Curried stuffed mini squash

Lately I've been wanting to make another sort of stuffed vegetable (some of you may recall my stuffed zucchini recipe from two years ago). As soon as I spotted these two adorable mini sweet squashes at the grocery store, I knew I'd found what I was looking for. I remembered seeing a chef using pulverized roasted pumpkin seeds as a breadcrumb-type type topping for lamb, and I decided to do the same here. The mixture was loosely inspired by a South African curry casserole my mom used to make. 

To prepare squash, cut off cap and scoop out flesh, leaving about 1/2" of rind. Coarsely chop flesh. Peel, core and dice one Asian pear into 1/2" cubes. Peel and finely dice one large shallot. Dry heat a small cast-iron skillet over low heat, then sprinkle 1/2 T curry powder and a small handful of unsweetened coconut flakes into pan. Shake pan gently until fragrant/browning. Add 1T vegetable oil (coconut oil would be a nice substitute) and increase heat to medium. Add shallots and cook for one minute, stirring for avoid browning. Add squash, pear and a small handful of raisins. Cook for 3-4 minutes. 

In the meantime, pulverize a small handful of dry roasted pumpkin seeds using the pulse (or ice crush) function on a blender. 

Scoop squash-and-pear mixture into hollow shell, then top with crushed pumpkin seeds and squash cap. Cook at 375 for 15 minutes. 

Everything except the cap stem is edible!