Pumpkin Sweet Rice Pancake, Chinese Style

40g glutinous (aka sticky or sweet) rice flour
120g seeded and skinned pumpkin
20g light brown sugar
small pinch of salt
cooking oil for pan-frying
1-2 tsp white sesame seeds

Cut pumpkin into roughly 1/2cm thick slices and steam them over medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until tender. Discard water, if there is any.

In a large bowl, mash the steamed pumpkin. Then add in sugar, salt and half of the glutinous rice flour, mixing well. You would want to do this step quickly and while the pumpkin is still hot, in order to help dissolve the sugar more evenly. Besides, adding warm mixture to the sticky rice flour shall make the dough a bit more elastic (but also stickier).

Add remaining sticky rice flour. Knead the dough (I prefer to using spatula than hand as the dough is still somewhat sticky) until the sides of bowl are fairly clean.

Grease your hands, divide the dough into 10 portions, and shape each between your palms to form a ball and then a disc.

Alternatively, you may place the kneaded dough between two parchment papers and roll into about 1/2cm thick and cut with your cookie cutter (also grease it first).

Sprinkle (or generously coat) each with sesame seeds, pressing lightly to coat. If the discs are not thin enough, flatten them to about 1/2 cm thick.

Lightly coat a non-stick frying pan over low heat, lift disc-shaped dough one by one and land it gently onto the pan.

Fry each side for about 2 to 3 minutes or until done (you may half it and check if the cross-section has a uniform colour all through).

Serve warm.