Leaves turning red, orange and yellow? Got some extra pumpkin puree on hand? Leaves turning red, orange and yellow? Well you know it’s Fall time and what is better than gnocchi?  Pumpkin Shaped Gnocchi made with pumpkin puree! This recipe pairs the Pumpkin Shaped Gnocchi with an Asian-inspired sauce made with soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and ginger.

This recipe requires only a handful of ingredients. Perfect for Halloween parties for the little ones to enjoy. The Asian-Inspired sauce is a true hit with the kids. Made with soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and ginger. Let’s check out this recipe! 

What is Pumpkin Shaped Gnocchi?

Pumpkin Gnocchi is a perfect combination of russet potatoes and pumpkin puree to create a perfect orange dumpling. What’s great about gnocchi is it can be easily shaped into a pumpkin.

I purchase store-bought pumpkin puree in a can. It is easier and saves me time. The pumpkin puree does come out of the can quite wet. So I use paper down and lay it on a flat surface and let it sit for a few minutes. I repeat this 3-4 times to make sure all the liquid is absorbed.

Gnocchi is actually not pasta, but rather a dumpling. I have butchered the pronunciation of this word so many times. It is a word that is not easy to sound out, however to properly say it in Italian (Nyoh-Kee). 

Why make this?

This recipe is perfect for the fall season. I even make a big batch so I can make this for my kids’ lunches and they will devour it.

The Asian-Inspired sauce is very different from the traditional sage and butter sauce that is commonly made for gnocchi. The Asian-Inspired sauce has soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and ginger which is simple and flavorful.

Ingredients and variations

Russet potatoes: The best potatoes to use for gnocchi. I also recommend Yukon gold potatoes if russet potatoes are not available.

Pumpkin puree: Use canned pumpkin. Make sure it’s not the pie filling. They are always sided by side at the grocery store. I also highly recommend using paper towel to absorb as much moisture as possible. I lay it on a paper towel and use a spoon to scrap it off. I would suggest doing this up to 3-4 times with a new paper towel each time to ensure all the moisture is removed.

All-purpose flour: For my pumpkin gnocchi I use all-purpose flour. This is what I have available in the pantry. However, 00 flour can be used as well. 00 flour is super finely-ground Italian flour used to make pasta or pizza dough. I commonly see 00 flour at my local supermarkets.

Egg: Use the best quality egg you can buy at your local grocery store. 

Salt: Add saltiness to the gnocchi.

Cloves: The cloves resemble the pumpkin stem. This is 100% for aesthetics and is not necessary, but it is darn cute! Rosemary herb also works really well as well. (Optional)

Asian-Inspired Sauce

Soy sauce: Gives the sauce a nice light salty flavor. Substitute with tamari or coconut aminos.

Sesame oil: Adds a smoky nutty flavor to the sauce.

Garlic and ginger: This wouldn’t be Asian-Inspired sauce without garlic and ginger. Adjust to your preference. If you don’t want ginger you can omit it. I sometimes omit the ginger since my girls don’t like the taste. The garlic is sufficient enough and can carry the flavor of this sauce on its own as well.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Making the pumpkin gnocchi dough

Boil water in a small pot. Once the water starts to boil add the russet potatoes and boil for 15-20 minutes. The time will vary due to the size of the potatoes. Use a fork to poke it and if the fork slides in easily its cooked.

Take the russet potatoes out and let it cool down. Once its slightly cooled down and can be handled begin to peel the skin off. Use a sharp knife and score the skin down to make it easier to peel.

Put the peeled cooked potato through a potato ricer to get a soft and consistent texture.

Lay out the paper towel and spread the pumpkin puree on top and let it sit for 2-3 minutes. Complete this step 2-3 times until the pumpkin puree is dry.

Mix the flour, dried pumpkin puree, potatoes and salt in a bowl. The dough should be a soft texture. Add minimal flour if the dough is too wet. Avoid adding to much flour this will make the gnocchi tough in texture once cooked. 

Dust a flat surface with flour and pour the dough and knead for about 5 minutes. Cut the dough into 6 pieces. Roll into 1-inch rope and cut into 1-inch wide pieces.

