Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash

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This Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash features a healthy Indian-inspired vegetarian “meatball,” and an avocado raita topping. The meatball combines chickpeas, pumpkin purée, poha (par-cooked flattened rice) or oatmeal, fresh cilantro, chaat masala, almonds, and spices. With plenty of protein, this stuffed acorn squash recipe is perfect for #MeatlessMonday or any day of the week!

Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash with avocado raitta on a black plate with wood flatware.

👩🏻‍🍳 Tamara Talks – About Vegetarian Cooking

Beyond Mere Sustenance is clearly not a vegetarian blog; however, my husband and I do practice #MeatlessMonday, and a couple of my vegetarian recipes are consistently in my top posts: High Protein Vegan Breakfast Burritos and Curried Okra and Eggplant. Eating mindfully continues to be an important factor in my food choices at Andersen casa.

Considering where food comes from and the impact its production has on our planet is only one component of eating mindfully, but it’s so important. I want Beyond Mere Sustenance to be a reflection of the way my husband and I eat at home…

Since you are reading a recipe for a vegetarian main dish, I am interested in hearing your stories. If you are a vegetarian, did you become a vegetarian out of concern for the environment/carbon footprint, or was it for health reasons? If you’re like Mark and me, have you (or would you like to) practice #MeatlessMonday? It doesn’t have to be all or nothing! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the Comments section below…

🧆 How to Make the Best Meatballs

I have discovered over years of “meatball” making, the flavor and texture benefits of puréed onion. I think this technique (for me) goes back more than 30 years to the first time I made Persian koobideh (kebabs). Pressing the liquid from the onion results in a finer texture, and the flavor is amazing. I incorporate a puréed onion in my Super Healthy Turkey Burgers, and my baked Peruvian meatballs. It’s definitely worth the extra step, especially with a vegetarian “meatball” as you have to work a little harder at getting it to all hold together…

📋 Ingredients You’ll Need

Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.

Acorn Squash

acorn squash
olive oil
good sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Vegetarian Meatball

onion
cilantro
slivered almonds – I always have slivered almonds in my pantry. Sliced almonds are fine as well. If you need to use whole almonds, process them separately to coarse crumbs.
chickpeas – Use rinsed and drained chickpeas or cooked from dried. They should not be mushy, but you start with cooked chickpeas. While the chickpeas do get processed, they do not get puréed. You want to pulse until they resemble bread crumbs.
pumpkin purée – I have used both canned and fresh pumpkin purée in this recipe. Either is fine. If the pumpkin purée is really loose (watery), you may want to strain some of the liquid out with a fine mesh siever lined with cheese cloth or a coffee filter.
poha – Poha or beaten rice is rice that has been parboiled, rolled, flattened and then dried to produce flakes. The flakes come in different thicknesses depending on the pressure used in the flattening process. If you are unable to find it, you can substitute quick oats.
chickpea flour – Chickpea flour (aka gram flour) is a gluten free flour that is a traditional ingredient in Indian cuisine, but one that is gaining popularity in the West as an alternative to wheat flour.
chaat masala – You can often find chaat masala in the international foods section of large markets. You can buy chaat masala on Amazon, or you can make homemade chaat masala. See this post on Indian masala powders for ideas for substitutions.
ground turmeric

Avocado Raitta

avocado
plain yogurt
cumin seeds
chaat masala – Chaat masala is a unique masala (spice blend). There really isn’t a good substitute. See this simple homemade chaat masala recipe if you want to make your own spice blend.
cilantro
jalapeño – I use 1 jalapeño, and I don’t feel it’s “hot” at all. Adjust or omit to your preferences.

Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. This helps to offset the costs of maintaining my blog and creating awesome content! 😊

🔪 Instructions

Obviously, a food processor is important with this recipe. I process ingredients individually, and add them to a large prep bowl, then mix with MY HANDS. You just have to get your hands messy on this one! 😆

2 acorn squashes cut in half on a wood cutting board.

Preheat the oven to 375°.
Break down the acorn squash – I am cooking for 2, and I look for small acorn squash. I cut a little off the stem and blossom ends (if necessary) to allow them to sit flat, then carefully cut them in half crosswise. Using a spoon or a melon baller, remove the seeds and fibers.

