Preparation 40 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes
For these delicious little morsels, the best pumpkins are the smaller ones with green skin and dense orange flesh, sometimes known as buttercup or kabocha.
The reason behind using this particular variety is because the flesh is rich and dry which will hold the croquettes together; also, they are packed with flavour.
You can use other varieties but you might have to add a little flour to bind them together.
Skill Medium
Makes 15
Ingredients
500g kobocha, buttercup or bushfire pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into even-sized chunks
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp miso paste
1 tsp curry powder
⅛ tsp pepper
⅛ tsp salt
2 spring onions, cut into 2mm rounds
Crumb
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp milk
1 cup flour
2 cup panko crumbs
1 litre neutral oil for frying
To serve
Kewpie mayonnaise
Japanese seven spice (optional)
Method
Fill a suitably sized pot with water and cover with a steamer basket and bring the water to a gentle boil. Add the pumpkin pieces and steam until tender (10-15 minutes) Remove and cool.
Place the cooled pumpkin into a bowl. Mash the pumpkin until nearly smooth (I like a little texture).
Add the soy sauce, miso, curry powder and seasoning. Mix well to combine.
Stir through the spring onions.
Roll into 40g balls and place on a baking-paper-lined tray. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up.
To crumb: Place the flour into one bowl, season with a little salt and pepper. Add the egg and milk to another bowl and whisk lightly to combine. Add half the panko crumbs to another bowl. I like to have the flour then the egg mix and finally the crumbs in order.
Place a couple of pumpkin balls into the seasoned flour and coat all over, shake off the excess and dunk into the egg mixture, coat well and then into the panko crumbs. Roll around and gently pat on the crumbs so the balls are well coated. Place back on to the tray and continue until all the pumpkin balls are coated. Place back into the fridge to firm up (30 minutes).
To cook: Add the oil to a medium-sized, heavy-based pot and heat until 170degC.
Cook 2 to 4 balls at a time or what you can comfortably fit into the pot without overcrowding. Fry until golden brown and crispy (8 minutes). Drain and cook the remaining.
Serve with kewpie and seven seasonings (optional but worth it).
Enjoy!