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Sweet and a little nutty. Those adjectives usually describe me, but today, I’m using them to describe one of my favorite Korean dishes Hobak-Juk!
This dish is often served as a snack or breakfast in Korean. Packed with nutrients, it’s mild in flavor and easy to digest, making it popular to serve to the elderly or someone recovering from an illness. I’m neither of those things, but I love serving myself up a warm bowl of it in the morning. Topping it with a few saealsim and a drizzle of honey is pure bliss on a cold winter day.
This recipe is also an easy addition to your meal prep rotation. It just takes a handful of ingredients and a little elbow grease peeling the Kabocha Squash to have a nourishing meal to enjoy all week long. If you’ve never had kabocha before, it’s a squash that’s sweeter than regular pumpkin. It’s commonly used in east-asian recipes and can usually be found in the supermarkets during fall and winter. If you’re unable to find it though, check the recipe for substitutions!
One of the best parts of any breakfast bowl is the toppings. If you’re meal prepping this, then you can switch them up everyday to keep things interesting. I like adding nuts, seeds, granola, but my all-time favorite is homemade saealsim, which are sweet, korean rice cakes. Add whatever else you like, but definitely don’t skimp on the rice cakes. They’re a serious highlight in this dish. You can easily make them yourself or find them in Asian supermarkets.
One bite of this porridge and you’ll forget all about pumpkin spice lattes. Kabocha porridge is where it’s at!.
If you make this recipe or any others on my blog, tag me in a photo on Instagram @figisisters . I would love to see your recreation!
Recipe:
Makes About 4 Servings
Ingredients:
650g (About 1 small to medium) - Kabocha Squash - Sub canned pumpkin or butternut squash*
24 g - Coconut Sugar - Sub brown sugar
300 ml - Water
60 g - Sweet Rice Flour
130 g - Silken Tofu - Optional*
1/2 tsp - Kosher salt
3 tbsp - Water
Optional Garnish:
Honey
Black Sesame Seeds
White Sesame seeds
Chopped Jujubees
Toasted Pine Nuts
Instructions:
Using a sharp knife, peel the green skin off the kabocha squash. Slice in half and discard the seeds. Slice kabocha squash into chunks.
Steam kabocha squash chunks until fork tender.
To a food processor or high speed blender, add squash, coconut sugar, water, silken tofu, and salt. Blend until completely smooth.
Add pumpkin mixture into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and allow to cook for 15 minutes. Stir often to avoid burning or sticking.
Meanwhile, mix together sweet rice flour and 3 tablespoons of water one tablespoon at a time until a sticky paste forms.
I batches, stir rice flour into the porridge. Stir continuously to avoid lumps. Simmer for another 5 minutes or until thickened.
Garnish with desired toppings and enjoy*.
Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to one month.
*Notes:
Kabocha squash is fairly sweet. If you substitute it for one of the suggestions, you may need to add more sweetener to taste
Silken tofu is not traditional in this dish, but I like to add it for protein and creaminess
You can enjoy this porridge hot or cold. I prefer it hot.