Hobaktteok (Pumpkin rice cake)

Hobaktteok is a type of rice cake made with non-glutinous rice powder and steamed pumpkin. Tteok has a long history in Korea. It can be served as a main dish as a substitute for rice, or as a special food for a festive day or birthday. There are various kinds of tteok with different ingredients.

Ingredients

● 5 cups non-glutinous rice powder, 1/2 tbsp salt, 2/3 cups sugar

● 2 sweet pumpkins

● 10 cups water

● garnish: 2 jujubes, 16 pumpkin seeds

1. Scrape out the insides from the pumpkins.

2. Sprinkle salt on the rice powder and sieve.

3. Clean the jujube and cut it into flower shapes.

4. Pour water into the steaming pot and put on high heat. When it gives off steam, put the pumpkin in and steam it for 15 minutes. Scrape the flesh from the pumpkin.

5. Add the pumpkin flesh and sugar to the rice powder, rub in thoroughly, then sieve.

6. Pour water into the steaming pot and put on a high heat. When it boils, layer cotton cloths on the bottom of the pot and put the cake mold on them. Put the rice and pumpkin mixture into the mold then plane the surface. Put X-shaped slits in the mixture at intervals of 5 cm, top with jujube and pumpkin seeds.

7. Steam the tteok for another 15 min.

Tips

● To prevent the sweet pumpkin becoming watery, the pumpkin should be kept upright while steaming.

● Pumpkin skin may be used for garnish by cutting into sheets and boiling down with sugar.

(Adapted from the Institute of Traditional Korean Food)