First things first: What's a kabocha squash and how do I turn it into a puree?
The kabocha is a Japanese squash that tastes very similar to pumpkin and is also incredibly similar in texture. It's better than a pumpkin though because it's flavor is mildly sweet. It almost has a mild chestnut flavor to it. Kabochas come in all sorts of sizes and are sometimes all orange or sometimes all dark green or sometimes green and orange. Kabocha squash is super affordable and packed with vitamins. These four recipes I've created all include a kabocha puree. I've turned kabochas into purees too many times to count, with & without a food processor, and after so many band aids & burned kabochas I can promise you this is the easiest and safest way to turn that squash into a puree.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place the whole squash on a cookie sheet and place in the oven
Let bake for 20-30 minutes - the squash should slightly darken in color and the skin should look a little puffy
Remove and let cool till it’s easy to handle - about 15 minutes
Cut squash in half and deseed
Try to start separating the skin from the kabocha meat - I used a paring knife. If you’re having difficulty cutting the skin away, place the kabocha halves back onto the cookie sheet and continue to bake at 350 degrees for another 10-15 minutes or until you see the skin separate from the kabocha meat in the oven.
Cut the kabocha into smaller pieces and place in the food processor with the blade attachment*
Process kabocha meat into a smooth puree
Congrats! You now have kabocha puree to use for the next five recipes!
*If you do not have a food processor or blender cook the kabocha for an additional 15-30 minutes after you have halved it. Eventually the squash will become soft enough that you can mash it with a fork or your hands. Just keep baking it till it becomes soft enough. Cut off any burned sections.
Vegan & Gluten-Free Kabocha Crackers
Yield: enough for 2-4 people
Total Time: less than 90 minutes
Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup warm water
½ cup kabocha puree
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cornstarch
½ tsp nutmeg
1 ¼ cups brown rice flour
4 cloves crushed garlic
sea salt/salt flakes for tops
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix together the oil, water, puree, and crushed garlic
Mix together salt, baking powder, cornstarch, nutmeg, and flour
Combine bowls and mix/knead well
Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and dump dough onto the cookie sheet
Using your hands, flatten the dough to be as thin as possible
Sprinkle with sea salt/salt flakes
Using a pizza cutter, gently cut the flattened dough into a grid
Bake for 20 minutes, rotate tray, bake for additional 20-25 minutes
Let cool completely and enjoy!
Vegan Kabocha Pancakes
Yield: serves 2-3 people
Total Time: less than 45 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg
2 tbl brown sugar
½ cup kabocha puree
¾ cup vegan milk - I used coconut
2 tbl oil
Vegan butter for frying pan
Instructions:
Mix together all ingredients and whisk well. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Heat a large frying pan and melt 1 tablespoon vegan butter
Scoop batter onto pan and let pancakes cook for 3-4 minutes, flip, and let cook for 3-4 minutes more. I made mini pancakes and measured out 2 tablespoons per pancake.
Serve with vegan butter, maple syrup, and enjoy!
Vegan & Gluten-Free Kabocha Soup
Yield: serves 1-2 people
Total Time: less than 45 minutes
Ingredients:
½ cup kabocha puree
1 red bell pepper
3 cloves garlic
small bunch of baby broccoli
1 ½ cups veggie broth
¼ tsp turmeric
½ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp salt - add more as needed
1 tbl olive oil
pepper to taste
Instructions:
Dice the pepper, crush the garlic, and chop the broccoli
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan
Add the pepper, garlic, and broccoli to the saucepan and saute for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Leave undisturbed for minutes at a time to char the broccoli and peppers.
Add the broth, kabocha puree, and seasonings to the saucepan. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
Transfer soup to a food processor or blender and puree all ingredients. Feel free to skip this step if you don’t have this equipment or if you like a chunky soup.
Transfer back to the saucepan and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Add more broth if you want a thinner consistency.
Top with parsley, cilantro, more spices, sriracha, ect..
Enjoy!
Vegan Kabocha Muffins
Yield - 12 muffins
Time - 1 ½ hours
Ingredients:
about 1 cup kabocha puree
1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water (this is your egg replacer)
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup apple sauce
1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
Steps:
Mix squash puree, applesauce, sugar, and cornstarch mix together in a bowl
In a separate bowl, mix all your remaining ingredients
Combine bowls and mix thoroughly
Grease your muffin pan or line it with cups and pour in your batter - be sure to leave enough space for the muffins to rise, I suggest filling them halfway since these muffins don’t really rise into a dome shape
Bake for 20-25 minutes
Let cool, drizzle frosting on top (if you want), enjoy!
Easy Frosting Recipe:
Combine 1 cup powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons water
Mix and continue to very slowly add water until desired consistency is reached
Drizzle it on!
Can't wait to hear which recipes ya'll decide to give a try! I'll be making another post soon that features the kabocha squash in slices or cubes instead of the puree form. There's just so much you can do with this squash! I get my kabochas from the farm I work for but you can find them at most Asian grocery markets in the produce sections. Since this squash is so similar to a pumpkin you can swap any recipe that contains pumpkin with a kabocha squash instead. One of the best things about the kabocha squash is that it can last on your counter for MONTHS. Seriously. I left one on my counter for 7 months once. So just go buy one already and then think about what you want to do with it.