Stir Fry Pumpkin with Pork and Basil Leaves
This Thai recipe only takes 30 minutes from start to finish and does not use any sauces to keep the taste of the sweet pumpkin throughout this dish. Stir Fry Pumpkin with Pork and Basil is very easy to cook and can be easily replicated for bigger servings.
The pumpkin is soft, melts in the mouth and is very sweet. The pork is tender, fatty in some areas and very tasty. Coupled with the aroma of caramelized garlic and basil leaves, this recipe is sure to whet your appetite and have you craving for more!
Ingredients
Pumpkin is the main star of this dish. It’s best to use one that is very ripe as it needs to be soft and tender by the time we finish cooking.
Pork and salt – this time, I used pork shoulder. Any boneless part works extremely well too, especially pork belly with its equal ratio of fat to meat. A lot of the flavour comes from the fatty parts of the pork when it is cooked, contributing to the tastiness of each bite. A little salt is used to enhance the flavour of the pork before it is cooked.
Sweet basil leaves were used for this recipe, not holy basil. It gives off a lovely, aromatic fragrance that whets the appetite and adds a different sweetness to this dish. Holy basil, on the other hand, would add a little pungentness and spice to the dish.
Bird’s eye chilli is a very common ingredient in Thai cooking. It got its name from the seeds, which are as small as a bird’s eye. On the Scoville scale, it is around 100,000 to 225,000, which is spicier than a jalapeno. In this Stir Fry Pumpkin dish, we only cut it in half to help it release its spicy flavour and to make it easier to remove when eating. This makes an almost non-spicy dish as the sweetness from the pumpkin overpowers the chilli.
Sugar was added as an additive to the dish. Its sweetness helps to bind all the other ingredients’ flavours to bring the dish together, especially with the complex flavour of the shrimp paste.
Shrimp paste is commonly known as belacan. Made from salted, fermented shrimp, it adds a complex umami flavour. Having this ingredient in this dish removes the need for any other sauces.
Yellow onions and garlic are the two herbs that are fried beforehand to add caramelization to the Stir Fry Pumpkin dish. They add an extra depth of flavour too.
Steps
Here are the brief steps for making this Stir Fry Pumpkin with Pork and Basil Leaves:
- Slice the pumpkin and yellow onions. Cut the chilli and mince the garlic.
- Slice the pork shoulder thinly.
- Marinate the pork with salt.
- Fry garlic until caramelized. Remove from the heat.
- Lightly fry the shrimp paste for a few seconds.
- Add the yellow onions and chilli for 30 seconds.
- Add the pork and fry for 1 minute or until grey in colour.
- Add pumpkin slices and cover to simmer for 10 minutes.
- After 8 minutes, check if the pumpkin has softened.
- Add spring onions and basil leaves. Stir until well-mixed.
- Add fried garlic and dish it out.
- Garnish with garlic and basil leaves. Serve with rice.
Tips
- Yellow onions add to the sweetness of the dish. Caramelize them for a deeper, sweeter flavour.
- Cutting the chilli into half releases more capsaicin, giving this dish a small bite of spiciness. It can be omitted if preferred.
- Slicing the pumpkin and pork thinly (roughly 1 cm) shortens the cooking time to 10 minutes. Thicker slices need a longer time to cook and be softened.
- Flatten the shrimp paste with the back of the spatula to quickly break the lumps.
- Spring onions and basil leaves soften easily with residual heat.
- Be sure to watch the video to follow exactly how I made it!
Storage Instructions
It is recommended to enjoy it immediately as it tends to release lots of gravy the longer it is exposed.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge overnight once cooled. Reheat until the gravy comes to a gentle boil for a minimum of 7 minutes over medium heat.
Let’s Eat!
Basil is fragrant, pumpkin is soft and smooth, almost melts in the mouth, the pork is chewy and tasty – rounded up with a nice kick of spice from the chillies.
The gravy is lightly salty with a deep umami flavour, and there’s a lovely crispy, sweet garlicky flavour in between bites. So good with rice!
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- Delicious & Easy Stir Fry Pumpkin with Anchovies Recipe
- Stir Fry Pumpkin with Minced Pork and Eggs
- Simple Thai Basil Chicken Recipe | Pad Kra Pow Gai
Stir Fry Pumpkin with Pork with Basil Leaves
Equipment
- Sharp Kitchen Knife
- Chopping Board
- Non-Stick Frying Pan
- Silicone Turner
Ingredients
- 150 g yellow onions, sliced
- 60 g garlic, crushed & minced
- 30 g red & green birds eye chilies, cut vertically, optional
- 30 g spring onions, cut into 1 inch in length
- 750 g pumpkin, with seeds and skin removed, sliced thinly.
- 300 g pork shoulder, sliced thinly
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 50 ml cooking oil, unscented
- 25 g shrimp paste, belacan
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 150 ml water
- 60 g basil leaves
Instructions
- Slice the yellow onions thinly.
- Crush the garlic and mince them finely.
- Cut the chillies into half vertically to release a mild spicy flavour. This is optional.
- Cut the spring onions into 1 inch in length.
- Remove the seeds and inner fibres from the pumpkin with a metal spoon. Remove the skin from the pumpkin. Cut into wedges, and slice each wedge thinly.
- Slice the pork shoulder into thin, bite-sized pieces. Marinate with salt, sprinkling 1/4 tsp each time and spreading them evenly. Set aside.
- Heat the cooking oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
- Fry the garlic for 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant and caramelized. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Add shrimp paste to the garlic oil, frying until the large lumps are broken.
- Add yellow onions and chilli. Stir fry to mix for about 30 seconds.
- Add the pork slices. Fry for 1 minute, or until the pork has turned grey.
- Add the pumpkin slices, sugar and water. Cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Rotate every 2-3 minutes to cook them evenly.
- After 8 minutes, check if the pumpkin is soft by breaking it.
- Taste and adjust as preferred.
- Add the spring onions and basil leaves. Stir lightly for 5 seconds, or until they blend with the dish.
- Switch off the heat. Add all the fried garlic.
- Dish onto the serving plate. Garnish with some fried garlic and basil leaves. Serve with white rice.
Video
Notes
- Yellow onions add to the sweetness of the dish. Caramelize them for a deeper, sweeter flavour.
- Cutting the chilli into half releases more capsaicin, giving this dish a small bite of spiciness. It can be omitted if preferred.
- Slicing the pumpkin and pork thinly (roughly 1 cm) shortens the cooking time to 10 minutes. Thicker slices need a longer time to cook and be softened.
- Flatten the shrimp paste with the back of the spatula to quickly break the lumps.
- Spring onions and basil leaves soften easily with residual heat.
- Be sure to watch the video to follow exactly how I made it!