Pumpkin Stir-fried With Dried Shrimps and Thai Basil – 3 Ingredients

My ongoing quest to eat healthier means that I try to eat a variety of plants in different colours. On top of a must-have leafy green vegetables on my dinner table, I like to have another plant-base dish like mushrooms, beans, or gourds. One of my go-to plant base dish that I cook to up my plant intake is Pumpkin Stir-fried With Dried Shrimps and Basil.

Read: Dried Shrimp Powder

As I’m not a person who naturally love vegetables, I always make an extra effort to make them taste better by enhancing them with natural flavouring like herbs and dried seafood. Umami-rich dried shrimps and distinctly fragrant Thai basil imparts delicious flavour to slightly caramelised sweet pumpkin.

Pumpkin provides carotene which helps improve immunity; lutein which may help protect against cataracts and related macular degeneration; and potassium which supports healthy blood pressure level.

What I love about this dish is that it is not only healthy and delicious, it’s also incredibly easy to cook. You only need 3 main ingredients: pumpkin, dried shrimps, and Thai basil. All these ingredients can be kept for quite a long time in the fridge. Even if I haven’t had the time to do grocery shopping, it’s something that I can whip up easily.

TOOLS

• Wok with lid + spatula
• Knife + chopping board
• Bowl (to soak dried shrimps)
• Stove

RECIPE CARD

SHORT RECIPE

Heat 1 tbsp oil a in wok over medium heat. Stir-fry 2 tbsp dried shrimps. Then stir-fry 500 g of sliced pumpkin. Pour in 1/2 cup of water + salt. Cover with lid and cook until pumpkin softens (10 min). Add 30 pcs of Thai basil, stir, and serve hot.

STEP-BY-STEP

1. PREP: Rinse dried shrimps and soak them in 1/2 cup of water for 5 minutes (do not discard the water). Chop off the skin of pumpkin and remove its seeds using a knife. Chop into pumpkin into wedges, then into 2 cm thick slices

2 STIR-FRY DRIED SHRIMPS: Heat oil a in wok over medium heat. When oil is sufficiently heated, add in dried shrimps. Stir-fry until dried shrimp is turns slightly darker and fragrant (about 1 minute).

3. STIR-FRY PUMPKIN: Add in pumpkin and stir-fry until slightly golden (about 1 minute).

4. SEASON & BRAISE: Pour in water used for soaking dried shrimps and season with salt. Cover with a lid. Simmer until water evaporated and pumpkin softens (about 5 – 10 min)

5. FLAVOUR WITH BASIL: Add in Thai basil leaves and give it a few stir. Dish out and serve hot.

COOKING TIPS

1. Soak dried shrimps and retain its water. When soaking umami-rich produce like dried shrimps and dried Chinese mushrooms, retain the water and use it in your cooking. The water contains umami flavour which will make your food taste better. (Note: some cook will not do that if they think the produce is not organic/ clean)
2. Use a sharp cleaver. My least favourite part of making this dish is chopping the pumpkin. To make my task easier, I use a sharp cleaver/ Chinese knife to chop pumpkin and its tough skin. It’s much easier!
3. Scrap off the fibre. While removing the pumpkin seeds with a spoon, scrap off the fibre too. This is to prevent the pumpkin from turning too mushy when cooked.

If you want to inject some colour into your diet, eat more plants, and love flavourful dishes, give this dish a go!