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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.
Thank you everyone for your kind comments and messages for the CBS San Francisco’s Reader’s Choice Award I received last week. I’m quite behind in responding to you individually but I want to let you know I’m working on catching up with the responses. I just want to thank you first for your kind support and love.
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 (Japanese pumpkin) stir fry with ground pork, spicy Gochujang (hot pepper paste), and soy sauce. Quick and Easy one-pan recipe for your busy weeknight!
- ½ lb ground pork
- ¼ kabocha (squash/pumpkin) (about 1/2 lb or 260g)
- 1 clove garlic (sliced)
- 1 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, canola, etc)
- 1 tsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- ½ tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sake
- 1 tsp potato starch/cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp sake
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp oyster sauce
-
Gather all the ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, combine Seasonings A and the meat. Mix well with hands and set aside.
- Remove Kabocha seeds with a spoon. Cut in half and then cut into thin slices.
- In a microwave-safe container, put sliced Kabocha inside. Pour 1 Tbsp. water on top and close the lid. Microwave it for 2 minutes*. Please do not overcook it because it will easily break when you stir-fry. *Cooking time may vary depending on your microwave and the amount of Kabocha.
- Cut garlic clove into thin slices and combine Seasoning B in a small bowl.
- In a large non-stick frying pan or wok, heat oil on medium heat and cook garlic until fragrant.
- Add the meat and cook until it is cooked through.
- Add Gochujuang and mix well.
- Add Kabocha and mix all together. If Kabocha is still hard to eat, cook a little bit longer.
- When Kabocha is fully cooked, add Seasonings B and shake the frying pan to mix all together. Serve immediately.
Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.
Hi!
I love kabocha, but we don’t grow it at my farm. We have buttercup squash which is similar in flavor and texture so I will use that 🙂 One question: I don’t have a microwave oven, so I was thinking of steaming it on the stove — Have you tried that or would a different cooking technique be better?
Hi Rebeca! How nice to have your own farm! Microwave method is a shortcut so please parboil kobocha (or buttercup squash in your case) as you normally do. But make sure not to overcook or else it will easily break while you stir fry. Enjoy!
I was wondering what would be a substitute for Gochjang. Would miso work for it?
Hi lele! Yes, miso ( + a bit of any kinds of chili sauce if you like spicy, otherwise just miso) would work perfectly. 🙂
I tried this recipe this evening. It was so good. The flavor was just right. My Morher used to make this for my Father and I didn’t realize it was so easy. We also had the spicy bean sprouts…great!
I’m not a “follow the recipe” person. Normally, I just estimate my ingredients. But your recipes, instruction and illustrations are so easy to follow that it makes for an enjoyable experience.
I’m so glad that my cousin “liked” your post so that I can enjoy too.
By the way, we share something in common, my middle name is Namiko too. 😉
Thank you,
Alesia
Hi Alesia! I’m so happy to hear you liked it! Isn’t it simple yet it tastes so delicious? Thanks so much for writing your kind feedback!
I’m glad to hear you like the way I write my recipes. I think… my English is not as good so my sentence structure and words are very simple. LOL!!!
Please send my best regard to your cousin!
And it’s so cool we have the same name!!! Do you know how you write yours? Mine is 菜美子, but a lot of people have 奈美子. 🙂
Hi Nami,
I made this other day and it was so delicious! The gochujang gave it such spice and depth and complimented the sweet pumpkin perfectly. As always, thanks for sharing!
Hi Janice! I’m’ so happy to hear you liked it! Thank you for your kind feedback! xo
Hi Nami,
Kabocha is now one of my favorite vegetables. I made the kabocha stir fry and it was delicious. I did peel the skin off after slicing the kabocha. I also found your recipe for kabocha soup and will try that next. Thanks.
Hi Darlene! I hope you like the soup too, as it’s my favorite kabocha recipe. 🙂 Thanks so much for your kind feedback! xo
Raymund, the Filipino word “calabasa” is (of course) an adaptation of the Spanish identical-meaning “calabaza”. As for kabocha, while various theories exist, and although the modern Portuguese word is totally different, I suspect may have a lot to do with a (possibly conjectural) old Portuguese *cabacha* with the loss of intervocalic l typical of Portuguese evolutionary phonetics. Which would make sense since pumpkins may well have been introduced to Asia from their native America by Iberian traders. So all four worlds would ultimately go back to the Arabic qara yabisa, “dry gourd” -a nice example of words travelling around the world.
Fascinating story, Steven! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the recipe with Kabocha squash. Do you peel the squash?
