Name: Hobakjuk (Pumpkin Porridge)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 kabocha (danhobak, 단호박) or small pumpkin, about 2 pounds; 1/2 cup sweet rice (aka glutinous rice), soaked in water for at least an hour; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar (adjust to taste or omit); 1/2 cup sweet rice flour (chapssal garu, 찹쌀가루, or mochiko); 2 teaspoons sugar; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 cup red beans, pat (팥), soaked and boiled - optional; 1 tablespoon pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, jujubes, if available (Walnuts or pecans will be great too)

Hobakjuk is a golden-yellow and velvety porridge made with pumpkin and glutinous rice! Make this delicious comfort food with this easy recipe!

Fall is in full swing! The leaves are turning colors, and pumpkins are everywhere. With the weather getting cool, we all crave some warm comfort food. For Koreans, juk (porridge) is a popular comfort food either as a light meal or snack. This hobakjuk (or hobakjook, 호박죽) is made with pumpkin and sweet rice (aka glutinous rice), chapssal (찹쌀).

This beautifully golden-yellow and velvety porridge will surely warm your body and soul this fall and winter!

Which pumpkin to use

Hobak is a generic term for all types of pumpkins and squash. In Korea, hobakjuk is typically made with matured pumpkin called neulgeun hobak (늙은호박) or danhobak (단호박, meaning sweet pumpkin). Danhobak is known as its Japanese name, kabocha, here in the U.S.

I usually make it with a kabocha for its sweet flavor and bright color. You can, however, use any orange fleshed winter squash/pumpkin.

DSC 0633 1 e1536456679944 - Hobakjuk (Pumpkin Porridge)

How to make pumpkin porridge

The squash can be peeled first, cubed and boiled. I find it much easier to cook the squash first and then either scoop out the flesh or peel off the skin.

You can microwave the kabocha halves in your microwave by placing cut side down on a plate and cook uncovered on high for 10-15 minutes until soft.

In the oven, you can bake the kabocha halves, the cut side down, at 400ºF for about 45 – 50 minutes.

If you have an Instant Pot, it will take about 7 minutes to cook kabocha halves on Manual High, with natural pressure release for 5 minutes. Add a cup of water in the pot, and place the squash in a steamer basket.

You can purée the cooked squash if you want, using a blender or an immersion blender. I usually just mash it with a spoon or potato masher while cooking because I like a little bit of squash lumps in my porridge.

Traditionally, there are two ways to incorporate sweet rice into this porridge.

One is in the form of small rice cake balls, called saealsim (새알심), made with rice powder. The other is simply mixing in finely ground soaked sweet rice or sweet rice flour (chapssal garu or mochiko) slurry. Some people do both.

I like the consistency of the latter, so that’s what I usually do. Sometimes, I go one step further and make rice balls as well.They are easy to make!

Hobakjuk additions

It’s common to add cooked pat (팥, adzuki beans) to pumpkin porridge. See my danpatjuk recipe to find out how to cook the beans.

You can also top it with pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, and/or jujubes (daechu, 대추), but they are optional.

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