THIS GOURD-GEOUS BUTTERCUP CHINESE CONGEE RECIPE IS JUST WHAT YOU NEED THIS WINTER

On today's menu, a delicious recipe that's just gorgeous. A comforting buttercup squash, congee. Lee ho ma, that's how it's going in Cantonese. I'm Will Young from youngmancooking.com. Welcome to the channel where you can cook with confidence. Congee is definitely one of those childhood favorite recipes and absolute classics that you can enjoy all year round, but perfect for when it gets really cold outside. The great part about congee is that you can flavor it with whatever toppings or whatever flavorings you'd like. And it's of course, very simple to make. Let's begin. Preheat the oven to 375. Carefully chop in half a medium-sized buttercup squash. Scoop out the seeds to discard or use in other recipes. Quarter the halves and carefully peel the skin. The squash will add a lovely earthiness and sweetness to the congee. Remember you can use any other squash you prefer. It'll be just as tasty. Carefully chop into small cubes. Transfer the squash to a large mixing bowl. You definitely won't need this much squash for today's congee recipe, but might as well roast them all or you can multiply the congee recipe to make a bigger batch. Drizzle of avocado oil. Pinch of salt. Fresh cracked pepper to taste. About a tablespoon of maple syrup. Toss. Spread the squash onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes. Four pieces of garlic, roughly chopped. One cup jasmine rice. Rinse and drain the rice two to three times to get rid of the excess starch. For today's congee, we'll be using about eight to nine cups of water. Stock pot. Medium heat. One tablespoon avocado oil. Garlic. Saute for about two minutes. It's helpful to have the hot water ready so we're not adding cold water into the congee. Rice. One teaspoon salt. Saute the garlic and rice for three to four minutes. Keep stirring the rice until it just starts to stick to the pan. One cup hot water. Stir and cook the rice for four to five minutes. Add another cup of hot water. Switch over to a whisk and give the pot a good stir. Using the whisk will help the rice break down faster and become nice and creamy. Add another two cups of hot water. You can top off the kettle and boil some more water if needed. Continue to stir the congee for four to five minutes. The more you stir the rice, the faster it'll break down. Add another one to two cups of hot water. Continue whisking the congee. The best part about congee is you can add whatever fixings or flavorings you like. In this episode, we're already using the buttercup squash, which is going to give it that really hearty, sweet, earthy flavor. Then we're going to add some delicious, leafy green kale. Remove the kale leaves from the stems. About 75 grams of fresh kale, roughly chopped. Add the kale into the congee. Stir and stir some more. Two more cups of hot water. Stir. You can transfer half of the squash into the congee or all of it, it's completely up to you. Give the pot a good stir. You can add another cup of water to thin it out if it's too thick. Plate the congee generously. Couple tablespoons of roasted and salted pumpkin seeds. A splash of soy sauce. Boy, that smells amazing already, but this would not be Young Man Cooking complete without the use of some chili oil I made in a previous episode. It'll add that really savory, smoky, salty, spicy flavor to this congee. I'll leave a link in the description box below for you to check this out, make this really easily at home. Drizzle over about a tablespoon of chili oil. You can now enjoy this delicious congee with absolute confidence. Mm, this is definitely a warm hug in a bowl. Oh man. This is definitely a warm hug in a bowl. Man, that is so incredibly delicious. Visually, you have this stunning looking, rustic rice porridge. There's that pop of green color from the kale, and then you get these incredibly beautiful drops of little golden nuggets from the radiant buttercup squash. Just from that initial first bite, you can really grab all of those delicious, contrasting flavors and textures. You have that warm, velvety texture from the rice. You get a little freshness from the kale. That extraordinary, deep, earthy, rich flavor from the buttercup squash. It really is quite fantastic how it adds a little of that subtle sweetness, but definitely not overpowering. And each bite is finished off with those kind of crunchy, salty pumpkin seeds. The soy sauce adds a little bit of saltiness, a little umami, and of course that chili oil brings everything together with an even more aromatic experience. Has that bit of spiciness, the incredible smokiness, and it gives that amazing visual appeal with that crimson red color as well. Whether it's cold or hot outside, this is definitely one of those easy, delicious recipes that can fall on that weekly menu. Like I always say on the channel, it's easy, delicious recipes like this that makes it so exciting to cook at home. And if you love recipes like that, then definitely check out or pick up your copy of one of the three Youngman Cooking cookbooks. There's a print or digital version of this as well as Youngman Cooking merch and the digital plant-based sushi masterclass. I'll leave a link in the description box below for you to check out all those things, or you can visit youngmancooking.com. If you're not already subscribed with that notification bell clicked, definitely do so so you won't miss a single episode.