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Kabocha Congee (Jook) | Healthy Nibbles by Lisa Lin


Kabocha Congee (rice porridge)

When the weather s،s to get a little chilly, I feel the urge to cozy up to a bowl of congee. I find so much comfort in a warm bowl of savory rice porridge. In Chinese, congee is called 粥, and it’s ،ounced jook in Cantonese and z،u in Mandarin. I’ve published several congee recipes in the past: one version made with dried seafood and a vegan version made with ،take mushrooms, le،r،, and ،. I wanted to develop a congee recipe that incorporates fall and winter flavors, so I made this kabocha congee, which uses kabocha purée. Not only does the kabocha purée add a subtle sweet flavor, but it also gives the congee a beautiful orange hue. My husband and I simply can’t get enough of this kabocha congee!

COOKING NOTES FOR KABOCHA CONGEE

RICE AND LIQUID

I like a relatively thick congee, so I usually cook congee with a 1 to 9, rice to liquid ratio. In other words, cook 1 cup of rice with 9 cups of liquid. In this kabocha congee recipe, the liquid is a mixture of water and chicken broth. 

Typically, I make congee with jasmine rice because its natural aroma adds flavor to the rice porridge. However, if you don’t have jasmine rice on hand, you can use other types of long-grain white rice. 

For the chicken broth, I use Better Than Bouillon’s roasted chicken base. It is a convenient paste that you dilute with water to make broth, and it’s usually easy to find in grocery stores. You can also use boxed chicken broth, if you like.

Kabocha Puree
Kabocha purée that has been pressed through a mesh strainer

MAKING KABOCHA PUREE

For this kabocha congee recipe, you’ll need to make purée from a kabocha squash that weighs about 3 to 4 pounds. The most difficult task will be cutting open the squash because the skin is quite thick. Try to use a chef’s knife or cleaver when slicing into the squash. Otherwise, you’ll be hacking away at the squash for a long time.

Once you cut open the squash, dig out the seeds and cut off the stem. Take one half of the kabocha and place it cut-side down. Slice that half into 1-inch thick slices. You’ll need about 750 to 780 grams of kabocha slices to make enough purée for this recipe. Weigh the slices to see if you have enough and slice more, if necessary. If you have a lot of excess squash, feel free to steam all of it to make a purée, or roast the squash and use it in a salad.

Steaming kabocha in a wok

I usually steam the squash inside a wok by placing a steaming rack (affiliate link) in the center of my large wok (affiliate link). Then, I fill the wok with water, until there’s about a 1/4 inch gap between the water line and the top of the rack. Finally, I arrange the kabocha slices over a large stainless steel plate and steam them for 20 to 23 minutes, until the squash is very soft.

If you have another steaming setup, great! Just make sure to steam the squash until they turn soft and can be easily mashed with a fork.

If you cannot easily steam the squash, you can bake the squash too! Arrange the squash slices over a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the squash and bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 30 to 35 minutes, until the squash can be easily pierced with a fork. 

Fini،ng kabocha puree

Separate the kabocha flesh from the skins and discard the skins. Use a fork to mash the squash and measure out 1 3/4 cups of purée (420 grams). I like to press the purée through a mesh for an extra smooth purée, but that is not necessary. If you have a little bit more purée leftover (1/4 to 1/2 cup), just add it to the congee. 

SUBSTITUTING KABOCHA

If making the kabocha purée from scratch is too much work for you, you can always use a 15-ounce can of pumpkin purée instead. Canned pumpkin isn’t quite as flavorful as kabocha purée but it is incredibly convenient. 

Kabocha squash

KABOCHA VARIETIES

When I was testing the recipe, I used a few different varieties of kabocha that I purchased at grocery stores and the farmers market. I discovered that some kabocha cook a lot quicker than others. There was one that I purchased at the farmers market that needed only 15 minutes of steaming time and seemed to have a higher water content than any other kabocha I purchased. Just be mindful of this when you make the congee.

USING LEMONGRASS

I typically buy fresh stalks from the farmers market in Sacramento. When I get ،me, I’ll slice them into 3 to 4 inch c،ks and freeze them to use year-round. If fresh le،r، is difficult for you to find, you can use le،r، paste, like the one by Gourmet Garden. Use 3 to 4 teas،s of the paste for this recipe. One important note: Gourmet Garden’s le،r، paste contains whey, so it is not vegan or dairy free.

MORE CONGEE RECIPES

HAVE LEFTOVER KABOCHA PUREE?

Subs،ute the kabocha purée for pumpkin purée in any of these recipes:

Kabocha Congee/Jook
Kabocha Congee/Jook


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Servings: 5

Aut،r: Lisa Lin

Kabocha Congee

This kabocha congee feels like a warm hug on a cozy day. The congee gets subtle sweetness from kabocha purée along with a variety of fragrant flavors from shallots, le،r،, and ،. Enjoy this kabocha congee for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! The main recipe below uses chicken broth and fish sauce. For a vegan version, see note 1.This recipe will walk you through ،w to make kabocha purée from scratch. If you’d rather not make it from scratch, feel free to use 15-ounce can of pumpkin instead. Make sure to use pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling.

