Chinese language pumpkin cake options a good looking golden crispy crust that’s gooey and sticky like mochi inside, with a candy purple bean paste filling. It makes a scrumptious and wholesome dessert for after dinner and a enjoyable snack throughout Chinese language festivals. The recipe consists of the standard frying methodology and an air fryer methodology. {Gluten-Free, Vegan}
After a sizzling, dry summer season, I’m excited for the approaching fall season. In New York, we’ve had some very cool breezes and the climate has been so snug. And it’s so good to see fall produce beginning to pile up at our native grocery retailer and farmers market. Right this moment I wish to share this classic dim sum – Chinese language pumpkin cake, for the upcoming season.
What’s Chinese language pumpkin cake
Chinese language pumpkin cake (南瓜饼, Nan Gua Bing) is a very fashionable dessert and snack. Again in China, it was a kind of desserts you’d see on restaurant menus very often. The pumpkin cake is just like mochi, which has a gooey texture, however the floor is crunchy and crispy. The pores and skin has a good looking orange colour from the pumpkin puree. It’s typically stuffed with a candy filling equivalent to purple bean paste. Generally it’s merely fried till crispy and served with a sprinkle of sugar.
Elements for making Chinese language pumpkin cake
Making Chinese language pumpkin cake could be very simple and requires simply 4 elements.
Glutinous rice flour (糯米)
Glutinous rice flour, also referred to as candy rice flour or sticky rice flour, is a gluten-free flour that’s generally used to make Chinese dim sum and Japanese mochi. When blended with liquid, the flour will begin to develop into sticky like clay and could be simply formed. If you happen to’ve by no means labored with glutinous rice flour earlier than, no worries! It’s so a lot simpler to work with than common flour and it is rather forgiving.
Pumpkin or pumpkin puree
In China, it is rather widespread to make pumpkin puree from scratch to make this dish. However to make cooking simpler, I opted to make use of canned pumpkin puree. It saves a number of time and the result’s wonderful.
If you happen to choose to prepare dinner from a uncooked pumpkin, the most effective one is red kuri pumpkin. It’s a kind of pumpkin you’ll be able to often discover at Asian markets. It has a really candy style and brilliant orange flesh. It really works completely for this dish. Alternatively, you may as well use common pumpkin or kabocha for this dish.
If you happen to prepare dinner from uncooked pumpkin, do observe that the flour ratio can change dramatically relying on the pumpkin texture. I’ll clarify extra within the recipe beneath.
Pink bean paste (红豆沙)
Generally Chinese language pumpkin truffles are served plain with none filling. However I discovered the purple bean stuffed ones to be additional scrumptious.
If you happen to choose, you can also make your individual red bean paste from scratch. Alternatively, you may as well purchase bagged purple bean paste from the Asian market or from Amazon.
How you can make Chinese language pumpkin cake
Making Chinese language pumpkin truffles is tremendous enjoyable and simple. Positively let your children enable you with it as a result of the recipe is forgiving and it feels such as you’re enjoying with clay.
- Combine the pumpkin puree with the glutinous rice flour to make a dough
- Divide the dough into small items and form it into balls
- Form the purple bean paste into small balls for the filling
- To assemble, flatten the dough together with your arms to kind a disk
- Place the purple bean paste filling within the middle
- Wrap the dough across the filling to seal it
- Spherical out the stuffed cake then gently flatten it
- Dip either side into bread crumbs
NOTE:
- If you happen to prepare dinner the pumpkin from scratch, the quantity of glutinous rice flour you’ll use can fluctuate loads, relying on the feel of the squash. If you happen to use canned pumpkin puree, you may nonetheless must make small changes relying on the model you utilize.
- Be sure to cowl the dough and the assembled buns with plastic wrap. The dough will probably be more durable to work with if it begins to dry out.
How you can prepare dinner Chinese language pumpkin cake
Historically, Chinese language pumpkin truffles are deep fried till golden crispy. To simplify the method, right here I wish to introduce methods to shallow fry them, and methods to make them in an air fryer.
The shallow fry methodology
The shallow fry methodology is kind of simple. You need to use a pan or pot on the smaller facet if you do not need to make use of an excessive amount of oil, however you will have to prepare dinner in batches.
Make sure that to fill the pan with sufficient oil to cowl the pancakes not less than midway up. The frying temperature shouldn’t be too excessive – the oil ought to have small to medium bubbles whenever you add the pumpkin truffles. If the pumpkin turns golden too quick, it is best to flip off the warmth to let the oil temperature drop a bit. In any other case the pumpkin cake floor will char an excessive amount of whereas the within remains to be uncooked.
The air fryer methodology
The air fryer methodology is a bit simpler than the pan fry methodology and it makes use of much less oil. Merely spray the pumpkin truffles with oil spray and air fry. The pumpkin truffles will flip golden crispy very quickly.
Which methodology is best?
I do just like the outcomes for the shallow fry a bit higher as a result of:
- The fried pumpkin truffles have a extra even colour
- The mouth really feel is a little more oily however the truffles extra aromatic
- The feel is barely extra moist
Nevertheless, I do suppose the air fry methodology is a superb various if you wish to make the cooking simpler and use much less oil.
