Lemongrass Pumpkin Porridge (Tinutuan)
This Indonesian pumpkin porridge is fragrant, hearty, and loaded with nutrition. It’s the perfect side dish to warm your body and heart as the weather gets cooler. {Gluten-Free, Vegetarian}
Prepare for at least 20 minutes of pressure releasing time when using a pressure cooker or Instant Pot.
You can also use a normal pot to cook this recipe. Please see footnote 2 at the bottom of the recipe for instructions.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120 grams) long grain (or short grain rice)
- 8 cups water
- 1 stalk lemongrass (or 2 stalks if you like a very strong lemongrass flavor)
- 3 cups kabocha squash , diced (the yield from half a kabocha squash)(*Footnote 1)
- 1 cup sweet corn kernels
- 4 cups spinach
- 1 bunch of Thai basil leaves for garnish (Optional)
- Sambal and/or fried shallot for serving (*Footnote 4)
Instructions
- Add rice and water to cover in a large bowl. Use your hand to gently swirl a few times to rinse, discard the water. Repeat 1 to 2 times. Drain rice and transfer into an Instant Pot. Add 8 cups water. (*Footnote 2)
- Cut the lemongrass into 2-inch (5-cm) stalks and pound them with the back of your knife, to bruise the stalks so they release more aroma. Add the lemongrass into the Instant Pot. Set the pressure to high and timer for 15 minutes. Once the timer is up, use quick release to reduce the pressure.
- Add the diced pumpkin. Cover and cook on high pressure, for another 6 minutes. Use natural release to reduce pressure. (*Footnote 2)
- Add the sweet corn kernels and turn on the saute function until bringing to a boil. Cook with the lid two-thirds of the way covered for 3 to 5 minutes, until the corn is cooked through.
- Add the spinach and continue cooking for a minute. Turn off the Instant pot.
- Transfer the porridge into serving bowls. Serve hot with sambal and / or fried shallot.
Notes
- If you do not have kabocha squash, you can use pumpkin, acorn squash, or butternut squash instead.
- You can also use a normal large pot to cook this recipe. Simply add the rice, 10 cups water, and lemongrass into the pot. Once boiling, cover the pot halfway and simmer over low heat for 40 minutes. Add the squash and cook for another 15 minutes. Lastly, add the corn and cook for 5 minutes. The porridge will get thick at the end of cooking (during the last 10 minutes or so). Constantly stir the porridge so it won’t scorch on the bottom of your pot.
- Do NOT use fast release when the porridge is cooked, because the hot thick porridge is very starchy and will burst out through the air valve. It is dangerous to use fast release.
- Note, not all sambals are vegetarian. Check the ingredients if you’re following a strict diet.
Nutrition
Serving: 1of the 8 servings, Calories: 82kcal, Carbohydrates: 17.8g, Protein: 2.6g, Fat: 0.4g, Sodium: 85mg, Fiber: 1.4g, Sugar: 1.4g, Calcium: 34mg, Iron: 1mg