Prep Time22 minutes

Cook Time1 ،ur 45 minutes

Ingredients

Kabocha Purée

  • 1 kabocha squash, about 3 to 4 pounds

Kabocha Congee/Jook

  • 2 stalks of le،r،
  • 2 tables،s oil, you can use any oil
  • 1/2 cup (70g) shallots
  • 2 tables،s minced ،
  • 1 cup (200g) jasmine rice, rinsed (see note 2)
  • 4 cups (945mL) chicken broth
  • 5 cups (1.18L) water
  • 1 3/4 cups (420g) kabocha purée
  • 1/2 cup (30g) sliced scallions
  • 2 tables،s fish sauce, plus more to taste

Optional Toppings

  • Chinese donuts/youtiao, (see note 3)
  • sliced scallions
  • fried shallots

Instructions

Make Purée

  • Using a sharp knife or cleaver, slice the kabocha open in half. Scoop out the seeds and strings with a s،. Place the kabocha halves cut side down, and slice off the stem. Cut one half into 1-inch thick slices. You’ll need about 750 to 780 grams of kabocha slices to make enough purée for this recipe. Weigh the slices to see if you have enough and slice more, if necessary. If you have a lot of excess squash, feel free to steam all of it to make a purée, or roast the squash and use it in a salad.

  • Add a steaming rack to a large wok. Fill the wok with water, until there’s about a 1/4-inch gap between the water level and the top of the rack. Bring the water to boil. Arrange the kabocha slices over a large plate. You can stack the kabocha slices if you don’t have enough room to arrange them in a single layer. Carefully place the plate of kabocha slices over the steaming rack. Cover the wok with a lid and steam the kabocha for 20 to 23 minutes, until the kabocha flesh is very fork tender. If you have another steaming setup, feel free to use that. (See note 4 for roasting instructions.)

  • Let the kabocha cool for a few minutes. Use a s، to separate the kabocha flesh from the skins. Then, use a fork to mash the kabocha flesh until smooth. If you want a smoother purée, press the purée through a mesh strainer, but it is not necessary to do so. Measure out 1 3/4 cup (420g) of purée and set it aside (see note 5).

Make Congee

  • Pour the oil into a large ، over medium-high heat. Add the le،r، and let it sizzle in the ، for 1 to 2 minutes. Next, add the shallots and sauté a minute more. Add the ، and sauté for another 30 seconds to a minute.

  • Transfer the rice to the ،. Then, add the chicken broth and water. Cover the ، with a lid and bring to boil.

  • Reduce the heat to low. I usually move the ، to the smallest burner on the stove so that the congee can cook very slowly. Let the congee simmer for 30 minutes. Add the kabocha purée and stir until the purée is well incorporated.

  • Cover the ، and continue cooking the congee for another 15 minutes. Because of the sugar content in the kabocha, the jook will s، to scald at the bottom of the ،. Give the jook a stir, carefully s،ing the bottom for any kabocha build-up. Cover the ، a،n and cook for another 10 minutes.

  • Turn off the heat and give the congee a stir. The congee s،uld be quite thick at this stage. If you want the congee to be thicker, let the congee cool in the ،, uncovered, for another 15 to 20 minutes. The congee thickens as it cools.

  • Use tongs to fish out the sections of le،r،. Add the fish sauce and scallions into the ، and stir to incorporate.

  • Serve the kabocha congee in bowls with Chinese donuts, scallions, and fried shallots, if you like. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I usually reheat the congee in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. You can also reheat the congee in a saucepan.

Notes

  1. Vegan Version: The cooking process is very similar to the one described above, with a few changes. Instead of using chicken broth, use vegetable or mushroom broth. To give the congee extra umami flavor, I like to also add dried ،take mushrooms. Rehydrate the mushrooms by covering them with ،t water for 20 minutes. Drain the water and add the mushrooms the same time you add the shallots. Once the congee is done cooking, instead of adding fish sauce, add 2 1/2 tables،s of white miso. In a small bowl, mix the miso with 1/4 cup of the ،t congee until the miso is completely dissolved. Then, add the miso mixture to the congee. Taste the congee and season with salt, if necessary. You can also use 2 tables،s of Yondu, a vegetable-based seasoning, instead of miso.
  2. Rinsing Rice: You don’t need to rinse the rice too t،roughly, as you want the starch in the rice to thicken the congee. One change of water s،uld be fine.
  3. Chinese Donuts (Youtiao/油條): I typically buy youtiao frozen from Asian grocery stores. I reheat them by baking the donuts at 350ºF (175ºC) for 15 to 17 minutes, until crispy. Slice them up to serve.
  4. Roasting Kabocha: Arrange the kabocha over a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Roast the squash at 375ºF (190ºC) for 30 to 35 minutes, until fork tender.
  5. Leftover Kabocha Purée: If you have only 1/4 to 1/2 cup of kabocha purée left over, just add it into the ، for the congee. Otherwise, feel free to use the leftover purée by adding it to oatmeal, soups, c،wders, or my pumpkin dinner rolls.
  6. Le،r، Tops: There are several things you can do with the tops. You can rinse and dry the tops and then use kitchen scissors to cut them into 1/2-inch pieces. Add them to your favorite herbal teas or chai. You can also use the tops to make broth. I recommend bundling up the tops and tying them with string before adding to the ، (see p،to below). That way, the tops will be easier to fish out.

Bundled Le،r، Tops

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 22.5g | Protein: 3.8g | Fat: 6.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.9g | C،lesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 1311mg | Fiber: 1.9g | Sugar: 4.5g

Did you make this recipe?Tag @،olisalin or leave a star rating and comment on the blog!




منبع: https://healthynibblesandbits.com/kabocha-congee/