Pumpkin Rice

First posted in Apr 2008, updated in Apr 2016.

I learnt to cook this homely pumpkin rice (南瓜饭) from my friend koalabear (thank you!). Not only is this pumpkin rice sweet and tasty, it also has a lovely bright and cheerful yellow hue when cooked.

More Rice Cooker Recipes:

• “Claypot” Chicken Rice (Rice Cooker Recipe) (above)
• Cabbage Rice Recipe
• Rice Cooker Chicken Rice Recipe

The buttery aroma of the rice blended perfectly with the sweet taste of pumpkin, which is softly mashed when cooked. The result is just heavenly deliciousness.

The cooking method is similar to my mum’s cabbage rice – involving stir-frying some of the ingredients in the wok and then tossing everything to cook in the rice cooker.

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Pumpkin Rice Recipe

If you are using the traditional COOK/KEEP WARM rice cooker (non neuro fuzzy) which operates by heat sensor, wait for the rice mixture in the wok to cool down (approximately 15 minutes) before transferring the contents to the rice cooker.

Serves: 3

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp cooking oil divided
• 150 grams pork belly (aka 3-layered pork/3层肉) cut to thin stripes (can substitute with 100 grams streaky bacon)
• 10 grams dried salted fish soaked in hot water until softened, patted dry and diced
• 30 grams unsalted butter
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 onion finely chopped
• 200 grams pumpkin flesh (skinless) cubed
• 4 fresh portobello or 8 shiitake mushrooms caps diced
• 1 1/4 cup uncooked long-grained rice rinsed and drained
• water to cook the rice roughly equal part rice and water – may vary slightly with different rice cooker brands
  
• 1 tbsp wolfberries
• coriander or mint leaves for garnishing
  

Directions:

1. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in wok and stir fry pork slices until they are just cooked on the surface. If you are using bacon, you do not need oil. Set aside the cooked pork/bacon.
2. Heat the remaining oil in wok and fry salted fish until golden brown. Add butter and let it melt completely in the oil.
3. Add garlic and onions. Stir fry until the onions start to soften.
4. Add pumpkin and mushrooms. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Add rice and stir fry briefly until well mixed.
5. Transfer contents from the wok, together with the previously cooked pork and wolfberries, to the rice cooker.
6. Add water and set rice cooker to COOK.
7. After rice is cooked, stir and gently mash up the pumpkin using a rice paddle. Season to taste with salt, if required. KEEP WARM for a few minutes before serving.

Ingredients Used: butter • garlic • mushroom • onion • pork • pork belly • portobello mushroom • pumpkin • rice • salted fish • shiitake mushroom • wolfberry