Pumpkin with Minced Meat and Soya Bean Paste

I was talking to my mum many weeks ago and asked her for her pumpkin curry recipe. After giving me her recipe, mum mentioned that pumpkin is also very nice cooked with soya bean paste (taucheow). I have eaten brinjals cooked with soya bean paste but not pumpkin. And by the way, I love pumpkin! So does my mum.

I have eaten pumpkin cooked with dried prawns at the mixed rice (chap fan) stall. Every time that dish is available, I would always scoop extra helpings. I cannot resist pumpkins. They are sweet and creamy and there's no denying that I am addicted to them.

It's great that pumpkins are sold in wedges and that saves me from having to buy a whole pumpkin. My only complaint about pumpkin is that they are difficult to peel. Which was why I rarely cook pumpkin. But recently I learnt from Ivy that you can actually eat the skin. Now, isn't that wonderful? Make sure that you wash the skin thoroughly before cutting the pumpkin.

Since I don't have a recipe for the pumpkin dish mentioned by my mum, I have come up with something which I think comes quite close. I used minced pork, onions, garlic, ginger and soya bean paste. 

The dish turned out very well and I was so happy. It was delicious and I could just eat it on its own. I should have cooked the pumpkin just a little bit longer as the skin was not yet as tender as the flesh. This point will be duly noted in my next pumpkin dish. If you are a pumpkin lover, I hope that you will give this recipe a go. I promise you that you will love it!

Pumpkin with Minced Meat and Soya Bean Paste

Recipe source : Phong Hong

Ingredients :

- 730g pumpkin, cut into cubes

- 200g minced pork

- 1 big onion, diced

- 3 big cloves garlic, minced

- 1 tablespoon minced ginger

- 1 tbsp soya bean paste (taucheow)

- 1 tbsp light soya sauce

- 1 tsp thick soya sauce

- some water for simmering

To thicken the sauce :

- 1 tsp potato starch or cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp water

Method :

1. Heat oil in wok and saute onions until soft and translucent.

2. Add garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant.

3. Add soya bean paste and continue to saute until fragrant.

4. Add minced meat and fry until the meat turns opaque.

5. Add pumpkins, light soya sauce and thick soya sauce.

6. Stir to combine.

7. Add some water and cover the wok. Simmer until pumpkins are tender.
8. Add potato starch mixture to thicken the gravy.

9. Dish out and garnish with spring onions.