Danhobak Beombeok (Kabocha Squash and Bean Mash)
A sweet, thick porridge made by simmering thoroughly boiled and mashed kabocha squash with red beans and glutinous rice dumplings.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This sweet, satisfying porridge features a base of tender simmered kabocha squash paired with red beans and glutinous rice flour. By moistening the rice flour and rolling it lightly with your hands into a streusel-like crumble, you can easily achieve both chewy little dumplings and the right thickness without the hassle of shaping individual rice balls. Simmered thoroughly for over 20 minutes with simple ingredients, it makes a wonderful warm, nutritious meal or snack.
- Servings
- 2–3 servings
- Cook time
- 20 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Kabocha squash1/2 (450 g)
- Water4 cups
- Boiled red beans2/3 cup
- Glutinous rice flour1/2 cup
- Water2 tbsp
Seasoning
- Sugar2 tbsp
- Salt1 tsp
- Kabocha squash is too hard to peel or cut raw, so wrap it in plastic wrap and microwave it for 2 to 3 minutes, then let it cool before peeling or cutting to make it much easier.
- You can use sweet red bean paste (for shaved ice) instead of boiled red beans, and it is even better if you boil some other beans to add as well.
- If using sweet red bean paste for shaved ice, reduce the amount of sugar because it is already very sweet.
Steps
1. Cut the kabocha squash in half and scrape out the seeds with a spoon.
A whole squash is about 900 g to 1 kg, but I only used half.
2. It is too hard to peel or cut raw, which can be dangerous for your hands.
Wrap it in plastic wrap and microwave it for 2 to 3 minutes, then let it cool before peeling or cutting to make it much easier.
My daughter once hurt her hand and had to go to the emergency room.
I hope you cook it in the microwave first to prep it safely without getting hurt.
3. Dice it into large chunks...
4. Add 4 cups of water and the squash, then bring to a boil.
Simmer thoroughly for over 20 minutes until the squash is soft enough to mash.
5. These are red beans I boiled earlier, froze, and then thawed. (You can use sweet red bean paste for shaved ice instead.)
It is even better if you also boil some other beans to add.
How to boil red beans and other beans is here ⇒ http://blog.naver.com/ppunwife/140055802263
6. Pour the water evenly all over the glutinous rice flour...
7. Roll the flour using the entire palms of your hands.
Roll it roughly into round clumps of varying sizes, leaving some loose flour behind to help thicken the porridge.
8. You can just make it look like streusel crumbs like this.
It gives the effect of rice cake balls while also thickening the porridge, which makes it very convenient.
This is how my mother used to do it when she made beombeok with aged pumpkin for me.
If you want to make pretty rice cake balls, pour hot water over the flour and roll them into neat spheres by hand,
and you will need a separate rice flour slurry to thicken the porridge,
which you can prepare by mixing 2 tbsp each of glutinous rice flour and water.
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9. You can puree the boiled squash and cooking liquid with a hand blender or regular blender, or press it through a fine mesh strainer.
10. Once the strained squash liquid begins to boil, sprinkle the glutinous rice flour mixture from step 8 all around the pot,
stirring with a ladle in one hand.
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11. Simmer until the texture becomes thick...
12. Add the sugar and salt to season.
If you happen to use sweet red bean paste for shaved ice, you should reduce the amount of sugar since it has high sweetness.
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13. At the end, add the red beans...
14. Simmer for just a moment longer and remove from heat.
Ppunwife's tips
- Rolling the glutinous rice flour with your palms into uneven, streusel-like clumps while leaving some loose powder is convenient, as it creates rice dumpling bites while also thickening the porridge.
FAQ
Is there a safe way to prepare hard kabocha squash?
Wrap it in plastic wrap and microwave it for 2 to 3 minutes, then let it cool before cutting. This makes peeling and slicing much easier.
Can I use store-bought sweet red bean paste for shaved ice instead of boiled red beans?
Yes, you can substitute sweet red bean paste. However, because it is quite sweet, reduce the amount of added sugar accordingly.
Is there a trick to making rice dumplings simply without shaping them one by one?
Evenly moisten the glutinous rice flour with water and gently roll it with your palms into streusel-like clumps. This easily mimics the texture of rice cake balls while naturally thickening the porridge.
Is it okay to add other grains or legumes besides red beans?
Boiling other beans to add alongside the red beans will give the porridge an even richer and nuttier flavor.
