Pumpkin AngkuKuih - 金瓜红龟粿

Hi dear friends. I have been missing for quite a long time.

Today I am back and I present here pumpkin dough angku kuih with peanut filling. This is my first attempt using pumpkin to make the dough. I would like to mention here my recipe is just a guideline. You have to adjust the water or flour portion when making the dough.  I used Malaysia pumpkin which contains a lot of water content.  When your dough is dry, add little more of water,  or if the reverse happens where the dough is wet and sticky, just add a little more of flour. Knead till you get a pliable and smooth dough.

Recipe:  (Makes 10)

Ingredients for filling: (Mixed together)
100 g  toasted and ground peanut (available at supermarket)
40 g fine sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon cooled cooked water or coconut milk
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

For the skin dough:
120 g pumpkin (without skin and discard the seed)
80 g glutinous rice flour
1/4 sugar
15 ml or more water, depends on the pumpkin water content

Method:
1)  Cut pumpkin into pieces, steam and mash whilst hot.
2)  Combine flour and sugar with number 1 above. Knead and slowly add in water bit by bit. Knead till form a smooth and pliable dough.
3)  Roll each skin dough into balls. Lightly flatten the dough, wrap in filling and sealed properly.  Press it into mould lightly and knock out on a piece of greased banana leaf. Finish  the rest. Based on the mould that I used, I used 22 g of the skin dough and 18 g of filling.
4)  Steam over medium heat for 8 - 10 minutes until cooked. Lightly brush with oil. Serve.

I even made some pumpkin look-alike kuih.

Golden Sand Pumpkin-金沙南瓜

I had this dish a month ago in a restuarant at Simpang Rengam when my extended family celebrated my mother-in-law's 89th birthday. We liked this dish as it has  both the flavours of the salted egg yolk and the natural sweetness of the pumpkin.

I know that salted egg yolk is not healthy, but eating this once in a while should not be too bad for the body.


Recipe:

Ingredients:

300 g  pumpkin (without skin), cut into 1.5 cm x 4 cm pieces
5 pieces of salted egg yolk, steamed and mashed
some plain flour for coating
cooking oil

Method:
1) Blanch pumpkin in boiling water and dish up when the water boils.
2) Drain the coat blanched pumpkin with plain flour.
3) Heat up a non-stick frying pan with little oil, Pan fry the pumpkin till crispy and then dish up.
4) Leave some oil on the same frying pan. Over a low flame, stir-fry the mashed salted egg yolks till it bubbles and eventually becomes drier (make sure it does not get burnt). Throw in the pumpkin and toss till every piece is coated with the salted egg yolk.
5) Dish up and serve.

Enjoy!!!

Coconut Pumpkin - 椰汁南瓜

Recipe:

Ingredients A:
1 1/2 tbsp oil
1/2 big onion, sliced
1/2 tsp chilli sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
1 tbsp dried prawns, soaked

Ingredients B:
250g pumpkin, cut into big pieces
1/2 cup water

Ingredients C:
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cube ikan bilis stock (or chicken cube stock)
1/4 tsp salt

Ingredients D:
1oo g prawns, shelled
1/2 stalk spring onion, cut into 2 cm length

Method:
1) Heat up oil, saute ingredients A till fragrant, add Ingredients B, cover and cook with medium heat till pumpkin is soft.

2) Pour in Ingredients C and bring to boil, add prawns and cook well, taste and dish onto a big serving bowl, sprinkle spring onion on top. Serve hot with rice.

Tips:
1. Do not stir during cooking and use low heat to cook so that pumpkin will not break up.
2. Can use fresh milk to substitute coconut milk, but the flavour will not be the same.

Chewy Pumpkin Sesame balls - 南瓜芝麻球

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Chewy pumpkin Dough:

150 g pumpkin, discard skin, steamed and mashed

150 g glutinous rice flour

55 g wheat starch flour (澄面粉）

75 g sugar

5 g shortening

Filling Ingredients:

~ 70 g dessicated coconut

~ 45 g sugared melon strips (冬瓜糖）

~45 g ground peanut

~35 g white sesame seeds

~35 g sugar

OR Red bean paste, roll into small balls.

Extra sesame seeds for coating

Method:

1) Combine filling ingredients and set aside.

2) Combine dough ingredients with enough water to form a pliable dough (see note below). Roll it out on a floured surface into a cylinder. Divide dough into 25 equal portions, and roll into small balls.

3) Slightly flatten dough, wrap in filling and enclose. Roll into balls again.

4) Roll balls over wet sesame seeds.

5) Pour oil in a wok, with medium heat, deep fry the balls until golden brown.

6) Dish up and serve.

picture A

During my last trip to Guangdong, while walking to the restaurant to have dinner with the relatives, we passed by a biscuit shop, I was attracted by the appearance of the cakes ( picture A), out of curiosity, I asked the boss what it was. He told me they were pumpkin cakes. They were freshly made from the kitchen.  And I also saw 3 sacks of pumpkins on the floor. That already told me , this is their signature cake of the shop. So...so, I bought 500g of it, it costed me only a few RMB. It tasted good, and chewy to the bite. I like.

So today, I tried making it . to my surprise , it turned out to be very similar (my picture on the top) . What do you think? Do they look alike? Method is very easy. With the same recipe as per the chewy pumpkin balls above, slightly flatten the balls (make bigger ball to adapt to the size of the biscuit), roll over sesame seeds, over medium heat deep fry until golden brown.

note :

it is a matter of your ingredients and 'feel'. let me suggest that you first combine all the dough ingredients and knead. If small amount cannot be rolled into a small ball , i.e. it breaks or crumbles in your palm, it means the dough needs water (room temperature). add 1-2 table spoon full of water to the dough and knead. if the small ball still crumbles, some more water is needed in the dough. i honestly cannot tell you the exact amount as i added water in small amount each time and i never measure. To be conservative, add small amount of water each time.

please note : if the dough first kneaded (before adding any water) feels wet and sticky ( because your ingredients contain water) . add some glutinous flour.