COOKING NOTES FOR KABOCHA CONGEE
RICE AND LIQUID
I like a relatively thick congee, so I usually cook congee with a 1-to09, rice-to-liquid ratio. In other words, cook 1 cup of rice with 9 cups of liquid. In this kabocha congee recipe, the liquid is a mixture of water and chicken broth. Typically, I make congee with jasmine rice because its natural aroma adds flavor to the rice porridge. However, if you don’t have jasmine rice on hand, you can use other types of long-grain white rice. For the chicken broth, I use Better Than Bouillon’s roasted chicken base. It is a convenient paste that you dilute with water to make broth, and it’s usually easy to find in grocery stores. You can also use boxed chicken broth, if you like.
MAKING KABOCHA PUREE
For this kabocha congee recipe, you’ll need to make purée from a kabocha squash that weighs about 3 to 4 pounds. The most difficult task will be cutting open the squash because the skin is quite thick. Try to use a chef’s knife or cleaver when slicing into the squash. Otherwise, you’ll be hacking away at the squash for a long time. Once you cut open the squash, dig out the seeds and cut off the stem. Take one half of the kabocha and place it cut-side down. Slice that half into 1-inch thick slices. You’ll need about 750 to 780 grams of kabocha slices to make enough purée for this recipe. Weigh the slices to see if you have enough and slice more, if necessary. If you have a lot of excess squash, feel free to steam all of it to make a purée, or roast the squash and use it in a salad. I usually steam the squash inside a wok by placing a steaming rack (affiliate link) in the center of my large wok (affiliate link). Then, I fill the wok with water, until there’s about a 1/4 inch gap between the water line and the top of the rack. Finally, I arrange the kabocha slices over a large stainless steel plate and steam them for 20 to 23 minutes, until the squash is very soft. If you have another steaming setup, great! Just make sure to steam the squash until they turn soft and can be easily mashed with a fork. If you cannot easily steam the squash, you can bake the squash too! Arrange the squash slices over a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the squash and bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 30 to 35 minutes, until the squash can be easily pierced with a fork. Separate the kabocha flesh from the skins and discard the skins. Use a fork to mash the squash and measure out 1 3/4 cups of purée (420 grams). I like to press the purée through a mesh for an extra smooth purée, but that is not necessary. If you have a little bit more purée leftover (1/4 to 1/2 cup), just add it to the congee.
SUBSTITUTING KABOCHA
If making the kabocha purée from scratch is too much work for you, you can always use a 15-ounce can of pumpkin purée instead. Canned pumpkin isn’t quite as flavorful as kabocha purée but it is incredibly convenient.
KABOCHA VARIETIES
When I was testing the recipe, I used a few different varieties of kabocha that I purchased at grocery stores and the farmers market. I discovered that some kabocha cook a lot quicker than others. There was one that I purchased at the farmers market that needed only 15 minutes of steaming time and seemed to have a higher water content than any other kabocha I purchased. Just be mindful of this when you make the congee.
USING LEMONGRASS
I typically buy fresh stalks from the farmers market in Sacramento. When I get home, I’ll slice them into 3 to 4 inch chunks and freeze them to use year-round. You can learn more about how to use lemongrass here. If fresh lemongrass is difficult for you to find, you can use lemongrass paste, like the one by Gourmet Garden. Use 3 to 4 teaspoons of the paste for this recipe. One important note: Gourmet Garden’s lemongrass paste contains whey, so it is not vegan or dairy free.
MORE CONGEE RECIPES
Basic Congee/Jook Vegan Congee Recipe Pumpkin Millet Porridge
HAVE LEFTOVER KABOCHA PUREE?
Substitute the kabocha purée for pumpkin purée in any of these recipes:
Pumpkin Millet Porridge Pumpkin Dinner Rolls Pumpkin Scallion Pancakes
