Today’s recipe is for hobakjuk, pumpkin porridge. Sweet, smooth, and comforting, with chewy rice cake balls. Hobakjuk is very popular in Korea in the late fall and winter, and my version is a bit of an upscale version because I stuff some of the rice cake balls with pine nuts and I make a pretty flower garnish with persimmon, jujube, and pumpkin seeds.

In the fall my grandmother used to harvest Korean pumpkins from her backyard and store them in her pantry for the winter. They were large, round, short, and tan, about 12 to 15 inches in diameter. Whenever she wanted to make hobakjuk she would take one out and make porridge with it.

These days in New York City, I can never find Korean pumpkins, but I figured out how to make hobakjuk with other kinds of squash like butternut squash and kabocha (danhobak in Korean). When I went to the market, this wonderful pumpkin really stood out. There were a lot of pumpkins there, but this one was the largest, most beautiful, and perfect. After one month it got some freckles and I decided to make hobakjuk with it and film this video. I brought a backup kabocha in case the pumpkin was not good inside, but it turned out delicious!

Hope you enjoy this recipe, and try making hobakjuk with whatever squash is available to you! It’s just a few simple ingredients, but they will make you and your family feel warm and cozy!

hobakjuk (pumpkin porridge)

Ingredients

For garnish (optional)

  • 1 large dried jujube
  • 1 dried persimmon
  • a few of shelled pumpkin seeds

Directions

Prepare pumpkin:

  1. Put the pumpkin into a heavy pot, add 3 cups of water and cover. Cook for 15 minutes over medium high heat.
  2. Open, add the beans and cover. Cook another 15 minutes, until it’s soft enough to be scoopable and the beans are cooked. If everything is still hard, cook a little longer. You may have to add more water.
  3. Let it cool down.

Prepare the dough:

  1. Get a large and a small bowl. In the larger one add 1 cup glutinous rice flour and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. We’ll use this to make our rice balls.
  2. In the smaller one add ¼ cup glutinous rice flour and a pinch of salt. We’ll use this as a reserve for dusting and to make the porridge thicker and stickier later.
  3. Add hot water to the large bowl. Mix it up with a wooden spoon. When it’s cool enough to handle by hand, knead it until you make a lump of smooth and soft dough, about 1 minute. Put the dough in a plastic bag and set aside for 10 minutes.

Make rice cake balls:

  1. Use about 1 tablespoon from the small bowl to dust your cutting board.
  2. Divide the lump of dough into 2 workable portions. While you’re working with the first portion, cover the other with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.
  3. Tear off a small piece of dough about ½ inch in diameter. Push a few pine nuts into the center and roll it between your hands into a ball. Put it on the cutting board and repeat until your pine nuts run out. Then start making plain rice cake balls with no pine nuts, and keep going until you’ve used up both portions of dough. Cover the balls with plastic wrap so they don’t dry out.rice cake balls

Make pumpkin porridge:

  1. Transfer the cooked pumpkin to a large plate or large bowl. Scoop out the cooked pumpkin flesh with a spoon and put it back into the pot. Discard the skin.
  2. Mash the pumpkin with a potato masher or a wooden spoon until smooth.
  3. Add 3 cups of water and cover. Bring it to a boil for about 7 to 8 minutes over medium high heat.
  4. Add the rice cake balls and stir a few times.
  5. Add ¼ cup water to the smaller bowl of reserved rice flour. Mix it well with a spoon.rice mixture
  6. Put it into the pot, it will make the porridge a little stickier. Stir a few times.
  7. When all the rice cake balls are floating to the surface, cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  8. Remove from the heat and add ½ teaspoon kosher salt and sugar to your taste.

How to make a jujube-persimmon flower:

If you’d like to make a garnish like I did in the video, here’s how you do it. It’s totally optional.

  1. Hold a jujube in one hand and your knife vertically in the other. Push the blade into the jujube until you feel it touch the seed. Work your knife around the seed and turn the jujube in your hand until the seed is totally cut out of the fruit. Discard the seed.
  2. Roll the sliced jujube fruit into the shape of a cylinder and squeeze it tightly in your hand so it sticks together. Cut it crosswise into 1/8 inch thick slices that look like flowers.
  3. Use your scissors to cut the persimmon along its outer edge to create a thin, 2½ inch long strip.

Serve:

  1. Ladle some porridge into an individual bowl and garnish (if you use) with jujube, dried persimmon strip, and green pumpkin seeds. Serve right away with kimchi or water kimchi, or vegetable and fruit water kimchi.
  2. If you have some leftover, put it into an airtight container and refrigerate up to 1 to 2 days. You can serve it cold or reheat it in a small pan and serve warm.

hobakjuk

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175 Comments:

  1. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    ginger,
    no, you need sweet rice powder to make hobakjuk. Sweet rice is sticky glutinous rice.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapioca

  2. hey maangchi~
    is the dough thing…kind of like sweet tapioca?

