Korean Pumpkin Porridge Food

HOBAKJUK (PUMPKIN PORRIDGE)

Steps:

• Cut the squash into halves (or quarters). Remove the seeds. Place them in a large pot, the cut side up. Add water about one-third way up the squash, about 6 cups. Cover and boil over medium high heat until the squash turns fork tender, about 25 - 30 minutes. Discard the water and let the squash cool. See the notes for other cooking methods.
• When the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh (or peel the skin off).
• You can purée the cooked squash at this point if you want, using a blender (make sure to use some of the 3 cups of water required below). Or use an immersion blender or simply mash it with a spoon or potato masher while cooking if you like a little bit of squash lumps in my porridge.
• In a blender, grind the soaked glutinous rice with 1 cup of water as finely as possible.
• Pour the ground sweet rice into the pot of the prepared squash. Add 3 cups of water. Cook over medium heat, stirring and mashing the chunks of squash, until the rice starts to turn translucent and the porridge becomes thick. Cover, and reduce the heat to low. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes. (Adjust the consistency of the porridge to your taste by adding more water.) Stir in the salt, sugar, and the optional cooked red beans. Cook for an additional 3 - 4 minutes.

HOBAKJUK (호박죽) KOREAN PUMPKIN OR WINTER SQUASH PORRIDGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut pumpkin in half and remove all seeds and stringy bits. Cover in foil and bake for 45mins.
• While pumpkin bakes, combine ingredients for rice balls. Knead dough for several minutes until it achieves a "playdough" like consistency.
• Form dough into small, uniform balls, about the size of a marble. Store balls with a moderate dusting of sweet rice flour to prevent sticking until ready to use.
• In a pan, combine water and brown sugar for sweet beans. Heat on medium high and stir until sugar dissolves.
• Add the drained and rinsed beans, then raise temperature to high and cook for 7 mins, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
• Once the syrup has condensed and become thick, remove the beans from the heat.
• Once the pumpkin has cooked to fork tender, remove from the oven and let it cool before scooping out the inside and discarding the shell.
• Add pumpkin and 3 cups of water to a blender, blending on high until smooth.
• Place the pumpkin/water mix into a pot and heat on medium high until hot.
• In a bowl, thoroughly mix 1/4 cup water with 3tbs of sweet rice flour to form a slurry. Add slurry to hot pumpkin mixture and stir immediately to prevent lumps.
• Add the granulated sugar and salt.
• Bring porridge to a boil, then add rice balls.
• Increase temperature to high and boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent rice balls from sticking. The porridge is done when the rice balls are soft and chewy.
• To serve, pour porridge over black beans in individual bowls. Garnish with a few beans. Serve with sugar.