Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Braised Chicken with Pumpkin
南瓜炆雞件
Recipe overview
Braised Chicken with Pumpkin is a mild Hong Kong home-style dish with natural sweetness. Chicken pieces are pan-fried first, then braised with pumpkin until the sauce becomes lightly thick and glossy. It is suitable for children and elderly family members. The key is to brown the chicken first and add pumpkin later so it stays soft but not mushy.
01
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 500g chicken pieces
- 400g pumpkin
- 1/2 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 slices ginger
- 2 spring onions
- 250ml water or chicken stock
- 1.5 tablespoons cooking oil
Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon oyster sauce, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, A little white pepper, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon oil, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce, optional, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, Salt only after tasting, A little sesame oil, , , , Marinade:
- Stir-fry sauce:
02
Tools
- Chopping board
- Knife
- Bowls
- Plate
- Measuring spoons
- Non-stick wok or heavy pot
- Non-stick wok or heavy pot
- Wok spatula
- Soup ladle
- Kitchen paper
03
Steps
Step 1
Prepare ingredients
Prepare chicken, pumpkin, onion, garlic, ginger, spring onion, and seasonings.
Step 2
Dry and cut chicken
Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry with kitchen paper. Cut large pieces smaller if needed.
Step 3
Marinate chicken
Mix chicken with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, white pepper, cornstarch, and oil for 10 minutes.
Step 4
Cut pumpkin chunks
Remove seeds, peel if needed, and cut pumpkin into large chunks.
Step 5
Cut aromatics
Cut onion into pieces, crush garlic, slice ginger, and cut spring onion into sections.
Step 6
Pan-fry chicken
Heat oil and pan-fry chicken until lightly golden on the surface.
Step 7
Set aside chicken
Remove the browned chicken. It does not need to be fully cooked yet.
Step 8
Fry aromatics
Fry ginger, garlic, and onion in the same wok until fragrant.
Step 9
Return chicken and season
Return chicken to the wok and add soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar.
Step 10
Add water and braise
Add water or chicken stock, bring to a boil, cover, and braise over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes.
Step 11
Add pumpkin and braise
Add pumpkin chunks and braise for another 8-10 minutes until soft but still holding shape.
Step 12
Reduce sauce and serve
Reduce the sauce slightly, taste before adding salt, then add spring onion and sesame oil before serving.
Common mistakes
- Wet chicken will not brown well.
- Skipping browning makes the dish taste flat.
- Pumpkin cut too small becomes mush.
- Adding pumpkin too early makes it fall apart.
- Too much water makes the sauce thin.
- Adding salt before tasting can make it too salty.
Tips
Pumpkin is naturally sweet, so do not over-season. Brown the chicken first and add pumpkin later. Cut chicken smaller for children or elderly family members, but watch out for bones. Ask Ma'am or Sir to taste before adding salt.
