Steamed Pumpkin Glutinous Rice ~ 蒸南瓜糯米饭

I have seen winter melon double boiled soup and I was surfing the internet looking for recipes to experiment with.  Steaming food in a pumpkin to use it as a serving bowl looks interesting and since I have some glutinous rice, why not let it mingle with pumpkin and see how it would turn out.  It's quite a straight forward dish, just like serving rice in a steamed pumpkin rather than on a plate and I do like the presentation.

Steamed Pumpkin Glutinous Rice   ~    蒸南瓜糯米饭   

Ingredients

• 1 kg Japanese pumpkin
• 180 gm glutinous rice (washed, soaked overnight)
• 80 gm pork, diced
• 10 gm dried shrimps
• 3 Shitake mushrooms, hydrated, stemmed and diced
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Wash the pumpkin, place on a plate and steam on medium heat for about 15 mins. to soften.  Then carefully cut a lid opening about 8 cm diameter around the stem with a sharp knife.  Keep the lid aside for presentation.
2. Scoop out the pumpkin seeds, pulp, drain off any water from the inside by dabbing with a paper towel.
3. Meanwhile, saute the garlic with some oil, add in the dried shrimps, mushrooms, pork and fry the drained glutinous rice with the sauces and sesame oil.  Place the glutinous rice onto a plate, sprinkle on some water and steam on medium flame for about 20 mins.  You may need to sprinkle on more water during steaming.  Steam till the rice is soft but not wet.  Add salt if necessary.
4. Scoop the cooked glutinous rice into the pumpkin, place the pumpkin on a plate, steam for 25 to 30 mins. on medium low heat without the lid.  (High heat will ruin the shape of the pumpkin).
5. Check to see whether the pumpkin is cooked (fork tender) but can still retain its shape.
6. Remove pumpkin from the steamer, place it on a serving plate.  Cut the pumpkin into wedges according to the grains but do not cut right through so that the wedges form a flower shape around the glutinous rice.
7. Serve immediately.