Butternut squash porridge

Many people think the Korean word hobak (호박) means pumpkin, but it actually means squash. A pumpkin is really a kind of squash. So in Korea, we make this recipe with pumpkins. But here in the West I can’t easily find the kind of pumpkin Koreans use for hobakjuk. So I learned to make it out of butternut squash, which is available everywhere here.

The recipe for Hobakjuk needs only a few ingredients. But making the small rice cake balls takes some time. I recommend you make the rice cake balls with your family members or friends together. Whenever I make this porridge, I remember my grandmother and my family members. We all made the rice cake balls together. I miss them and all of us who had a great time while making the rice cake balls!

Ingredients: 2 or 3 small butternut squash, water, salt, sugar, sweet rice flour.

How to prepare butternut squash:

1. Wash the exterior of the butternut squashes in cold water.
2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and stringy stuff with a spoon.
   
3. Place the butternut squash in a large pot. Pour 3 cups of water over them and bring to a boil over medium high heat for 30 minutes, until the contents become soft.
4. Turn off the heat and let it cool down.
5. When it’s cooled down, scrape the cooked insides out with a spoon.
6. Place 3 cups of the cooked squash insides into a large pot and add 4 or 5 cups of water and boil

Make rice cake balls:

1. Boil some water.
2. Make rice cake dough by mixing 2 cups of sweet rice flour, ¼ ts salt, and ¾ cup of hot water. Mix it up with a wooden spoon at first, and then knead it for a few minutes with your hand after it cools down.
   
3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set it aside for about 20-30 minutes.
4. Put about 3 tbs of sweet rice flour into a large bowl (this will prevent the rice cake balls from sticking together).
5. Take a bit of dough and roll a rice cake ball (the size should be a little larger than soy bean). Put it into the bowl with the sweet rice flour.
   *tip: to prevent the dough from getting dried out, always wrap the dough in plastic wrap while you are making the rice cake balls

Let’s make porridge!

1. When the mixture of squash and water starts boiling, add the rice cake balls to the pot. Stir it with a wooden spoon and cook it for a few more minutes.
   *tip: when it’s cooked, all the rice cake balls will be floating on the surface of the porridge.
2. Turn off the heat and add 1 ts salt and ¼ cup of sugar and stir it for a few seconds before serving.

Yayee! You made butternut squash porridge!