Forming the Pumpkin Shaped Gnocchi

Roll the cut pieces of dough into a ball with both of your hands in a circular motion. Press the ball down from the top to give it the flattened pumpkin shape. The best tool to create the pumpkin grooves is with a toothpick or string. Press down from the top and press along the sides. I do this 4 times on the top to create the groves all around the pumpkin.

Cooking

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the pumpkin gnocchi for 1-2 minutes or until the pumpkin gnocchi floats to the top.

In a medium saucepan melt the butter and add the garlic and ginger on medium heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes until you can smell the garlic and singer infuse into the butter. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil. Stir for 30 seconds and add the cook pumpkin gnocchi and mix well. Place the cloves on top of each pumpkin gnocchi to make them look more realistic.

Serve immediately. Remember to remove the cloves as they aren’t

How to serve

Serve this immediately. This pairs well with any meat dish such as pork chops, steak or chicken. Check out my easy one pan healthy chicken breast with lemon garlic cream sauce here

How to store

Uncooked gnocchi unfortunately cannot be stored in the refrigerator. They are however good to be kept frozen for up to 3 months. I would lay them out on a plastic tray and freeze them for 2 hours. Once they are frozen you can throw them in a freezer bag. The color changes. If you would like to 

Cooked gnocchi can be kept in an air-tight container for 1 day. 

Expert Tips

I recommend boiling the potatoes with the skin on. This will help the potatoes reduce the amount of water it absorbs. Once the potatoes are done let it sit and rest so until you can peel the skin off. Reducing the moisture helps to handle the gnocchi dough much easier, especially when you are moulding and shaping them into pumpkin shape.

Recipe FAQs

Are there alternatives to making this without pumpkin?

Pumpkin puree is easy since it is just straight out of the can, however you can your buttercup/kabocha squash. Carefully peel and steam the squash and smash it. Use the same measurement.

Alternatively, instead of using pumpkin replace it with more potato and use orange food coloring if you don’t have pumpkin or squash on hand and want to make the pumpkin shape. Use 1-2 drops and if you want to make a deeper orange colour use 3-4 drops.

Did you make these Pumpkin-shaped Pumpkin and Potato Gnocchi? I would love to hear from you! Comment below

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Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup Instant Pot (Niu Rou Mian) is a rich full flavour beef noodle soup. Perfect for a fall or winter night meal when the noodle cravings kick in, it is hearty and warm. If there is one beef noodle soup that comes to mind with big chunks of beef shank this is the dish that always drives me to drive out and pick up a hot bowl of niu rou mian. Using the Instant Pot guarantees the beef shank is tender and soft. Check out this recipe for better than take-out niu rou mian you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home.

What is Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup (Niu Rou Mian)?

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup is also known as Niu rou mian. It’s a slow-cooked soup with beef shank and tomatoes. It’s a big bowl of deep flavour seasoned with different herbs and seasoning. My light and clear-broth Chicken Pho recipe here uses similar herbs, but this Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup recipe has a rich and deep flavour. It has tomatoes that make the soup a deep colour and uses black chilli bean paste to add a spicy kick. The noodles used absorb the soup and the beef is tender and all the broth is deeply absorbed into the beef shank. 

Why make this?

This recipe taste almost as good as restaurant or take-out. What’s great is you have control over how much salt or soy sauce you wish to use. Best of all there is no MSG. 

Using the Instant Pot to cut down on the amount of time required to get the beef super tender and fall off the bone. 

What are the best noodles for Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup?

The best noodles to use are the fresh noodles that can be found in the fridge section. Look where the tofu and wonton wraps are. Alternatively, I like to stock up on dried Taiwanese noodles. I like my noodles slightly flat and wide versus round. Again, this is a personal preference and any type of noodles will work with this recipe. Just note that flour-based noodles are recommended not the rice noodles

Ingredients and Variations

Beef Shank: For this recipe, I use bone-in beef shank. I like using the bone in beef shank when I make this niu rou mian recipe in the instant pot because it brings out all the healthy collagen from the bone. Often times I will use half boneless and half bone-in. My kids enjoy eating the boneless beef shank. Any type of beef will work with this recipe. If you are using more affordable cuts of beef I would suggest adding extra minutes when pressuring cooking to really ensure the meat is more tender.

