Japanese pumpkin dessert recipe
About healthy and easy Japanese pumpkin dessert recipe
This is a dessert called “Kabocha yokan” or “Kabocha kan” in Japan. It is a simple jelly made from pumpkin, agar, sugar and water. The texture is smooth and has a vivid orange colour. You can taste puur pumpkin. Japanese pumpkin dessert is very healthy since pumpkin has lots of vitamins and minerals. Further you can get dietary fibers and this dessert contains no fat. It doesn’t use dairy products, so vegan people can eat it. Due to its high nutritional value, pumpkin desserts are often made as snacks for children in Japan. Now, I would like to explain some points to make it successful in the next paragraph.
Recipe tips for Japanese pumpkin dessert
What type of pumpkin is good for this recipe?
If you could find a kabocha, use it for this recipe. Kabocha is a Japanese variety of pumpkin and is sweet and the texture is soft and flaky. Often you can find kabocha at Asian super market. If you can’t find a kabocha pumpkin, it’s a good idea to choose a variety close to it. For more information about kabocha, click the link below.
About pureed pumpkin
I usually cook pumpkin in the microwave and then strain it with a fine strainer in order to enjoy the smoothness of the pumpkin. However, you can use a food processor to puree the cooked pumpkin. If you prefer a very smooth texture, strain the puree, made with a food processor, again.
Adjusting the sweetness and sugar type
Since pumpkin is a natural product, there are considerable individual differences in sweetness. So be sure to check the taste after adding sugar and pumpkin puree. The sweetness is modest in this recipe, so adjust it to your liking here.
I use both white sugar and light brown sugar together (2/3 white and 1/3 light brown sugar) to add depth to the taste, but if you like a very bright orange finish, you can use white sugar only.
How to prevent jelly separation
When the puree has melted, remove the pot from the heat, soak the pot in a bowl of cold water and stir gently with a rubber spatura until lightly thickened. (Be careful not to let water get into the pot.) Then pour it into the mold.
When making home-made pumpkin jelly, the puree may settle in the agar solution, resulting in a two-layer jelly. To prevent this, it is important to constantly stir the agar solution as it cools. By doing this, the pumpkin puree will not settle and will spread throughout the agar solution.
Variations with flavor and sauce for Japanese pumpkin dessert
If you love pumpkin, simply adding sugar will be tasty enough. However, you can also add a little cinnamon powder, or grated ginger or lemon juice to change the taste.
It’s also very delicious with caramel sauce or maple syrup poured over the top at serving. Please try various things and make it to your favourite dessert.
Japanese pumpkin dessert – healthy and easy
Equipment
- Mold for 500 ml content or 4 x 125 ml bowl / cup
Ingredients
- 500 gram Pumpkin (net apporx. 350g after removing seeds and skin). Prefer Kabocha pumpkin.
- 300 ml Water
- 3 gram Agar powder (this amount can be different per product)
- 90 gram Sugar
Instructions
- Cut pumpkin and remove the seeds and peel the skin. Cut into bite-size pieces.Place the pumpkin on a heat-resistant plate, cover it with plastic wrap, and cook for 5 minutes with 750W. It depends on the amount and watt. Set less time and check if pumpkins are cooked through. (insert the skewer or fork if it goes through smoothly, it is cooked.) If not, cook further 30 seconds or so and check it again. Repeat this until the pumpkin is well cooked.
- Strain cooked pumpkin with a fine strainer or puree with a food processor while the pumpkin is hot. When it cools down, it becomes difficult to strain.
- Put water (300 ml) in a small pot and add agar powder and stir well. Cook on medium heat until it boils. Then turn down to low heat and simmer further a couple of minutes. Agar should be melted completely and the water and agar mixture becomes transparent.
- Add sugar and stir gently until the sugar is resolved. Then add pumpkin puree and mix with a whisk gently until well mixed.
- Remove the pot from the heat, soak the pot in a bowl of cold water and stir gently with a rubber spatura until lightly thickened.
- Wet the mold or dessert bowls by letting it pass through water and drain the water well. Pour the pumpkin jelly mixture into the mold and refrigerate.
Notes
If you have any pumpkin left, try to make a simmered Japanese pumpkin. Please click the link below.
Thank you for reading. Bon Appetit!
