Kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) stir fry with ground pork, spicy Gochujang (hot pepper paste), oyster sauce, and soy sauce! A simple yet satisfying stir fry dish you’ll enjoy when kabocha is in season. It’s a one-pan wonder for weeknight dinner.
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It’s the beginning of fall and various pumpkin recipes are starting to appear on websites and magazines. It made me think of sharing this easy and quick Kobocha recipe today.
Kabocha is sometimes referred to as Japanese pumpkin or Kabocha squash in the US. It has very hard, deep green skin and the inside is intense yellow-orange color. It’s a very nutritious vegetable with a very sweet flavor, even sweeter than butternut squash and it is rich in beta carotene. I used Korean seasoning called Gochujang (hot pepper paste) for flavoring this dish. It’s a bit spicy so please adjust the amount of Gochujang to your liking.
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Kabocha Pork Stir Fry
Ingredients
- ½ lb ground pork
- ¼ kabocha (squash/pumpkin) (about ½ lb or 227g)
- 1 clove garlic (sliced)
- 1 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, rice bran, canola, etc)
- 1 tsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
For Pork Seasoning
- ½ tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sake
- 1 tsp potato starch/cornstarch
For Stir-Frying Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp sake
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp oyster sauce
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. Cut the garlic into thin slices and combine the stir-frying seasoning in a bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the pork seasoning together. Add the ground pork and mix well.
- With a spoon, remove the seeds from the kabocha and cut it into thin slices.
- In a microwave-safe container, put kabocha slices and 1 Tbsp water. Place a paper towel on top and microwave for 1-2 minutes (depending on your microwave) just to cook halfway as we will be stir-frying them. Do not overcook them because they get too fragile to stir fry.
- In a large frying pan, heat oil on medium heat and cook garlic until fragrant.
- Add the marinated meat and cook until no longer pink.
- Add gochujang and mix well together.
- Add kabocha slices and continue to stir-fry.
- When Kabocha is fully cooked, add the stir fry seasoning and shake the pan to mix all together. Serve immediately.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month.