Ginger and Garlic: Extra flavour and I sometimes add more garlic if I’m in the mood for more garlicky flavor. If ginger isn’t your cup of tea you can use less but I wouldn’t omit it completely.

Spice packet: Consists of star anise, cloves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, black peppercorn, cinnamon stick and bay leaves. This combination is what creates a full flavour soup and makes every bite so delicious

Five spice powder: A must for this recipe. Although the spice pack already consists of the 5 spices adding this gives the broth more full flavour. The 5 spice includes cinnamon, fennel, star anise and cloves.

Green onion/scallion white part and onion: Adds a nice onion flavour to the soup. Any type of onion will work. 

Tomatoes: The tomatoes add more flavor. When cooking in the Instant Pot it does break down and you don’t get the tomato chunks. If you don’t have any tomatoes on hand, you can omit and add an extra tablespoon of tomato paste.

Thai chilis: Extra kick to the soup. Omit if you don’t want it to be spicy however the chili bean sauce will also add that spicy hot flavor to the soup as well.

Tomato paste: The tomato paste gives the soup a deep red color so this is definitely a must for the soup.

Chili bean sauce: Also known as toban djan made from chillies and fermented broad beans. This sauce is spicy so adjust it to your taste preference. I use 2 tablespoons and it was edible for my young kids. Feel free to use 1 tablespoon first and taste when the Instant Pot is done cooking. Adding the chili bean sauce afterwards is perfectly fine.

Soy sauce: Gives the soup a salty taste. Use less if you are being conscious of sodium. Use tamari or coconut aminos as a substitute.

Rice wine: Enhances the flavor in a subtle way but still maintains a sweet flavor. It imparts sweetness that cuts through the powerful flavors of all the spices. It reduces the gaminess of the beef shank.

Rock sugar: The rock sugar adds sweetness to the broth. It is needed to balance out all the flavours from the spice packet, soy sauce and chili bean sauce. Substitute with different sugar.

How I make my Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup in the Instant Pot

In a toaster oven or pan toast all the spices until fragrant. Place all the spices in a cheesecloth baggie. This helps to keep all the spices together so when the broth is done you do not ladle pieces of herbs.

This is an optional step but is highly recommended to get a good texture beef shank. Soak the beef in a salt brine for 30 minutes and strain the meat so it is dry. Boil water in a large pot and parboil the beef. Let it boil for 3 minutes. Strain in a colander and rinse thoroughly to remove any impurities.

Turn on sauté mode add oil and brown the meats. Add the onions, green onions, ginger and garlic and sauté for 5 more minutes.

Add the chili bean paste, and tomatoes and sauté for 3-4 minutes.

Add the soy sauce, rice wine, Thai chili, 5 spice powder, bay leaves, rock sugar, water and the spice pack.

Cook on high pressure for 1 hour 40 minutes and natural release.

When the Instant Pot is done cooking at 1 hour 40 minutes start to get the noodles and shanghai bok choy prepared. Boil a pot of water and cook as per the instructions on the noodle package. 

Cook the shanghai bok choy by lightly cooking in water for 3 minutes. If you prefer shanghai bok choy to be well-done cook for longer.

Prepare the noodles and ladle the beef shank and soup and top with shanghai bok choy, green onions and cilantro. Enjoy immediately.

How to Serve

Portion the noodles into soup bowls. Ladle the soup along with chunks of beef, all your choice of vegetables on top and top with green onions and cilantro.

How to Store

The soup can be refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. It also freezes well and can be frozen for up to 3 months. 

How to Reheat

Heat the soup on the stovetop for 6-8 minutes until it piping hot. If you have left over noodles toss them into the soup to absorb the flavors from the soup broth during the last 2 minutes of heating up the broth.

Expert Tips

To get great-tasting beef I do recommend soaking the beef in salt water for 10-15 minutes and parboiling for 10 minutes. This helps clean the beef/bones. Soaking it in salt water helps loosen the beef shank and adds flavor from the salt brine.

