Pumpkin rice 南瓜飯

Bought a large pumpkin from the market, I already had pumpkin congee few days ago. This evening I had pumpkin rice which was rather nice. There is still half the pumpkin sitting in the fridge will have to think of something else soon.

For this pumpkin rice, I followed similar method for Cantonese 'yau mei fun' 有味飯 meaning flavoured rice. Here is how to make this.


Ingredients:
Recipe enough for 3 - 4 people

300g American long grain or Basmati rice (Jasmine/Thai fragrant rice is too soft for this recipe)

about 275g skinned and boned chicken breast or thigh (can also use lean pork), cut into small pieces
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp cornflour
pinch of ground pepper
dash of sesame oil
about 1/2 tsp sugar

350g peeled and seeded pumpkin or butternut squash, cut into approx 1.5cm cubes
3 Chinese sausage (lap cheong), sliced
2 tbsp dried shrimp, rinsed
1 - 2 shallot about 25g, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
some cooking oil

600ml chicken stock or water
light soy to taste
a little ground pepper
dash of sesame oil

Some chopped spring onion and chillies for garnish


Method:

1. First rinse the rice then drain with sieve, shake to remove excess water. Leave rice to sit for about 20 minutes by which time all the surface moisture will be absorbed.
   
2. Mix chicken with the marinade and leave for about 15min.
3. Heat about 1 tbsp of oil. Fry half the shallot and garlic, stir for a bit then add in Chinese sausage and dried shrimps, stir for a while then add in the pumpkin pieces, stir fry for about 2 minutes. Push pumpkin mixture to one side, add a little bit more oil and stir fry the chicken till turning colour. Mix everything together stir then take everything out to one side.
4. Now take a clean large saute pan with a lid. Heat about 1 tbsp of oil and fry the remaining shallot and garlic till fragrant, then add in the rice and stir fry for about 2 - 3 minutes till fragrant. {Add stock or water, pinch of pepper and some light soy. Lid on and heat till liquid boiling and add pumpkin mixture onto the rice without stirring.} Remove the pan from the heat and put a heat diffuser on the cooking ring then put the pan back on with the lowest heat, lid on and {simmer/cook for about 15 -20 minutes, give it a stir (if the rice is a bit dry add a bit more water) then lid back on and continue simmer for another 15 - 20 minutes till rice is cooked through.}
5. Add a bit more light soy to taste and dash of sesame oil. Mix the rice thoroughly. Dish up and sprinkle with spring onion and chilli. Can leave chilli out if you don't like spicy.
   

If you have a rice cooker you can add the fried rice into the rice cooker and continue with {}in step 4, follow by step 5.