Rice dishes · Korean home cooking

Korean pumpkin porridge (hobakjuk)

Name: Korean pumpkin porridge (hobakjuk)
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: Kabocha squash or sweet pumpkin — 1 medium (about 800 g); Water for cooking — 4 paper cups (about 720 ml); Glutinous rice flour — 1/2 paper cup; Cold water for rice-flour slurry — 1/2 paper cup; Mini rice-cake balls (optional) — 1 paper cup; Sugar — 1–2 level tablespoons, to taste; Fine salt — 1/4 small teaspoon; Pine nuts — 1 small teaspoon

A smooth, naturally sweet Korean pumpkin porridge thickened with glutinous rice flour. Small rice-cake balls make it comforting, but the simple porridge is delicious without them.

45 min4 servings3 stepsDifficulty: Easy

AI-generated cooking illustrations. Follow the written quantities and instructions.

01 / Before you start

Ingredients

4 servings

Everyday kitchen measurements

For 4 servings. Use a small 180 ml paper cup, a level eating spoon (about 15 ml) and a small teaspoon (about 5 ml).

How to fill the cup and spoons

Use the same cup and spoons throughout. Their sizes vary, so these amounts are approximate. Spoon flour in loosely and level the top without pressing. Measure vegetables after chopping, without packing them down. The amounts in g/ml are the original reference quantities. For part of a pack, use the specified pack weight and divide the contents evenly.

King Arthur Baking

Essential, optional and substitute ingredients

Keep essential ingredients. For a replacement, use its listed amount and cooking changes instead of that ingredient’s original amount. Skip optional ingredients and their preparation if omitted. Photos show the original recipe.

Kabocha squash or sweet pumpkin — 1 medium (about 800 g)
Substitute available
If Kabocha squash or sweet pumpkin — 1 medium (about 800 g) is unavailable

Butternut squash works in the same amount. The colour and sweetness may vary.
Water for cooking — 4 paper cups (about 720 ml)
Essential
Add gradually; you may not need every drop if the pumpkin is very watery.
Glutinous rice flour — 1/2 paper cup
Essential
This gives the porridge its smooth, stretchy thickness. Regular rice flour makes it less chewy.
Cold water for rice-flour slurry — 1/2 paper cup
Essential
Whisk with the glutinous rice flour before adding so it does not form lumps.
Mini rice-cake balls (optional) — 1 paper cup
Optional
Leave them out for a smooth porridge. If using, cook until soft and supervise young children while eating.
Sugar — 1–2 level tablespoons, to taste
Optional
The pumpkin is naturally sweet. Leave it out or use honey after cooking.
Fine salt — 1/4 small teaspoon
Essential
A little salt balances the sweetness. Add gradually and taste.
Pine nuts — 1 small teaspoon
Optional
Garnish only. Leave out for nut allergies; do not substitute another nut without checking.

Tap each ingredient as you prepare it. Check product labels for egg, soy, sesame, wheat, fish or shellfish where relevant.

02 / You’re ready to cook

Step-by-step cooking

Step 1

Cut the pumpkin into large wedges and scoop out the seeds. Steam the wedges for 20–25 minutes, until a fork slides easily into the flesh. Let them cool until safe to handle, then remove the skin and scoop the soft flesh into a pot.
Step 2

Add 3 paper cups of water to the pumpkin and mash until smooth with a potato masher or hand blender. Add a little more water if it is too thick. Warm the pumpkin over medium-low heat, stirring so it does not stick.
Step 3

Whisk the glutinous rice flour with 1/2 paper cup of cold water until smooth. Slowly pour it into the pumpkin while stirring. Simmer gently for 7–10 minutes, stirring often, until creamy and no floury taste remains. Add rice-cake balls if using and cook until soft. Season with salt and sugar to taste; garnish with pine nuts.

03 / Enjoy your meal

Finished dish

Helpful tips

Hot porridge can bubble and splatter; use low heat and stir carefully. The rice-cake balls are optional and chewy, so cut them small for young children and supervise while eating. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and loosen with a splash of water when reheating.