Add the tomato at the end if you like having chunks of tomatoes. Set the Instant Pot to manual and boil it for 10 minutes to cook the tomatoes.

Did you make this Instant Pot Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup? I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment below!

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Summer is over, now the cold weather is upon us! There is nothing better than to make a quick Vietnamese Kabocha Pumpkin with Pork Soup (Canh Bí Đỏ Thịt Bằm) for a busy weeknight dinner. What’s great about this recipe is it only needs a couple of ingredients and some typical pantry items. It’s a forgiving recipe where if you are missing a few pantry ingredients it still tastes great! Let’s take a look at how to make this amazingly easy recipe!

Kabocha pumpkin is commonly called kabocha squash.

Why make this?

Soup is a dish that is commonly made to accompany the main dishes and rice at many of the dinners we had growing up. It was nice to have a heartwarming soup to drink while eating dinner. 

Vietnamese Kabocha Pumpkin with Pork Soup can be easily made in under 30 minutes. The best part is when you have your first spoonful of the soup it literally tastes like it was simmered for a long time and took hours to make. 

Kabocha has so many health benefits and is packed with nutrients to help prevent diabetes, boost the immune system, treat inflammation and promote heart health. 

What is Kabocha and what does it taste like?

Kabocha falls under the category of winter squash and is commonly associated with Japanese cuisine such as squash tempura. It is also called kabocha squash or Japanese pumpkin. It is quite common to find this squash at your local supermarket. Simply look for it in the potato or squash section. 

It has a beautiful deep green color and is knobbly-looking on the outside. Surprisingly the skin is edible. The skin is left on but it does take longer to fully cook. 

Kabocha has a rich orange color fresh and tastes quite sweet. When cooked it has a light and fluffy texture and I would describe it as similar to oriental sweet potatoes and pumpkin in taste.

Ingredients and variations

Kabocha squash: The squash is so sweet and is one of the two main ingredients in this recipe. It is difficult to make this dish with so few ingredients and still get such a heartwarming and warm soup. The silky and soft kabocha squash is hard to find an alternative. The closest alternative would be butternut squash or traditional pumpkin. Depending on the squash the time to cook it to soft will vary. For butternut squash cook for 15 minutes, the shape of the squash keeps its shape and doesn’t break down like kabocha squash.

Ground pork: Use the leanest cut of pork you can find. I ground my own pork using my meat grinder or food processor. Store-bought extra lean ground pork works great too if you are tight on time. An alternative is ground chicken or turkey. 

My mother-in-law likes to use pork riblets for this as well, however, it does take longer to make. She uses the pork riblets to make a broth so she parboils and simmers it for up to an hour before adding the kabocha squash. The Pork riblets create an even sweeter soup base.

Water: Water is the easiest to use. Unsalted chicken broth works great too. Use store-bought or make your own.

Garlic and shallot: Gives a nice aromatic flavour to the soup.

Salt, sugar and fish sauce: The holy 3 flavors of Vietnamese seasoning. Adjust to your preference 

Green onions and cilantro: Nice garnish that adds a nice flavour. This is optional but highly recommended

How do I make my Vietnamese Kabocha Pumpkin with Pork Soup?

Carefully peel the kabocha squash with a peeler and using a sharp knife cut them into 1 ½ inch chunks set aside.

Heat up the oil in a medium pot and add garlic and shallots. Let it stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Add the ground pork and break up the ground pork and cook for 4-5 minutes. What you are looking for is 90% cooked ground pork. Remove from the pot and set aside.

Add water and kabocha to the pot and turn the heat up to high. Lower the heat to medium once it gets a nice rolling boil. Let it simmer for 20 minutes. Add the salt, sugar, fish sauce and pork back in after and let it simmer for another 5-7 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve with your favorite dishes and a nice bowl of rice.

How to serve

Serve this will a bowl of rice and your favorite dish. I like to serve this with air fryer Vietnamese chicken wings, air fryer char siu pork chops or with bitter melon and eggs.

How to store

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up 3 days. It can also be frozen in the freezer for up to 1 month. 

