Simmered Pumpkin & Minced Meat
This is a Chinese-style quick simmered pumpkin & minced meat which takes under 30 minutes to make. This dish is savoury and goes very well with rice.
See Also:
- Simmered Japanese Pumpkin (Kabocha) Recipe
- Pumpkin & Pork Rice Vermicelli Recipe
- Pumpkin Rice (Rice Cooker) Recipe
I used large chunks of pumpkin as they withstand simmering better without breaking up. If you cut them to smaller pieces or slices, you will have to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
STEP-BY-STEP PHOTOS
Marinade mince meat (either chicken or pork) in seasonings for 15 minutes. I’m using minced pork in this tutorial.
Heat oil in wok, cook onions on medium low heat until they start to soften.
Then add the marinated minced meat.
When the mince meat is halfway opaque, add mince garlic and chilli.
Stir fry until the mince is no longer opaque.
Then add pumpkin chunks, water and seasonings.
Simmer until it is easy to insert a fork into the pumpkin flesh. It took me about 6 minutes. Halfway through, open up the lid to stir so that the pumpkin pieces are evenly coated in the sauce. Don’t overcook the pumpkin as it will result in them becoming mushy and disintegrating easily when touched. If you cut your pumpkin to smaller pieces, you have to adjust the simmering time accordingly.
Thicken the sauce to desired consistency with cornstarch slurry (Note: I didn’t use all of that slurry).
Garnish with spring onions and serve. This dish is so good with rice!
Quick Simmered Pumpkin & Mince Recipe
When simmering the pumpkin, take care not to overcook them as the overcooked pumpkin flesh will become mushy and disintegrate easily when touched.
Ingredients:
- 300g pumpkin flesh cut to large chunks
- 75g mince chicken or pork
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- half small onion sliced thinly
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 chilli padi (bird’s eye chilli) deseeded & sliced thinly; to taste
- 150ml water top up more if needed
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp dark soy sauce
- 4 dashes white pepper powder to taste
- cornstarch slurry dissolve 1 tbsp cornstarch in 2 tbsp water
(A) Marinade
- 3/4 tsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp fish sauce can substitute with same amount of light soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 dashes white pepper powder
Directions:
- Marinade minced meat in (A) for at least 15 minutes in the fridge.
- Cook onions. Heat oil in a wokpan. Add onions and cook on medium low heat until the onions start to soften.
- Add marinated mince meat, garlic and chilli. Stir fry quickly until the mince turns opaque.
- Simmer the pumpkin. Add pumpkin chunks, water, soy sauces and white pepper. Stir to coat the contents evenly. Cover the pot with lid and simmer for about 6 minutes, stirring halfway through to ensure the pumpkin is evenly coated. The pumpkin is done when it is soft but not mushy, and you can insert a fork into the pumpkin flesh with ease.
- Thicken the sauce with cornstarch slurry until desired consistency is reached (you do not need to use up all of the slurry). Garnish with chopped spring onions.