Vegan/Vegetarian Pumpkin Rice (One-Pot)

 

 

When the pumpkin season hits, recipes of pumpkin main-course and dessert are flooded online. I also got hold of a big pumpkin from the market and used it for a few rounds of this Pumpkin Rice and puree the balance and freeze it for dessert recipes.

 

After cooking my One-Pot Yam Rice many times, I really enjoy cooking one-pot-rice especially on weekday evenings because there are lesser plates and cutleries to wash after a great nutritious fulfilling meal. This recipe is surely a keeper and useful for a quick meal.

 

I have tried this dish umpteen times to perfect it to reach the al-dente texture for the rice. Due to the fact that pumpkin releases a lot of moisture when cooked, the amount of water for cooking the rice has to be adjusted accordingly to get the right consistency for the rice i.e. not too wet and not soggy. Please refer below for the note on rice and water before trying this recipe. 

For aesthetic reason, I omitted few of my favourite condiments like dark soy sauce and vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce because it makes the rice colour very dark and not golden yellow colour like pumpkin.

Dietary: Vegetarian, Vegan.

Serve 2-3

Ingredients

 Non-GMO canola oil, for frying

 4 cloves garlic, chopped ^
 1/2 medium onion, chopped ^
 2 fresh shiitake/button mushrooms, chopped

 120g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded & 1cm cubed
 1 cup* or 135g brown long-grain rice, washed & drained
 175ml water* or vegetable broth, for cooking rice

 

Optional Veggies (small amount each)

 Carrot, chopped

 Firm tofu, cubed

 Cloud ear fungus, chopped

 Bamboo shoot, chopped

 Yellow bell pepper, chopped

 Vegan ham, chopped 

 

Seasoning

 2 tsp soy sauce or Braggs Liquid Aminos

 1/2 tsp sesame oil

 Pinch of sea salt
 Pinch of white pepper 
  

Garnish

 Spring onions, chopped

 Coriander, chopped
 Fried shallots
 Vegetarian sambal shrimp bites

 Vegetarian sambal chilli

Method

1. Heat up oil in a wok or large skillet. Sauté the onion and garlic until aromatic.

2. Add mushroom and optional veggies, and  add some soy sauce and sauté until light brown and almost cooked for about 2 minutes.

 

3. Pour in pumpkin and uncooked rice, mix gently and be careful not to mash the pumpkin. Add seasonings, sauté lightly for about 1 minute. 

4. Add water and stir mixture until well combined for 30 seconds. 

5. Transfer mixture into rice cooker pot, turn on the rice cooker. When the rice is cooked, use the rice scoop to stir the rice and loosen it up. If you do not have a rice cooker, place mixture in a steamer bowl and steam for 25-30 minutes until it reached your desired consistency.
 

6. If you find the rice too wet for your liking after stirring, press the mode for 'cook rice' again. The new cycle will continue to cook and dry up the mixture to the right consistency and automatically turn to 'keep warm' mode when ready. It works this way for most rice cookers, this is mine for reference. Loosen the rice and keep warm in the cooker for a few minutes.

7. Garnish and serve immediately.

 



Step 4: After Sautéing in the Pan  

Step 5: Ready to Start in Rice Cooker 



Notes

^ Buddhist vegetarians who do not take garlic and onion can omit these and replace with some ginger.

 

* The ratio for perfectly-cooked rice in most rice cookers (works for my Toshiba) is 1:1 rice and water, but it might vary with different rice cookers and the type of rice you are using.

 

* The measuring cup I used in this recipe comes along with the rice cooker and it looks like this below. 1 full cup of this rice measuring cup yield 135g of uncooked rice and 190ml water. I scooped off 4 teaspoon of water (20ml) to make it 170ml of water. If you do not have a measuring cup from the rice cooker, you might want to follow this recipe exactly to use 135g of uncooked rice with 170ml water (serve 2-3 pax). Do take note that result might vary with different rice cookers.

 

Measuring Cup from Rice Cooker

 

Vegan Kaya (Eggless Pumpkin Coconut Jam)

Kaya jam a.k.a coconut egg jam is consumed mainly in Southeast Asia with bread. I'm not going to lie, for these years from time to time, Kaya toast bread does cross my mind a few times ever since I turned vegetarian but all traditional Kaya jams contain egg. Now, I'm really thrilled to share this recipe, it tastes as good or if not, better than the usual egg Kaya jam, and best of all.. eggless and healthier! Pumpkin is known for its incredibly rich vital antioxidants and vitamins, it is an amazing food that you should include in your diet.

 

I use jaggery sugar here because it is healthier than refined sugar, and also gives an extra fragrance and natural golden colour to this beautiful pumpkin coconut jam. Personally, I have tried making this jam with other sweeteners, jaggery yields the closest/best taste and look of traditional Kaya. You can also use the alternative sugar mentioned below if you couldn't get jaggery at your local stores.

 

What exactly is jaggery?

Jaggery is the product of sugarcane and date palm tree, read more. Most people except Indians do not know what jaggery is because it is less marketed like refined white sugar despite jaggery manufacturing has been practiced for centuries much before refined sugar. But this industry is still not organized because most jaggery comes from remote rural places and only reaches the mass market through agents. Unlike refined sugar, jaggery is known by the place of its manufacture and not by brands. Although jaggery is not as widely used as sugar, it is very popular in Indian culinary and also used in one big industrial which is the manufacturing of alcoholic beverages, particularly rum.

 

The difference in processing between refined white sugar and jaggery is that after the initial boiling, sugar syrup is treated with charcoal to absorb unwanted particles and to give a clear, transparent solution, and once it condenses and crystallizes, it becomes sugar. For jaggery, there is no treatment with any charcoal or crystallization, the syrup is boiled continuously until it is formed into a thick paste and then poured into moulds to make blocks of jaggery. Jaggery digests slower than refined sugar and releases energy slowly and not instantaneously which provides energy for a longer time and is not harmful for the body.

 

Jaggery contains traces of iron and mineral salts which is good for body. It is also good as a cleansing agent to cleanses the lungs, stomach, intestines, esophagus and respiratory tracts. Those who are exposed to dust daily are highly recommended to take a daily dose of jaggery to prevent asthma, cough, cold, and congestion in chest. Read more here.

 

Ok, back to this pumpkin recipe! Since the pumpkin size is always so huge, whenever I buy pumpkin, I will also make other pumpkin recipes like Vegan Pumpkin Rice, try it out!

Dietary: Vegetarian, Vegan
Allergic Info: Free from gluten, nuts, corn, diary.
Cooking Time: About 45 mins
Yield 400g

Ingredients

 400g pumpkin (weigh after peeling), roughly chopped
 240ml Trim coconut milk
 80g (or to taste) jaggery sugar block or variations below*
 6 pandan leaves, tied into a knot (optional)
 Pinch of sea salt

Method

1. Steam or boil pumpkin in a pot for about 5-8 minutes or until fork tender, drain water off. 

2. Place pumpkin in a heavy-based saucepot, add the rest of the ingredients and bring to boil. Using a potato masher (I used this) or immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth. Alternatively, you can use a food processor.

 

3. Continue to simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently about 20-30 minutes until mixture thicken or until it reaches your desired consistency. Do note that the mixture will be slightly thicker when cooled.   

4. Remove the pandan leaves, let cool and serve with toasted breads or biscuits. Store balance in jar, and refrigerate, good for storage for about 1 week.  

Variations
☼ Alternatives to jaggery sugar: dark brown molasses, coconut sugar or gula Melaka.

☼ Get the jaggery sugar in blocks and not the crystal and powder form, it tastes different. Available at Mustafa and most Indian grocery stores.