How to reheat

Heat this up in a pot for 8-10 minutes. When eating this the next day the kabocha squash becomes even more velvety and soft. Some of the squash will start to break down and create a more hearty broth. It is so delicious.

Recipe FAQs

Are there any ingredients that can be added to elevate this soup?

This recipe is a simple weeknight soup that can be made in 30 minutes. However, if you would like to elevate this soup without extra work I like to add dried scallops to this soup to add an umami flavour. Rehydrate in hot water for 20 minutes and add it in the same time as the kabocha squash.

Expert Tips

First I use my sharp clever to cut the squash down the middle. Then I like to use a metal peeler to peel the skin of the kabocha. It’s so hard and tough and I find my trusty metal peeler does an awesome job. It also prevents me from accidentally cutting myself since the kabocha squash is so tough. Once it is peeled I will cut the kabocha down and use a small knife to remove the seeds and all the stringy parts. 

This recipe calls for the kabocha chunks to be cut into 1 ½ chunk, but if you want to cook this soup even quicker you can cut it into 1-inch chunks and simmer for 12-15 minutes depending on your stovetop. 

Depending on how soft you would like the kabocha squash to be you can simmer it longer if you prefer a buttery velvety texture. If you would like some bite to simmer it less time. You can always use a fork to give it a poke and if it goes in nice and smooth like butter it is ready.

Did you make this lovely Vietnamese Kabocha Pumpkin with Pork Soup? I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment below

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Cha trung hap is also known as Vietnamese egg meatloaf. It is an easy savoury dish to make and to speed it up making this in the Instant Pot reduces the time by half. Made with ground pork, eggs, wood ear mushrooms, carrots, glass noodles and salted duck egg. This dish pairs great with rice and pork chops or you can eat this as a side dish with rice and your favourite green vegetable.

What is Cha Trung Hap (Vietnamese egg meatloaf)?

Cha trung hap (Vietnamese egg meatloaf) is a very comforting savoury dish. From the naked eye visually, I would say this meatloaf resembles a quiche but has similarities to a meatloaf.

It has simple ingredients and it is versatile where if you want to elevate it you can add some real crab meat and salted duck egg to add some major flavor punch to it. 

This is a recipe that is simple to throw together and is great for meal prepping.

Cha Trung Hap is a comfort food in my household. Anytime I want to add a simple high-protein dish without breaking the bank I rotate this recipe because my kids love it so much. 

Why make this?

It goes very well with a plate of pork chop and rice or it stands well as its own meat side dish for a quick simple dinner meal.

This is a great dish to make if you need to meal prep. Mix all the ingredients and have it ready on a plate to steam when you want it fresh from the instant pot. It’s also great if you want to steam it on a Sunday and have it ready to be warmed up and ready to be eaten in a matter of a few minutes in the microwave.

It is versatile in that it doesn’t require many ingredients, but can be elevated when you add some more luxurious ingredients like crab or salted duck egg.

How to save time using the Instant Pot?

Traditionally, cha trung hap is steamed in a pot with water for 30-45 minutes depending on the portion and the type of bowl you are using to steam.

With the Instant Pot, it is so easy because you can use any size container and use the trivet that is included with the machine and make a huge portion. If you are using a high glass container or a shallow plate it still saves a lot of time in the instant pot.

Generally speaking, using the Instant Pot cuts the steaming time by half. If this dish is traditionally steamed on the stovetop using a shallow plate it would take 30 minutes to steam. I would then adjust the time to 15 minutes in the Instant Pot using the same portion and plate size.

I really appreciate how the Instant Pot comes with a trivet so it’s easy to take out regardless of the size of the plate.

Check out my other Instant Pot recipes:

• Instant Pot Bitter Melon Soup (Canh Khổ Qua)
• Instant Pot Korean Pork Bone Soup (Gamjatang)
• Instant Pot Pork Carnitas.