Hi Ali! Most of the time, Japanese use the skin as it has nice nutrients in it. 🙂 Also it protects the orange part becoming too soft and mushy.
Hi Nami, Thanks for sharing this receipt. From looking at the pictures you posted (step 7), it seems like you have used a wood Saute Paddle. I looked at the Shop section on your site. However, did not find it. Do you have any recommend brand for the saute paddle? Thanks!
Hi J! I bought a set of wooden spatula at Bed Bath Beyond like… over 10 years ago and I’m sure that was part of it. I like using GIF spatula these days (blue one you see in my latest video/pictures) so I didn’t list. It’s “okay” quality… not the best. I like the other wooden spatula that I listed on the shop though. It’s one of my favorite now. 🙂
Hi Nami, thank you for your reply. I went to the shop page and find the Scanwood wood spoon you have listed. Is this the one you mentioned (ur favoriate)? Also, I am deciding between buying a wood spoon or a wood saute paddle. Do u have any suggestions on which one to choose? Thanks!
Hi J! Personally, I’ve been using the rubber spatula for sautéing a lot (the GIR spatula is very firm unlike other rubber spatula so the tip won’t bend or flimsy at all). Once in a while I use these wooden spatula but it’s hard to get off food that’s on the side of pan. GIR spatula can easily scrape off and it’s just so much easier to wash the food off too. Wooden spatula is hard to clean… Anyway, so I’ve been mostly using rubber spatula for cooking, and when I need to cook for… like a big pot of stew etc, I use the scanwood spoon I listed. It has a long handle and very sturdy. Some wooden spoons I have have thin flat handle and I don’t like it. It really depends on what you usually cook and how you use your kitchen tool. It might work for my cooking but may not be yours. But overall I rarely use wooden one thanks to my favorite GIR spatula (I am thinking about buying more so I don’t have to wash quickly to work on my different recipes). 🙂
Hi Nami, Thank you so much for taking the time and share your inputs! I made the decision to purchase the wood one you have listed on the shop page. Also, thank you for sharing the Amazon link. It is so convenient. I can just click on ur link and it directed me right to the purchase page!
Another question: From your experience, Do you have any recommendations on olive oil dispenser? I prefer one with a cap. I have been looking, however, have not found a good one yet. Thanks!
Hi J! I hope you enjoy the wooden spoons! I love using it, the texture of spoons are nice too for stirring.
I use a regular glass dispenser. I put it in a dish washer to clean once in a while but since i use it, I realized that a cap was not necessary. Let me see if I can find the one I use on Amazon.
http://amzn.to/2tevQgi
Like this one, very basic… I have a tall one and short one. 🙂
Hi
I like your recipes, I try it hear in Nigeria for the Japanese in Honda company and they like it. thank you.
Hi Elizabeth! So happy to hear that. Thank you so much for your kind feedback! 🙂
If I didn’t want to use the microwave and just cook the kabocha on the stove, how would I adjust the time?
You can boil the kabocha until firm but tender. If you cook too long, it gets mushy. You will still need to stir fry, so you don’t have to boil till soft. 🙂
Your tutorial on cutting kabob ha says to microwave for 3 minutes. In this recipe, after slicing the squash thin and then microwaving for 2 minutes is called for. Do I do both microwave times, first to c prepare the squash for cutting and then to help the squash become soft before seasoning and serving?
Hi Sue! In my how to cut kabocha tutorial we microwave 2-4 minutes so that you can cut the tough kabocha in half and into slices (it’s optional in case you can’t really cut kabocha). Now in this step, it’s actual cooking kabocha flesh. You can steam if you like, instead of the microwave. You want to keep the slices instead of mushy texture, so you have to cut into slices first and then cook until just tender (and you will stir fry more). Hope that helps!
Dear Namiko San
Some times I’d like to share your food preparation did it need permission or not??
Arigattogozaimishita
Hi Abubakir! Where do you share my recipe? If you’re sharing on your blog/website, please link back to the original recipe instead of copying and pasting my recipe on your website. 🙂
I made this today for lunch and it’s so yummy! Great balance of flavors! My family loves Kabocha 🙂
Hi Lauren! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for your kind feedback! 🙂
The sauce is delicious!!! I didn’t have the ground pork or the kabocha so I used chicken thighs chopped into 1 in pieces and snow peas that I blanched and added at the end. It was perfect. Even my picky hubs loved it! I served it with the amazuzuke pickle recipe. YUM. Will definitely make again!
Hi Nikki!
We are so happy to hear you enjoyed this sauce with chicken and snow peas!
Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback.