• 1kg pumpkin, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 onion, quartered
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp allspice
• 330g fine burghul, rinsed and drained
• 1 tsp plain flour
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, to taste

1. Place the pumpkin and 125 ml water in a large pot over medium heat. Bring to the boil and cover for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and boil for 40 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir vigorously for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

2. Drain the pumpkin in a colander and set aside for 20 minutes. Using a vegetable masher or the back of a spoon, press the pumpkin to extract all the liquid. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the onion with the allspice, cinnamon, cumin and salt in a food processor until finely chopped.

3. Add the onion mixture, burghul and flour to the pumpkin and mix them by hand until they become a smooth paste. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4. For the stuffing, heat the vegetable oil in a medium frying pan over low heat. Add the onion, allspice and cinnamon and fry until the onion is translucent, for about 15 minutes. Add the spinach, stirring continuously until it wilts, (about 10 minutes). Add the cumin and stir to combine.

5. Toss in the walnuts and raisins, then stir in the pomegranate molasses. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside. Grease a 25cm round springform cake tin with olive oil. Preheat the oven 180°C.

6. Pour some water in a small bowl with a few ice cubes. Divide the kibbeh mixture into two equal parts. Lay a large piece of parchment paper on your work surface. Place one half of the kibbeh on the paper and lay another piece of parchment on top of it. Tap the kibbeh with a rolling pin to flatten it, then roll it out into a circle about 1cm thick and about 25 to 30cm in diameter.

7. Remove the top layer of parchment and flip the kibbeh Into the ovenproof dish. Moisten your fingers in the ice water and flatten the kibbeh in the bottom of the baking dish. You may need to moisten your fingers several times to ensure the kibbeh is level and smooth.

8. Spread the stuffing evenly over the kibbeh, then lay the other half of the mixture over the stuffing, following the procedure above. Cut the kibbeh into quarters with a sharp knife. It is traditional to draw a geometric pattern on the top of each quarter using a small knife.

9. Drizzle the olive oil on top of the kibbeh and swirl the dish around to ensure the oil is evenly spread. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to a large serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.