Ingredients and variations

Ground pork: I’ve only ever made cha trung hap with ground pork. For other protein options, I cannot guarantee the same results. I would suggest ground chicken would work with some fat so using ground chicken thigh. Even tofu would work Adding crab meat works great with this dish as well. During blue crab season, my mother-in-law would buy fresh blue crab and steam it and pick the crab meat out. Very cumbersome to do this but it is so tasty!  

Eggs: The heart of this dish. The egg binds the cha trung hap together. Egg is a popular ingredient to use in Vietnamese cuisine because it is affordable and versatile. Check out my Vietnamese caramelized braised pork ribs with eggs recipe here for more egg recipes.

Carrots: Gives the dish a nice texture and some nice contrasting color. A great way for me to hide some vegetables in the dish for picky eaters.

Wood ear mushrooms: Wood ear mushrooms add an amazing crunch to the meatloaf. It has a really nice texture and absorbs a lot of flavor from all the seasoning. A good substitute for wood ear mushrooms is shitake mushrooms. Use 3-4 medium-sized mushrooms and finely chop them or slice them thinly.

Glass/bean thread noodles: The glass noodles also help absorb some of the flavors and give the meatloaf some added texture.

Green Onions, Shallots, and Garlic: Adding the herbs gives this dish more flavor and helps balance out the pork and egg which can be quite heavy.

Salt, Pepper and Sugar: Adds flavor

Fish sauce: Popular seasoning used in Vietnamese dishes. This dish is no different and I add it to give it an umami flavor. If you don’t have any on hand substitute with soy sauce.

Toasted sesame oil: Gives a nutty, toasty but neutral flavor to the dish. Pass on this if you don’t have any on hand. Skipping this ingredient doesn’t make a huge difference in taste.

Salted duck egg: If you decide to use duck egg I would only add half of one if you have never tried it. The salted duck egg is a bit of an acquired taste. The egg yolk adds a very rich and fatty taste, while the egg white has a sharp salty taste. Skip it if you don’t have it or this is your first time making this dish.

How I make Vietnamese egg meatloaf (Cha Trung Hap)

Rehydrate the vermicelli noodles and wood ear mushrooms for at least 15 minutes. I do this step first before I start prepping all the other ingredients.

Take the ground pork and add sugar, fish sauce, salt, black pepper and sesame oil. Mix well and let it marinate for 5 minutes. The longer you marinade it the better.

Finely chop the green onions, shallots and garlic. Peel and finely cut the carrots. Use a julienned peeler to get a consistent-sized shredded carrot. Add to the ground pork.

Once the vermicelli noodles are rehydrated using scissors cut them into 3-inch lengths. Chop the wood ear mushrooms. If using the salted duck egg cut it into small pieces. Add them to the pork mixture and mix well.

Add the 4 eggs to the pork mixture. Mix it well and pour the cha trung hap mixture into the plate or bowl you will be using to steam in.

Prepare the Instant Pot and add approximately 2 -3 cups of water. I have the 8-quart so I use 3 cups of water. Place the Instant Pot trivet in first and slowly place the plate of cha trung hap. I recommend using aluminum foil to cover the plate to reduce the amount of water that pools on top during the cooking process. Place the lid on top and set the Instant Pot to steamer function for 15 minutes and natural release for 10 minutes.

While the cha trung hap is cooking separate the egg whites from the yolk. For the top, we will only be using the egg yolk. Set aside the egg whites for another recipe.

Once the Instant Pot is done and the lid is ready to be removed. Take the Instant Pot lid off and slowly lift the trivet. Using a spoon or a silicon brush pour the two egg yolks on top and evenly spread it all over. 

Place the trivet and plate back into the Instant Pot and cover the Instant Pot with the lid on and set to steamer for 1 minute and release immediately. 

Remove the cha trung hap from the Instant Pot and serve with your favorite side dish and rice.

How to serve

Best serve with a Vietnamese grilled pork chop, rice and some fresh vegetables or do chua. I have an air fryer char siu pork chop recipe that pairs well with it.

Alternatively, I serve this as a main protein dish when I am tight on time during the weekdays. I serve up the whole plate that I take out from the Instant Pot and everyone around the table self-serves and grabs whatever they want.

How to store

There are two ways you can store this. 

