Brown Rice With Pumpkin & Mushroom

Firstly, I would like to wish my dear readers a very Happy Chinese New Year. San nin fai lok. Man see yue yee. Can’t wait to ‘mum’ the CNY cookies and yummy dishes in less than a week time. Hehe 🙂

As promised, here’s another interesting dish which you can try for the coming CNY. The golden from the pumpkin represents good fortune and auspicious. You can also serve the rice overflowing from a hollowed out pumpkin to express abundance.

Fatt! Fatt! Fatt! to GOOD HEALTH!!!


Slice off the pumpkin head carefully. Use a sturdy spoon to remove seeds. Next, place the pumpkin in a steamer. My pumpkin weigh is 1.33kg and took about 20 minutes to cook (soften).

I didn’t know uncooked pumpkin is so tough. Ended up asking my dad for help. LOL

Left: Diced pumpkin and mushroom.
Right: Minced chicken with seasonings

I measured 300g of uncooked brown rice as I’ve no idea how much is 300g cooked brown rice (before cooking). Anyway it was enough for 3-4 persons.

Add 1 tablespoon oil in wok. Stir-fry minced chicken with its seasoning in high heat until fragrant and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in wok. Stir-fry pumpkin and shallots in high heat until browned and aromatic. Next add mushrooms and cooked chicken. Fry for about 1 minute.

Lastly add cooked brown rice and stock. Let the stock absorb into the rice and fry until rice is fragrant. Garnish with spring onions and serve warm.

I love the rice taste (from anchovy stock) and the sweet pumpkin!
Overall it was a little dry and lack ingredients. A little more oil, pumpkin and chicken would do it and plus some prawns! I will try chicken stock and choose not to mince the chicken next time. Little cubed chicken is better.

I think this is a good dish to try. Just add more of the ingredients mentioned and it will be perfect! Tsk you can even eat the pumpkin from the hollowed out pumpkin as you scoop the rice. Nice.

Brown Rice With Pumpkin & Mushroom
Adapted from Flavours magazine Jan-Feb 2008
Serves 3-4

100g chicken, minced (would add more next time; about 200g)
soy sauce and sugar to taste (I used 1/2 tsp soy sauce and 1/8 tsp sugar)
chicken stock powder to taste (I used 1/4 tsp anchovy powder)

80g pumpkin, diced (would add more next time; about 150g-200g)
30g shallots, sliced (about 4 medium pieces)
300g cooked brown rice
50g mushroom, diced (about 7 medium pieces)
100g chicken stock (I used 150g anchovy stock)
1 whole small pumpkin, hollowed out and steamed
1 stalk spring onion, chopped
*feel free to add prawn or other seafood to this dish

Method:
To cook chicken:
1. Add 1 tablespoon oil in a wok. In high heat, add minced chicken and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.

2. Add soy sauce, sugar and chicken stock powder and fry until aromatic and browned. Plate it and set aside. Note: I marinated the chicken with its seasoning prior to stir-frying.

To prepare rice:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok. In high heat, add pumpkin and shallots and stir-fry until fragrant.

2. Add diced mushrooms and cooked chicken and stir-fry for about 1-2 minutes.

3. Add brown rice and chicken stock. Combine well.

4. Let mixture absorb the chicken stock and fry the rice until fragrant.

5. Place cooked brown rice in the hollowed out steamed pumpkin and garnish with spring onions. Serve warm.

Happy cooking!