Hobakjuk

Ingredients

• 2¼ lbKabocha, hokkaido or butternut squashseeded, cooked and peeled; base of the porridge
• 2½ cupsWaterfor cooking and pureeing the squash
• 2⅛ ozSweet rice flourmixed smooth with cold water as thickener; part of it for rice cake balls
• 2 tbspSugarto taste, brown sugar also used
• ½ tspSaltfor seasoning, balances the sweetness
• 1 tbspSesame seedstoasted, as garnish (optional)
• 1¾ ozChestnutspeeled, sliced, as topping (optional)
• 1¾ ozRed (adzuki) beanssoaked and boiled, stirred into the porridge (optional)
• 1 tbspPine nutsas garnish, jujubes or pumpkin seeds also used (optional)

Method

1. Seed the squashHalve or quarter the squash and scrape out the seeds and stringy bits with a spoon.
2. Cook the squash until softCook the squash in a pot with a little water, or steam it, until the flesh is soft — 15 to 30 minutes depending on the variety and the size of the pieces.
3. Peel and chop the fleshLet the cooked squash cool a little, then pull off the skin or scoop out the flesh, and cut it into chunks.
4. Blend the squashBlend the squash flesh with the water, the sugar and all but a pinch of the salt in a blender or with a stick blender until smooth; if you like it more rustic, just mash it roughly instead.
5. Simmer the puréeBring the purée to a boil in the pot and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring often so nothing catches on the bottom.
6. Stir in the rice flourStir 40 g of the glutinous rice flour smooth with cold water, then pour it into the hot porridge bit by bit, stirring constantly.
7. Thicken the porridgeSimmer for another 3 to 15 minutes, stirring, until the porridge thickens and binds; loosen it with a splash of water if it gets too stiff.
8. Make the sweet rice ballsFor the sweet rice balls, knead the remaining 20 g glutinous rice flour with the reserved pinch of salt and boiling water into a dough, roll it into a rope, pinch off small pieces and roll them into balls. Cook them in barely simmering water until they float to the surface, then rinse in cold water.
9. Garnish and serve warmLadle the porridge into bowls, garnish with the sweet rice balls, chestnuts, pine nuts or toasted sesame seeds, and serve warm.

Tips and variations

Instead of glutinous rice flour you can blend soaked glutinous rice with water and cook it into the porridge — the flavour comes out especially round. Cooked adzuki beans stirred through add texture, and if you prefer, blend only roughly and leave little pieces of squash in there. If the skin won't come away easily, warm the squash briefly in the microwave before peeling. Hobakjuk is good warm or cold, and leftovers keep in the fridge or the freezer. No interest in rolling sweet rice balls? Just top the bowls with toasted sesame and chestnuts.