Uncooked

Combine all the ingredients and keep it uncooked for up to 3 days in the fridge. Make sure to keep it in an air-tight container and when you are ready to steam it pour it on the plate or bowl to steam.

Cooked

Cha trung hap is great as leftovers. Store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

How to reheat

Cooked leftovers can be steamed again. This will vary depending on how thick your cha trung hap is. Steam between 5-10 minutes. Microwaving for 3-4 minutes with a cover also works very well. 

Expert tips

When purchasing ground pork. I generally lean towards getting regular ground pork with some fat. If you want to be healthier going extra lean still works with this recipe. Where I am located regular ground pork is slightly less expensive than extra lean. 

If you would like to make this dish slightly lighter I would suggest adding crab meat or shrimp. Use less of pork and substitute with crab meat or shrimp. With the shrimp peel, devein and chop up finely.

Using high-grade eggs with a more deep yellow-orange colour helps bring out that nice colour on the top. When I purchase eggs I buy the best high-grade eggs possible like pasture-raised or free-range.

To speed up the time use a shallow round plate. If the egg and pork mixture is steamed in a shallow plate it takes less time but I find this works well if you are eating it as a main dish. If you are looking to get the same large square pieces you see in restaurants, use a loaf pan 8.5 X 4.5 to get that nice. If you are using the loaf pan increase the steam time to 20 minutes in the Instant Pot. 

If you are in a rush and don’t have time to add the egg yolk on top after you can even skip this step. This is more of a nice aesthetics to the eyes for guests or for photos but when I’m off work and just getting home and trying to get food on the table for my family I skip this step. It does not change the taste or feel of the dish. However, if you skip this step, it does leave a dull color cha trung hap. So be warned!

Use aluminum foil to cover the plate to reduce water from pooling on top during the steam process.

Recipe FAQ

How will I know if it is fully cooked?

If you’re scaling up or down the recipe the best way to know if it is fully cooked is by using a knife and poking it. If there is no liquid that comes up that means it’s fully cooked.

Did you make this Cha Trung Hap recipe? I would love to hear from you! Comment below and rate this recipe!

Follow me at CookwithChung on Pinterest for all my latest recipes!

• Chicken in Chinese Rice Wine
• Salmon Congee
• Ube Cupcakes Recipe
• Oatmeal Congee
• Gà Kho Gừng (Vietnamese Ginger Chicken)

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This refreshing and surprisingly super healthy Vietnamese Papaya Smoothie (Sinh tố đu đủ) is so easy to make. Only needs a handful of ingredients and a blender to make this Papaya Smoothie. Also NO bananas in this smoothie! This is great for a nice summer drink or if you have extra papaya and want to change it up and make a light smoothie. Let’s walk through this recipe!

Papaya is a fruit that is not commonly consumed like apples and oranges. Growing up papaya was a fruit I would bring to school and the other kids would ask me what it is and I would be embarrassed. I would see the other kids with their slice apples or oranges and look at my fruit and I would be the odd one out. Now that I’m older and wiser! Papaya is such an awesome fruit and I have no shame in packing this for my kids to bring to school.

Why make this Vietnamese Papaya Smoothie?

Papaya contains many antioxidants and what better way to nourish your body than through a simple smoothie!

Papaya also stores well in the fridge after it has been cut up. So if you have some leftovers sitting in the fridge it is nice to change it up and make a refreshing papaya smoothie (Sinh To Du Du)

This is great to make during the fall season when cold and flu season is among us. It is jammed-packed full of vitamins that help fight off viruses and bacteria

It is a smoothie that doesn’t need many ingredients and it’s versatile so if you have a different type of milk or sweetener you can substitute easily and still make an amazing smoothie.

Can you make a smoothie with papaya?

Definitely! This smoothie requires ripening papaya because they become so sweet and tasty! We don’t use green papaya! 

Papaya is such a great fruit! It’s so underrated and it actually mixes well with other fruit. I have even made a 2 colored smoothie with my Vietnamese Avocado Smoothie and layered it in a glass to get a nice green and orange colours smoothie!

What are the health benefits and why is papaya good for you

WebMD goes into great detail about the health benefits of eating papayas. 

