Sweet and Tender Braised Pumpkin Recipe
Easy Braised Pumpkin for a Delicious Homemade Side Dish
I saw a fresh pumpkin at the market and decided to make a sweet side dish for my daughter, which she absolutely loved! This recipe is perfect for kids as it’s not spicy and wonderfully sweet. Here’s a simple and delicious way to prepare braised pumpkin, which is great to eat with the skin on.
Main Ingredients
- 1 whole pumpkin (approx. 1kg)
Braising Sauce
- 1 cup water (200ml)
- 2/3 cup sugar (approx. 130g)
- 1 cup water (200ml)
- 2/3 cup sugar (approx. 130g)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the pumpkin for braising. If you plan to eat the skin, wash it thoroughly by scrubbing with baking soda or coarse salt. Pumpkins are quite hard, making them difficult to cut. To make slicing easier, microwave the pumpkin for about 2-3 minutes. This will soften it slightly, allowing you to cut through it much more easily and safely.
Step 2
Carefully cut the microwaved pumpkin in half. Be cautious as it might still be warm. Use a knife to gently divide the pumpkin into two halves.
Step 3
Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and stringy bits from the center of each pumpkin half. Removing the seeds cleanly is important for a neat braised dish. Scooping them out with a spoon is a straightforward process.
Step 4
Now, cut the hollowed-out pumpkin into bite-sized pieces or your desired size. To prevent them from breaking apart too much during braising, aim for pieces that are not too thin. Slices around 2-3 cm thick usually work well.
Step 5
In a deep pot or wok, combine 1 cup of water (200ml) and 2/3 cup of sugar (about 130g). You can adjust the amount of sugar based on the sweetness of your pumpkin. If your pumpkin isn’t very sweet, feel free to add a little more sugar.
Step 6
Place the pot with the sauce ingredients on the stove over high heat and bring it to a boil. Do not stir the sauce at this stage. Let it simmer until it starts to bubble and the bubbles become smaller, indicating that the syrup has reduced slightly.
Step 7
Once the sauce is boiling, carefully add the prepared pumpkin pieces to the pot, arranging them evenly. Then, reduce the heat to medium. Ensuring the pumpkin pieces are well-coated in the sauce is key for even flavor distribution.
Step 8
Cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer gently over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender and the sauce has reduced to a glaze. The goal is for the pumpkin to absorb the flavors well and for the liquid to become ‘jajak-jajak’ (just enough to coat). Gently shaking the pot or spooning some of the sauce over the pumpkin occasionally will help it cook evenly.
Step 9
After about 10 minutes, remove the lid. You’ll see that the pumpkin pieces are beautifully glazed and the sauce has thickened nicely. Your delicious braised pumpkin is now ready! It tastes wonderful warm, but it’s also great served chilled. Enjoy it as a side dish with rice or as a sweet snack.
