Hobakjuk (Pumpkin Porridge)

Ingredients

• 1 kabocha (danhobak, 단호박) or small pumpkin, about 2 pound s
• 1/2 cup sweet rice (aka glutinous rice), soaked in water for at least an houror use 1/2 cup sweet rice flour (chapssal garu or mochiko), mixed in 1 cup of water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 to 2 tablespoon sbrown sugaradjust to taste or omit
• 1/2 cup sweet rice flour (chapssal garu, 찹쌀가루, or mochiko)
• 2 teaspoon ssugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup red beans, pat (팥), soaked and boiled - optionalor use can ned sweetened red beans (if using sweetened beans, omit sugar above
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, jujubes, if availableWalnuts or pecans will be great too

Instructions

1. Cut the squash into halves (or quarters). Remove the seeds. Place them in a large pot, the cut side up. Add water about one third way up the squash, about 6 cups. Cover and boil over medium high heat until the squash turns fork tender, about 25 30 minutes. Discard the water and let the squash cool. See the notes for other cooking methods.
2. When the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh (or peel the skin off).
3. You can purée the cooked squash at this point if you want, using a blender (make sure to use some of the 3 cups of water required below). Or use an immersion blender or simply mash it with a spoon or potato masher while cooking if you like a little bit of squash lumps in my porridge.
4. In a blender, grind the soaked glutinous rice with 1 cup of water as finely as possible.
5. Pour the ground sweet rice into the pot of the prepared squash.
6. Add 3 cups of water.
7. Cook over medium heat, stirring and mashing the chunks of squash, until the rice starts to turn translucent and the porridge becomes thick.
8. Cover, and reduce the heat to low.
9. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes. (Adjust the consistency of the porridge to your taste by adding more water.) Stir in the salt, sugar, and the optional cooked red beans.
10. Cook for an additional 3 4 minutes.