Steamed Pumpkin Kueh with Minced Meat

The idea of these pumpkin kueh came from this blog. I adapted the recipe to my own ingredients.  It was such a clever idea to use cloves to act as the stalk.  It added a special taste and aroma to the kueh.  The banana leaves also released an aromatic smell while steaming.

Ingredients

For Dough

280g pumpkin - peeled, sliced thinly, steamed and mashed

1 carrot - peeled, sliced thinly, steamed and mashed - optional

200g to 300g glutinous rice flour

For Fillings

250g minced meat

6 shitake mushroom - soaked and chopped into small pieces

1 1/2 tbsp dried prawns - soaked and drained

3 tbsp roasted peanuts

2 shallots - sliced

3 cloves garlic

1 tbsp cooking oil

Sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp rice wine

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

pinch of salt

pinch of pepper

pinch of sugar

Other ingredients

banana leaves

14 cloves

chilli sauce for dipping

Method

1. Steam the pumpkin and carrot till cooked, about 10-15 minutes.
2. In the meantime, heat up cooking oil in a pan.  Saute the shallot and garlic till aromatic.  Add dried prawns and continue to fry till aromatic.  Add mushroom and fry for another 1 to 2 minutes.  Add sauce and do a quick stir fry to combine well.  Add roasted peanuts and mix well.  Transfer to a bowl for wrapping later.
3. When the cooked pumpkin and carrot is slightly cooled, knead in glutinous rice flour till the dough becomes pliable and does not stick to your hands.  Add the flour in part so that you can gauge if it is enough to make the dough.
4. Divide the dough into 14 pieces.  Flatten each piece of dough into a small circle, place 1 tbsp meat fillings onto the centre and seal it properly and roll it round.
5. Place the sealed side down and shape it like a pumpkin by using a butter knife to draw out the grooves of a pumpkin. Take a clove each and stick it on top of each pumpkin to let it appear as a stalk.
6. Place each shaped pumpkin onto a square piece of greased baking paper or banana leaf and place them into a hot steamer to steam for 10 to 15 minutes or until cooked. 
7. Enjoy these delicious pumpkins while they are still warm, with some chilli sauce to go with them.