How to Make Kabocha Korokke (Japanese Pumpkin Croquette Recipe)

Cut, peel, and deseed the pumpkin, then steam it until tender. Next, place the stemmed pumpkin into a large bowl and mash it while still warm and set aside.

Chop the onions into a small dice, then add the ground beef to a hot non-stick pan and season it lightly with salt and pepper. Next, cook the ground beef and add the diced onions, sautéing until the onions are soft. Then stir in the red miso paste and soy sauce. Sauté well and set aside.

Combine the sautéed onions and beef with the mashed pumpkin, and mix well.

To ensure they cook evenly, shape them all to be the same size and shape. It’s a good idea to use an ice cream scoop for uniformity. Once shaped, rest them in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Mix black sesame seeds into the breadcrumbs, coat the korokke with flour, dip it in egg, and cover it with breadcrumbs. Repeat this process for all pieces.

Add cooking oil to the fryer pot and heat it to 350°F. Tip: Dip the end of a wooden spoon or chopstick into the oil and if bubbles form around it, the oil is hot enough.

Fry the korokke, flipping as needed, until they are golden brown and crispy, which should take about 2-3 minutes. Since the filling is already cooked, you only need to fry them until golden brown, then set aside.

Enjoy your kabocha korokke while they are hot! These korokkes are already well-seasoned, so there's no need for sauce, but feel free to add some if you like.

For storage, you can keep the fried korokke in the fridge for 2-3 days, and to freeze them, wrap either uncooked or cooked korokke in plastic wrap, where they will last for a month.