Getting Ready for Fall with Asian Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin season is coming, so get fall ready with some delicious autumn Asian Pumpkin Recipes to switch things up this season! Obviously, we love pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin pies, but there’s so much more to this yummy root vegetable. It’s such a versatile ingredient – from pancakes to chicken broth. Highly nutritious, sweet, and filling, pumpkins are the perfect root vegetable to cook EVERYTHING with this fall.
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Pumpkins: The Perfect Fall Root Vegetable
Pumpkin is starchy and rich, and is a great base to any dish. It works well baked, steamed, Pumpkin is highly nutritious and packed with vitamins, antioxidants, vitamin C, and other nutrients that are great for your skin. Its bright orange color also make every dish come out so beautifully!
In the fall, I sometime use pumpkin to replace taro, sweet potato, or other starchy root vegetables in a recipe because they have a similar texture. My favorite is Kabocha, or Japanese Pumpkin, as it is the easiest to prepare and found at most Asian grocery markets. Save the pumpkin seeds to toast as a snack, or plant in the garden so you’ll have pumpkins next fall!
Dinner Dishes with Pumpkin
Adding pumpkin to your dinner dishes adds tons of nutrients and carbs, giving your dishes a lot more substance. I love pairing them with savory, saucy meat dishes. The buttery chunks soaks up all the sauces just right, and balances out any excess salt. Their denseness make them easier to withstand higher heat, so they’re also great for frying, steaming, and stewing. Some recipes I love adding pumpkin to include chicken curries, beef stew, or congee!
Vegetable Tempura
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup ice cold club soda or beer
- 1 beaten egg
- 3/4 cup cake flour or all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup corn starch
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- Your Favorite Vegetables
Dim Sum Steamed Black Bean Spareribs with Pumpkin
- 1.5 lb of chopped Pork Shortribs
- ยฝ cup of Baking Soda
- 2 tbsp of Oyster Sauce
- ยฝ tbsp of Sugar
- 1 tbsp of Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp of grated Ginger
- 4 piece of Garlic grated
- 1 tbsp of Sesame Oil
- 1.5 tbsp of Fermented Black Bean (rinsed)
- 1 cup of Pumpkin or Taro
- 3 tbsp of Corn Starch
Pumpkins in Soups and Congee
If you’re looking to make your soup richer and creamier, add some pumpkin. Trust me – its starchiness thickens up the broth, making it more velvety. It also add a beautiful golden color and a distinct sweetness to the soups and congees. There’s nothing more comforting than a chunk of pumpkin dissolving in your mouth!
Golden Chicken Broth
- 8 chicken backbone
- 4 cups of chicken feet or chicken wings
- 12-15 cups water
- 1 Japanese pumpkin
- 10 slices ginger
- 2 stalks green onion
- 4 tablespoons whole white peppercorn
- ยฝ cup Chinese cooking wine, optional
Vegetable Congee
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 5 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup chopped pumpkin
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped broccoli
- 3 green onions, chopped, separate whites and greens
- 10 shiitake mushrooms, chopped
- 2 tbspย Golden Shallot Oil
- 1 & 1/2 tbspย Four Season Scallion Sauce
- 1 tsp white pepper (adjust to own spice level)
- Salt to taste
- Optional:ย 2 eggs, beatenย
Baking with Pumpkin
I love adding pumpkin to my breads and cakes! Pumpkin retains water well, so adding pumpkin to your baked goods keeps it moist inside. It makes your bread a nice bright yellow, too! To add pumpkin into your baked good, steam chunks of pumpkin first. Then, mash up the steamed pumpkin, and add to your base dough.
Pumpkin Japanese Bagel
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- ยฝ tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Honey (or sugar)
- โ cup Water
- 1 tsp Yeast
- ยฝ cup Sugar
- ยฝ cup Japanese pumpkin, chopped
- ยผ cup cream cheese
- Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin Desserts
Pumpkin’s nutty, creamy flavor makes them so good for dessert! Of course, we love a pumpkin pie. But, there’s actually so many more things you can do with pumpkin! Whether it’s pumpkin balls on a bowl of shaved ice, or a melty cheese hotteok, pumpkin might be your best dessert ingredient for the fall. Here’s a few dessert recipes I love making with pumpkin whenever they’re in season.
Chewy Pumpkin Balls
- 400 g your favorite starchy root veggie (Pumpkin, Yam, Sweet Potato, Purple Yam, or Taro)
- 200 g Tapioca Starch or Sweet Potato Flour
- 3 tbsp Sugar
Korean Cheesy Pumpkin Hotteok
- 400 g Pumpkin
- 8 tbsp Rice Flour
- 3 tbsp Sugar
- 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese Cubes
