2 Pumpkin Project - Pumpkin Fried Rice

A small pumpkin was deposited into my shopping cart. I studied the fruit skeptically with an eyebrow raised, much like Mr. Spock of Star Trek.

"Okayy..I know that the way to a man's heart is through his demanding belly, but this is taking things a tad too far," I thought to myself as I pushed the cart along the aisle of fresh greens and suspiciously eyed the culprit ahead of me who had tossed in the pumpkin in an unashamedly nonchalant manner.

Having never cooked pumpkin before, I felt a little intimidated. The man either knows that and is up to mischief, or I've misled him to believe that I could rival Nigella Lawson. It looks like I've been tossed a challenge. I was about to put up a fuss but with the confidence of a fool and Google on my side, I instead embraced my new culinary adventure with gusto.

As it is, I remember a meal I had in a fancy Chinese restaurant in Hartamas recently. I had ordered pumpkin fried rice and it was so yummy that I'm now inspired to cook just that, my own version definitely.

But what shall I call this dish of mine? I've long wondered why dishes with names like "Buddha Jumps Over The Wall" and "Spotted Dick" have stuck although it would have been much easier to recognise what food we're talking about if it were called according to the main ingredients.  

I could have a Plain Jane label like "Pumpkin, Long Bean and Sausage Fried Rice" but I think not today.

Something leaning towards "A Sprinkle of Sunshine", referring to the bits of pumpkin or "A Sprinkle of Sunshine on Planet Earth" will do nicely, I think. Earth refers to a round-shaped fried rice with bits of meat representing the animals and bits of green representing plant life.

Well, that's a mouthful..

A Sprinkle of Sunshine

A Sprinkle of Sunshine on Planet Earth 

Would you like to have the recipe for "A Sprinkle of Sunshine On Planet Earth"? Mmm...I thought so.

Ingredients:
- 2 cloves Garlic, chopped fine
- 1 handful of Pumpkin, cut into small cubes
- 1 handful of Long beans, sliced thin, 0.5cm or so
- 1 piece  of chicken Sausage, sliced thin 
- 1 piece of Chinese sausage , sliced thin
- 1 small red chilli for garnishing, sliced thin
- White rice for two, cooked and cooled to room temperature
- 3 spoonfuls of Corn Oil
- 1 teaspoon of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce (Available in Cold Storage)
- Salt and Pepper to taste

Todo:
Heat oil in a cooking pan or a wok. Add in garlic, give it a quick stir fry.

Toss in the pumpkin and cook until soft to the bite, not mushy. Mix in long beans, chicken sausage and chinese sausage. Leave it to cook for a minute or so. Then, pour in the white rice. Add salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Give it a good stir and you're done.

To serve, grab a fist-sized round bowl. Fill it with fried rice and press it down a little. Place a large flat plate on top of the bowl.

Hold the bowl and plate together and turn it the other way round (bowl top, plate bottom). Lift bowl away and there you have it, a nice round serving of fried rice. Sprinkle red chilli on top.

But that still leaves me with a lot of pumpkin left over. What shall I do ...mmm..