Sweet Pumpkin Steamed Rice Cake (Baekseolgi)
Homemade Old Pumpkin Steamed Rice Cake Recipe
With some old pumpkin at home, I decided to make the Baekseolgi rice cake that my husband enjoys. Traditionally, old pumpkin is dried for Baekseolgi to achieve a sweeter and chewier texture. However, lacking dried pumpkin or the inclination for such preparation, I made it with fresh pumpkin using a clever method. The result was moderately sweet with a well-balanced seasoning – a success! Since I didn’t have rice flour, I even soaked and ground the rice myself. It was a truly homemade endeavor!
Ingredients- 400g wet-milled rice flour
- 200g old pumpkin
Seasoning- 1.5 tsp fine salt
- 4 Tbsp sugar
- 1.5 tsp fine salt
- 4 Tbsp sugar
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Preparing Rice Flour: Instead of buying from a mill, I made the rice flour at home. In the evening, I washed 750g of regular rice and 250g of glutinous rice and soaked them in water for about 2-3 hours. The next morning, I drained them thoroughly in a sieve.
Step 2
Grinding and Sieving Rice: I put the soaked rice into a blender and ground it until fine. I then sifted the ground rice through a fine sieve. Any larger rice grains were put back into the blender to be reground and sifted again. For the 400g of rice flour I’m using today, I added 1 tsp of fine salt and 2 Tbsp of sugar. I mixed them by rubbing with my hands to ensure even distribution, and then sifted the flour once more.
Step 3
Checking Dough Consistency: For the rice flour dough, add only a little water (about 1-3 Tbsp), or you might not need any water at all depending on how well the soaked rice was drained. The right consistency is when the dough clumps together when you squeeze it tightly in your hand, but crumbles when tapped lightly.
Step 4
Preparing the Pumpkin: Finely chop the old pumpkin after removing the skin and seeds.
Step 5
Seasoning the Pumpkin: Add 2 Tbsp of sugar and 1/2 tsp of fine salt to the chopped pumpkin and mix well. Let it sit for about 30 minutes to allow the pumpkin to release its juices.
Step 6
Squeezing the Pumpkin: Squeeze out the released moisture from the pumpkin firmly by hand. This step is crucial to prevent the rice cake from becoming too wet and to achieve a nice chewy texture.
Step 7
Mixing Pumpkin and Rice Flour: Add the squeezed pumpkin to the prepared rice flour dough. Gently mix by rubbing your hands together, ensuring the pumpkin is evenly distributed throughout the flour.
Step 8
Preparing the Steamer: Once the steamer is producing steam, line it with a damp cheesecloth or parchment paper. Spread the rice flour mixture evenly over the lining.
Step 9
Steaming: Cover the steamer and steam over high heat for about 30 minutes. Ensure the cake is fully cooked through.
Step 10
Completion: Your delicious old pumpkin Baekseolgi is ready! This amount is perfect for a single serving. Enjoy it warm for the best flavor and texture.
