As we all know, rice is a staple in Chinese cuisine. While I don’t think rice tastes good on its own because it’s just plain and bland, it does pair beautifully with dishes that come with rich, savoury gravies or sauces. Also I like its versatility when it comes to cooking because there are endless possibilities to create all kinds of rice dishes from fried rice to baked rice, congee, sushi, wrap and even sweet rice pudding.

One of my personal favourites is to use pumpkin in rice for an added layer of fragrance and natural sweetness as well as to give an orangey hue to the dish. It works similarly like a regular fried rice where all ingredients are combined and mixed together but for this pumpkin rice recipe, it is cooked in a rice cooker so the pumpkin pieces can be steamed and softened before disintegrating into the rice. It makes an excellent make-ahead meal – tastes better at lunch the next day 😉 Enjoy this Cabbage and Pumpkin Rice Recipe!

Cabbage and Pumpkin Rice Recipe

Ingredients (serves 4)
1 1/2 cups raw brown rice, rinsed & drained
230g pumpkin, peeled & cut into bite sized pieces
300g Chinese cabbage, finely chopped up
300g chicken breast meat, cut into bite sized pieces
40g dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 1/2 hour & sliced
30g dried shrimps, soaked in water for 1/2 hour & drained
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 1/2 cup water

Marinate for chicken:
1/2 tbsp Chinese rice wine
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp corn flour
1/2 tsp sugar
dash of white pepper

Seasoning for rice:
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

Instructions
1. Marinate chicken and chill in fridge for at least an hour before cooking.
2. Heat oil in pan and stir fry the dried shrimps till fragrant and golden brown.
3. Add mushrooms and chicken and stir fry till meat is no longer pink.
4. Add pumpkin and cabbage and briefly stir fry for a minute.
5. Add rice and seasonings. Stir fry thoroughly to combine.
6. Transfer contents to the rice cooker. Add water and cook as per normal like you would for regular steamed rice.

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