Papayas may help reduce heat disease if consumed regularly. They contain different antioxidant vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E. Which helps prevent the oxidation of cholesterol, no blockage of cholesterol means that it reduces the chances of heart disease.

It’s a great source of fibre which will also help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Papaya contains a high level of vitamin C which can help boost the body’s immune system. When the body has a boosted immune system it is better equipped at fighting off viruses and bacterial infections. In my household with 3 young girls under the age of 5, viruses and bacteria breed in my household. Any form of immunity-boosting food is more than welcome – especially when it is so refreshing, tasty and also natural!

How to pick out the perfect papaya and know when it is ripe?

At the supermarket look for papayas that have no bruises and are shiny and smooth. The papayas you buy at the supermarket will usually be green with some hues of orangey yellow. They are usually not ripe and ready to be eaten yet. If the supermarket you shop at had ready to eat papaya look for a yellow-orange color and it is slightly softer when you press on it.

Once you cut into ripening papaya it will be a nice beautiful deep orange color. The knife will cut very easily.

How long does it take papaya to ripen and what to look for?

When I buy papaya and its not ripe yet I leave them on the counter to ripen. Leaving it on the counter will take about 3-4 days. If you wish to ripen the papaya faster there is one easy method. Throw it in a paper bag and fold the opening and it should ripen within 2-3 days. This will vary depending on how green the papaya is but check on it after 2 days and when you see it turn yellow.

If you need to speed it up even more and needed the papaya like yesterday. Use the brown paper bag method but also add in a ripe banana or apple to help really speed up the ripening process.

How to cut papaya?

I have two ways I cut papaya. 

If you are using it for a smoothie or cutting it up for family members I would use a peeler and peel the skin off first. Once the skin is peeled cut off both ends using a knife. Cut the papaya down the middle lengthways. I use a spoon and scrape all the black seeds. I also try to remove as much of the inside stringy parts. 

A second way is to cut the papaya lengthways and scrape out all the seeds. Now cut the halve papayas lengthways again into slices about 1 inch wide. Using the knife flat against the surface of the cutting board cut the skin off carefully. Now chop the papaya into smaller chunks. 

I personally prefer to peel the papaya first with a peeler since it reduces the chance of cutting your fingers and it’s less tedious. Once the papaya is peeled it’s a quick chop and your papaya is ready. 

Can you blend papaya seeds in a smoothie?

The papaya seed is edible and actually has some infection-fighting abilities. They are tiny round balls that are hard. 

Adding them to the blender is possible but I wouldn’t recommend it as it would alter the texture and taste of the papaya smoothie.

However, if you don’t want to be wasteful and would like to add some for the health benefits and don’t mind so crunchy texture feel free to add it!

Recipe FAQ

Do I need a high-speed blender?

I use Vitamix Blender and it does the job of blending big chunks of ice very well. I would suggest using smaller chunks if you don’t have a high-powered blender but even a single-serve blender will work if the ice is smaller pieces.

How long can you store this smoothie?

Drink the smoothie within 1-2 hours to keep it cold and refreshing. If you would like to make this in the morning and drink it after a workout keeps it in an insulated thermos to keep it cold. Otherwise, this will store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. 

Can this smoothie be frozen?

For sure! If you would like to meal prep and make these so it’s easy to make during a busy morning make a big patch and freeze it. I would recommend using an ice cube tray and freezing it and place them in a freezer-safe zip lock bag. They will freeze well for up to one month.

Ingredients and variations

Papaya: Make sure to use ripe papaya to get the best sweet and light flavour. Papaya is generally very tasteless when its not ripe. 

Milk: I use whole milk for this recipe. Feel free to use milk alternatives like almond, oat milk or any milk of your choice. The texture of the smoothie may change slightly.

Condensed milk: The condensed milk adds a very nice sweetness to the smoothie. If you don’t have any on hand, feel free to use brown sugar or white sugar. Any sugar that meets your dietary preferences would work. Simply add accordingly to your preference.

Did you make this Vietnamese Papaya Smoothie? I would love to hear from you please comment below!

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