Kocha Flavour Steamed Pumpkin Rice

After a busy week, simple cooking over the weekend is something that you can do if you feel like having a meal at home.   This recipe is simple enough with most of the ingredients available in the house.
A 'kocha' flavour steamed pumpkin rice which is easy to prepare as One Dish Meal and perhaps serve with a simple easy to cook thick soup if you feel like it.   If cooking a bigger portion, you can cook the rice in the rice cooker.

Ingredients

[serves 2]

120 gm [1 cup]  rice - wash and drain [I  used Basmathi rice]

150 gm pumpkin - removed the hard skin and either diced or cut thick strips

1-2 tbsp dried prawns - rinse with water for several times - drain

1-2 dried mushrooms - soaked to plump up - cut strips

100 gm meat - cut strips or diced - season with soy sauce, pepper and a little cornflour

2 shallots - sliced

1 tsp chopped garlic

some spring onions shredded for garnishing

1 tbsp light soy sauce,  1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp oil

enough water to cook rice

1. Prepare the ingredients as above.  Heat oil in wok to saute shallots and garlic until golden brown.  Push aside, add in meat, mushrooms and dried prawns to fry for a few seconds.  Add in rice and seasoning.  Stir to mix all ingredients well.
2. Lastly add in pumpkin to mix.  Off fire.  Dish out rice into a steaming tray [Can prepare up to this step and keep rice mixture in the refrigerator and steam before meal time].
3. Add enough water to cook rice.  Steam rice for 25-30 minutes.  Leave rice for another 5 - 10 minutes before fluffing up to serve or you can cook rice earlier - before serving, just fluff up rice and steam for 10 minutes.  Garnish with spring onions and fried crispy shallots.
4. Serve rice with cut chilli in soy sauce, or any soup.

Note:

I served the Pumpkin Rice with Tofu, Green Vege Thick Soup.