  3. Sylvia joined 9/08 & has 78 comments

    I made this today, yummy.

  4. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Lillian,
    “roasted flavor was actually nice”, I agree with you. : )

  5. Hi Maangchi,

    I just made this and it was so good, especially on this cold and windy night. My squash scorched a little bit when I was steaming it (ran out of water), but I made the soup anyway and the roasted flavor was actually nice. I made a small amount: only 1/2 a kabocha squash and 1/2 c. mochiko. It was perfect for just one person (my BF doesn’t like squash :P). Thanks for the recipe–I will definitely make it again!

  6. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    mei,
    oh, I see!
    Thank you!

  7. maangchii
    actually my oven-butternut squash fries follows recipes i browsed randomly from internet =D i dont have any exact recipe/measurement but usally i simply slice it thinly and coat it with egg (or egg whites to reduce calories) then coat it with bread crumbs and bake it till crisp.. ^^

  8. Hi,,,you know your so great i envy u a lot…
    Thats why i always follow your recipe,i wish i could learn them all…Because Iam Pilipina and my husband is korean he dont like some of philippine food,,,
    and i always cook only fried egg and kimchi chigae…
    for about one year…but then one day i found your site…after i watch i first try your dubukki…
    My husband said that it was great.
    So i will try all of your recipe i wish i can make same as yours…More power to you…
    And thank you very much,you made our relationship more strong b’cuz of your delicious recipes…
    Thanks again…

  9. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Nellie,
    Sweet pumpkin rice porridge? It sounds unfamiliar to me! : ) But why don’t you try?
    I sometimes use rice in red bean porridge (patjuk) and mung bean porridge (nokdujuk), but never use rice in pumpkin porridge.

  10. Maangchi,

    I currently live in S. Korea and I found sweet pumpkin rice porridge for sale in the grocery store. It’s like a cross between your recipe and rice porridge. Can I make your recipe and add some rice to it for the same flavor? Or, is it a different type of juk?

    Thank you for the wonderful post. I will try making hobak juk this weekend.

  11. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    mei,
    When you have free time, please let us know the recipe for your oven fried chips using butternut squash on the forum here at https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/general-discussion

    Interesting!

  12. thank you maangchi! =]
    yes, i usually bake it too, sometimes puree it for soup, or cut to thin slices (as an oven-fried chips)..its soo good =D will try this next time ^^

  13. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    mei,
    yes, it’ll be ok to make rice cake balls in advance.
    Don’t forget to cook them fully until they are floating.

    I love butternut squash, too. Sometimes I bake it in the oven. When it’s cooked, I put some honey, cinnamon powder, and a little bit of butter and scoop it to eat. It’s another way of eating butternut squash.

  14. hi maangchi,
    is it ok to make the balls ahead of time and store it in the fridge overnight?
    thanks for the recipe =)) i love butternut squash!

  15. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    mattlai,
    I’m happy to hear about your success in making hobakjuk! Congratulation!

  16. OHH Maangchi… I made this a wonderful desert-like soup by adding 1/4cup more sugar and 2-3 TBS of cinnamon! It was goood!!!! Thanks for the hobakjuk recipe!

  17. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Sylvia,
    yes, cooking is fun for me especially when I’m hungry. : )

    VB,
    Look at the very top of the recipe to see what kind of category this dish belongs to.

    It could be used as main meal, appetizer, or snack.
    When it’s warm, it’s more delicious.

  18. This dish is very interesting! May I know if this is considered a dessert if eaten cold and a porridge if eaten warm/hot (as in as a meal) or is it part of a meal?

    ps. Looks like u are all set for Halloween!

  19. Sylvia joined 9/08 & has 78 comments

    Happy Halloween!!
    You are so cute in the wig, and you always look like you are having fun cooking. I think I will make this on a snow day when all the kids are stuck home (they will help). Cooked squash freezes well so I’ll freeze some now while they are plentiful at the produce market.

  20. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Andree-Anne,
    Thank you for updating your successful hobakjuk making!

  21. Andree-Anne& has 2 comments

    Hiii!!
    I’ve made your receipe tonight and it taste really good! I’ve added some of the chinese 5 spicies on it! I’ll do this receipe again for sure!
    Thanks a lot!

  22. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    nazarene,
    I’m very glad to hear that my recipes may help you save money. Eating good food is very important. Don’t get too hungry. : )

  23. nazarene& has 3 comments

    I’m really interested in Korean culture and when I watch Korean shows, they make the food look so good!!

    But since I’m a starving vegan student, I don’t really have the money to buy vegetarian ingredients or the special ingredients like gochujang.

    But with your recipes, making korean food is easy for me now!

    Thanks, these were a great help!!!

