Name: Torta tal-Qargħa Ħamra (Maltese Pumpkin and Rice Pie)
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6 people
Cuisine: Maltese
Ingredients: **Pastry**; 400g plain flour (all-purpose flour), plus extra for rolling; 125g cold butter, cubed, plus a little for greasing; 1/2 tsp salt; 150-180ml cold water, added as needed; 1 egg, beaten, for brushing; **Filling**; 150g uncooked long-grain rice; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 700g peeled and deseeded cooking pumpkin, cut into 1cm cubes; 200g chopped tomatoes, fresh or tinned; 80g pitted black olives, roughly chopped; 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint; 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 tsp dried thyme; Salt and black pepper, to taste

Torta tal-Qargħa Ħamra (Maltese Pumpkin and Rice Pie)

A savoury Maltese pumpkin pie with rice, tomato, black olives, and mint enclosed in golden shortcrust pastry. A filling autumn bake to share.

Prep: 40 minutes (plus 30 minutes pastry resting and filling cooling) Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes Servings: 6 people

Instructions

Make the pastry: Rub the butter into the flour and salt. Add 150ml cold water, then enough of the remaining water to form a smooth, firm dough without kneading heavily. Cover and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Cook the rice: Cook the measured raw rice in boiling water according to its packet, usually 12-15 minutes, until just tender. Drain well. Prepare the vegetables while it cooks, then add the freshly cooked rice to the filling as soon as the vegetables are ready.
Soften the pumpkin: Heat the oil in a large pan and soften the onion for 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Stir in the pumpkin, tomatoes, thyme, and a little salt and pepper. Cover and cook gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, then uncover and cook for another 5 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender and there is no loose watery sauce. Add a small splash of water only if it catches before softening.
Finish and cool the filling: Stir the drained rice, olives, and mint into the pumpkin. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spread the filling in a shallow dish to cool quickly and assemble as soon as it is no longer warm. Keep the interval from draining the rice to assembling the cooled filling within one hour; refrigerate promptly if not assembling immediately.
Line the pie dish: Heat the oven to 190°C (fan 170°C). Grease a 24cm pie dish. Roll slightly more than half the pastry to about 3mm thick and line the base and sides, leaving a little overhang. Spoon in the cooled filling without pressing it hard.
Seal the lid: Roll the remaining pastry into a lid. Brush the pastry rim lightly with water, lay the lid over the filling, and press the edges together. Trim and crimp the rim, cut a small steam vent in the centre, and brush the top with beaten egg.
Bake and rest: Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top and base are golden and the filling is piping hot throughout. Cover the top loosely with foil if it browns too quickly. Rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Choosing the Pumpkin

Weigh the pumpkin after removing its skin and seeds. Choose a cooking pumpkin with firm flesh; butternut squash can also be used. Pumpkins sold chiefly for carving can be watery, making it harder to get a filling that holds a neat slice.

Cut small, even cubes and cook until tender before filling the pie. The oven finishes the pastry and heats the filling; it should not have to soften large pieces of raw pumpkin.

Keep the Filling Thick

The rice absorbs some moisture, but it is not a remedy for a pan full of liquid. Reduce the tomato-and-pumpkin mixture first, drain the cooked rice thoroughly, and cool the filling in a shallow dish. Warm filling softens the butter in the pastry.

Fresh mint gives a different flavour from thyme, so use both where available. Taste before adding more salt because the olives may already be salty.

Rice, Make-Ahead, and Leftovers

Use freshly cooked rice for this method. Cool rice-containing filling quickly rather than leaving it on the counter while doing other jobs. If making ahead, refrigerate within an hour of cooking the rice and bake within 24 hours. Bake the assembled pie until steaming hot throughout. Chill leftover slices promptly and eat them cold within 24 hours; avoid reheating the baked pie again, since the rice was cooked before assembly. See the Food Standards Agency’s rice advice.

For simpler preparation, make the pastry ahead and keep it covered in the fridge, then cook the filling on baking day. Serve the pie with a green salad, or plan an autumn gathering with our All Saints and Halloween collection.

A savoury Maltese pumpkin pie

Maltese pumpkin pies have several fillings and pastry styles. Aceline’s Gozitan pumpkin pie brings together pumpkin, rice, tomato, olives, and herbs, while its Maltese pumpkin pie includes tuna and anchovies.

This home version uses a closed shortcrust shell and cooks the rice before assembly. It contains no fish. Its place in our Halloween menu is an autumn serving suggestion, rather than a claim that pumpkin pie is a Maltese feast-day custom.