Step 1 - A clay baker with 4 acorn squash halves brushes with olive oil.

Prep the acorn squash – Brush the prepared acorn squash with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place them in the preheated oven to roast for 15 minutes while you prepare the meatball stuffing.

Step 2 - Purée the cilantro and onion before pressing through a sieve.

Purée the cilantro and onion – Add the cilantro and onion to the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely minced. Add to a fine mesh sieve, and press liquid out.

Step 3 - Process the chick peas and almonds to a coarse texture.

Process the chickpeas and the almonds – Add the chickpeas and the slivered almonds to the food process. Pulse until you have coarse crumbs.

Step 4 - Add all vegetarian meatball ingredients to a mixing bowl.

Combine ingredients – Add the remaining ingredients to a mixing bowl. Use your hands to combine! Add chickpea (or other flour) to make a formable meatball.

Step 5 - Thoroughly combine the vegetarian meatball ingredients.

Mix thoroughly – Your vegetarian meatball mixture should be quite thick (not wet) so that you can form appropriately sized meatballs. You will probably need 1/2 to 1 cup of gram flour to achieve this.

Step 6 - Form balls and place in prepared acorn squash.

Bake the vegetarian stuffed acorn squash – After forming appropriately sized meatballs, place them into the par-cooked acorn squash. Bake them until the squash is tender, and the meatball is firm when a toothpick (or similar) is inserted. This step will take 25-30 minutes.

Step 7 - Blend ingredients for avocado raitta in a food processor.

Make the avocado raitta – While the stuffed acorn squash bakes, add all raitta ingredients to a food process. Puls until very smooth. Taste for seasoning. Set aside until ready to serve. If not serving immediately, store in the refrigerator.

Step 8 - Bake the vegetarian stuffed acorn squash until squash is tender, and meatball is firm.

Remove the baked stuffed acorn squash – The meatball needs to be firm. The squash must be tender. Both should show a little browning.

Serve – Serve 1 or 2 Indian-inspired stuffed acorn squash halves topped generously with avocado raitta. Garnish with chopped cilantro as desired. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Kofta Stuffed Acorn Squash with Masala Sauce Plated

❓ FAQ

What is chaat masala?

Chaat masala is a spice blend – one of many common in Indian cuisine. Chaat Masala has a very distinct and easily recognizable taste. I think of it as a complex blend of savory, spicy, salty, and tangy (tart), with a subtle hint of sweetness. The main ingredients are black salt, cumin, dried mango powder, dried pomegranate seeds, and black peppercorns. We love it, and I keep it in my well-stocked pantry. If you’re interested in knowing more about masalas, see Top 15 Important Masala Powders of Indian Cuisine.

What is chickpea flour?

Chickpea flour (aka gram flour) is a gluten free flour that is a traditional ingredient in Indian cuisine, but one that is gaining popularity in the West as an alternative to wheat flour. You can substitute another flour. It serves as a binder to hold the meatball ingredients together.

💭 Tips

This vegetarian meatball is very versatile. You can make smaller ones, and pan-fry or bake, and then serve with the raitta. Serve them with toothpicks and sauce on the side as an appetizer, or use the mixture as a stuffing for other veggies.

When I’m processing a large quantity of cilantro, I give it a good rinse, press it dry between towels, and then cut at the base of the leaves. Having some stems in the processor is fine.

I strongly recommend doubling this recipe and freezing half for another meal. You can save it to fill squash again, or use it in another dish (patties for a sandwich, meatballs for a soup, etc.).

I think you’ll find you won’t miss the “meat.” 😀 Pour a glass of wine, sit down at the table with your loved one(s), put your fork down between bites, converse. Eat. Mindfully.

Acorn Squash with Veggie Meatball Feature

Indian-Inspired Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash

Tamara Andersen

Acorn squash is stuffed with a healthy Indian-inspired vegetarian "meatball," and and topped with a delicious avocado raitta!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Course Vegetarian Main Dish

Cuisine Indian/Eclectic

Servings servings

Calories 360 kcal

Equipment

food processor