Pumpkin Rice Cake & Steamed Buns

Today I bought a Kent pumpkin. After peeling it, I thought I might as well use it all while it was still fresh. To make things easier, I tried a new method today. 

I used to steam the pumpkin first and then mash it into a purée, but that always contained too much moisture, which meant adding a lot of flour and losing the rich pumpkin flavor. 

This time, I simply cut the pumpkin into small pieces and blended it directly. Without adding water, it didn’t become perfectly smooth, but that was totally fine — having little pumpkin bits in steamed buns actually makes them taste even better. 

For the last small portion, I added a little milk and blended it into a finer pumpkin purée. 

For the first batch of coarse pumpkin mash, I added some yeast, then gradually mixed in flour until a dough formed. I left it in a warm place to rise until doubled in size. 

After lightly kneading the dough for a few minutes to remove the air, I divided it into small portions and placed them in the steamer for a second proof of about 20 minutes. Then I steamed them over high heat for around 15 minutes after the water came to a boil. After turning off the heat and waiting a minute or two, I opened the lid to reveal beautiful golden steamed buns. 

For the second batch with the smoother pumpkin purée, I mixed in some glutinous rice flour and kneaded it into a dough, then let it hydrate for about half an hour. 

Filling: 1/4 brown sugar, 1/4 flour, 1/4 black sesame seeds, and 1/4 white sesame seeds. 

Pinch off a small piece of dough and roll it into a ball. Press a small well into the center with your finger, add the filling, then seal the opening using the “tiger’s mouth” technique and gently flatten it into a patty. 

Heat a pan over medium-high heat with just a light spray of oil. Place the cakes into the pan, reduce to medium-low heat, and slowly cook until both sides are golden brown. 

And that’s how these sweet, soft, chewy pumpkin glutinous rice cakes came out fresh from the pan.