How you can serve and retailer Chinese language pumpkin truffles
Chinese language pumpkin truffles style the most effective once they’re nonetheless sizzling. The floor will probably be tremendous crispy, and the dough gooey and sticky like mochi. The purple bean paste can also be extra moist and tender at this level. When the pumpkin truffles cool off, they may begin to really feel extra chewy and fewer moist, however will nonetheless be scrumptious.
Retailer the leftover pumpkin truffles within the fridge or freezer. I extremely advocate reheating them earlier than consuming, to crisp up the floor once more. You may simply reheat them in an air fryer, an oven or on range prime (see the strategies within the recipe beneath).
Chinese language pumpkin truffles are an ideal dessert to serve on the finish of a meal. And it’s a wholesome snack to munch on at any time of the day. I hope you get pleasure from this one and comfortable cooking!
Different scrumptious Chinese language sweets
Chinese language Pumpkin Cake (南瓜饼)
Chinese language pumpkin cake options a good looking golden crispy crust that’s gooey and sticky like mochi inside, with a candy purple bean paste filling. It makes a scrumptious and wholesome dessert for after dinner and a enjoyable snack throughout Chinese language festivals. The recipe consists of the standard frying methodology and an air fryer methodology. {Gluten-Free, Vegan}
Directions
Make pumpkin puree (non-obligatory)
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(Optionally available) If making pumpkin puree from raw pumpkin – Minimize the pumpkin into massive bite-size items. Fill a steamer with water and convey to a boil. Place pumpkin on a steaming rack, pores and skin facet down. Cowl pot and convey to a boil over medium-high warmth. Flip to low warmth and steam till the pumpkin can simply be pierced with a fork, about quarter-hour. Switch pumpkin to a plate to chill. Scoop the pumpkin flesh from the pores and skin and add it into a big bowl. Smash into paste.
Make the pumpkin cake
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Slowly mix glutinous rice flour into pumpkin paste, about 2 tablespoons at a time. Whisk with a pair of chopsticks (or a fork), till flour is totally included. Add extra flour and preserve mixing, till the flour turns into troublesome to mix. Mud each arms with rice flour. Knead the dough along with one hand till it varieties a constant and tender dough. The dough must be simply picked up by hand and will follow the underside of the bowl a bit. Choose up the dough and use each arms to press and knead the dough for an additional 5 minutes to mix the rice flour in properly. The floor of the dough must be clean and also you shouldn’t discover any stray flour on or contained in the dough.
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Put bread crumbs in a tall plate or a bowl and put aside.
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To organize the filling, scoop 2 teaspoons of purple bean paste and form it right into a small ball utilizing your arms. Repeat till you’ve made 16 purple bean filling balls.
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Divide the dough into 4 equal components, then divide every of these components into 4 small items (about 41 g per dough piece). Form every small piece right into a dough ball with each arms.
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To make pumpkin buns: Maintain a dough ball in a single hand and use the opposite hand to press it right into a flat, spherical form, about 2” (5 cm) in diameter. Place the purple bean paste within the middle. Wrap the dough across the filling and pinch the perimeters collectively to seal the filling, forming a ball once more. Gently press the ball till it’s formed like a mini pancake, about 1/2” (1 cm) thick.
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Place the buns within the bread crumbs, urgent gently so the bread crumbs coat the floor. Flip to coat the opposite facet. Course of the remainder of the dough in the identical method to make 15 pumpkin truffles.
Cook dinner the pumpkin cake
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If utilizing stovetop: Warmth 1/2” (1 cm) oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high warmth till sizzling. Cook dinner in batches by inserting a number of pumpkin truffles into the skillet. Fry over medium-low warmth for two minutes, till the underside facet turns golden brown. Flip the buns and fry the opposite facet over lowest warmth for an additional 2 minutes. Test the underside facet of the buns after 1 minute. If the colour has already turned brown, flip to low warmth, and permit to take a seat for an additional minute. Switch to a plate to chill.
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If utilizing an air fryer: Preheat the air fryer for 10 minutes at 350°F (176°C). Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper. Place the pumpkin truffles into the basket with out overlapping and depart a little bit of area in between. Spray the highest of the truffles with a beneficiant quantity of oil. Cook dinner for six minutes, till the highest turns into golden. Take out the basket, flip, and spray with oil. Air fry for an additional 4 minutes till the highest turns into golden crispy, and the pumpkin truffles have barely ballooned.
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Let the pumpkin truffles cool barely earlier than serving. Serve sizzling or at room temperature. Retailer in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days or within the freezer for 3 months. Thaw the truffles earlier than reheating. You may reheat the cake in a 300°F (150°C) air fryer or oven till the cake is heat all through. You may as well reheat them on the range prime by including a little bit of oil into the pan, protecting the pan, and reheating over low warmth.
Video
Diet
Serving: 1serving, Energy: 134kcal, Carbohydrates: 28.4g, Protein: 2.5g, Fats: 1.1g, Saturated Fats: 0.2g, Sodium: 36mg, Potassium: 61mg, Fiber: 1.9g, Sugar: 1.1g, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 1mg