    Now, I can eat hobakjook whenever I want to!!

  24. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Ann,
    Is joraengiddeok (조랭이떡) made with plain rice flour?
    If so, I would not recommend using it.
    Please make the rice cake balls made with sweet rice flour. : ) And make it when you eat it and serve hot.
    I never make hobakjuk in advance.

    leftover porridge will be kept in the fridge for next day. You can eat it either cold or hot. Cold hobakjuk will thicken. I usually put some water in the thicken porridge and heat it again. Don’t forget to stir it on an off.
    The density of porridge is controlled by the amount of extra water you put.

  25. Thanks for the recipe Maangchi.Here in Korea I bought 조랭이 떡 so I don’t need to make the rice cake balls.I plan to make hobakjuk today and my family will eat it tomorrow,so can I just put the rice cake balls in now and keep in refrigerator?or make the porridge for now,keep in refrigerator and tomorrow when we eat,heat it up and add the rice cake balls in?Is the hobakjuk supposed to be served hot or cold?If the rice cake balls are only added before serving,can I put 조랭이 떡 in freezer because I’m afraid they will be dried if I put them in room temp.for a day (or maybe two)

  26. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Lu,
    1.Yeah, I used 3/4 cup of hot water plus maybe 1-2 tbs more later for 2 cups of sweet rice flour. Prepare 1 cup of hot water for 2 cups of rice flour, then control the moisture. The amount of hot water depends on how dry the flour is. It should feel like an earlobe. : )
    If it’s too dry, you will have to add a little more hot water.

    2.Yes, the rice cake balls are used in red bean porridge (팥죽: potjuk). But as you see in the video, the rice cake balls for hobakjuk is very small.

    I’m going to post the recipe forred bean porridge later.

  27. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Anna,
    Did you leave your question on Forum? I was going to find a Korean grocery in Uruguay through searching Korean website, but can’t find any.

  28. Hi maangchi! I was wondering is this rice cake recipe can also be used to make the dukbokki rice cake?

  29. Hi, Maangchi! Great recipe and video. You look so cute in your wig, and your captions are so funny. (“Me! Me! Maangchi!”) I have two questions about the rice balls. (1) When you first mixed in the water, it looked so dry! I have this problem with all kinds of dough, so I want to ask you if you added any more water as you were mixing the rice flour balls. Or does the dough keep getting moister as you knead it? (2) are these the same kind of rice balls that are used in the red bean porridge (which I think is eaten during the winter holidays?)?

    Thank you for posting all these recipes and stories.

    Lu

  30. Thanks for the reply,Maangchi. I live in Uruguay, and I can’t find “arroz pegajoso”(sticky rice)in the grocery,
    much more the “harina de arroz pegajosa”(sticky rice flour). There aren’t much asians around here, and I’ve never been to the only one “asian store” here, but I’m sure in Argentina they have asian stores that carry “exotic” products..and I’ve heard of a Korean community in Flores…when I go to Argentina I’ll surely visit it. Again, thanks for the reply..

  31. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Anna,
    I never use plain flour to make rice cake balls.
    I hope you can find right ingredient. Where do you live?
    Check the forum under “Where do you buy Korean ingredients?”. If you don’t find any information that you are looking for, leave your question there. Someone who knows where you can get glutinous rice flour in your area may give you good answer.

  32. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Josh,
    how are you! How do you like living in Korea? : )
    Made heukimjajuk (black sesame porridge)? I’m impressed!
    Anyway, I recommend getting danhobak (“단호박” in Korean) to make hobakjuk.

    http://www.chosun.com/se/news/200410/200410280168.html

    http://www.wildplant.kr/comzy/bbs/board.php?bo_table=w_horti&sfl=wr_subject%7C%7Cwr_content&stx=%B7%B9%BA%A3&wr_id=116036

    You can make hobakjuk either the first one or the second one.

    Let me know how your hobakjuk turns out!

  33. love your costume!!!! you look so pretty =) It’s market day today, so I’m going to include a butter squash and make this :)By the way, I can’t find glutinous/sweet rice flour here, and you mentioned before in a comment for the sweet rice flour that you can substitute flour for it, is this correct? Would plain rice flour be ok for this? Thanks!

  34. Looks good! If I am making this in Korea, do I use the small green Korean pumpkins or the big bumpy orange ones?

    I made heugimja juk the other day. It’s good! You should do more juk recipes. :)

  35. That looks really good, I love winter squashes and use them often in stews, or steamed with sauces over them or even boiled in unrefined cane sugar syrup infused with cinnamon.

    I will make your recipe soon, I was laughing at the “big rice balls in that dish is lazy peoples way of doing it” I though of something more lazy… someone using “canned pumpkin puree” and already frozen rice balls ha ha.

    P.S. Nice wig, it reminded me of cosplay I see at anime expos :D

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