat until golden. Add this to rice & split peas. Add cuminseed, raisins, barberries, dried lime, pepper, & meat; mix well & fill pumpkin. Cover w/lid.

4. Put pumpkin in a metal colander & set this in a large pan, larger than necessary, to ease removal of cooked pumpkin. Add the 3 cups of water to pan, cover, & bring to a boil. Reduce to the lowest heat & cook overnight for serving on Sabbath. Serve warm. Serves 8 or more.

Recipe: "Sephardic Cooking" by Copeland Mark -- 600 Recipes Created in Exotic Sephardic Kitchens from Morocco to India -- Copyright 1992 Published by Donald I. Fine, Inc., New York, N.Y. David Pileggi

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