Recipe courtesy of Mogu.
Directions for: Kabocha Korokke Sandwich
Ingredients
1 medium kabocha (winter) squash
1 gallon water
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 onion, diced
1 tsp salt
tsp black pepper
fresh bread crumbs, a whole bag
4 eggs
1 cup cold water
1 cup flour
canola oil, for deep frying
9 - 12 hamburger buns
9 - 12 leaves green lettuce
tonkatsu sauce (you can buy it at any Japanese/Asian grocery store)
1 avocado, sliced into strips
Directions
1. Clean the squash and cut it in half. Remove the seeds and strings and then chop it into roughly 1 inch cubes.
2. Put 1 gallon of water into a container and set aside.
3. Heat a large thick-bottomed pot, use high heat. Once its hot, add the canola oil and the squash then sprinkle the brown sugar on top. Mix the squash so that all the pieces mix with the sugar and get caramelized and brown. Then pour in the water. Keep the stove temperature high.
4. Once it has boiled, turn it down to medium heat and let it simmer for 8 to 12 minutes.
5. Dice up the whole onion. Heat a frying pan, pour in the other 1 tablespoon of canola oil. Saute the onions, and then put them in a big mixing bowl.
6. Once the kabocha is cooked (tender, slices with no resistance), drain it and return it to its pot. Use a masher to mash the squash, but it doesn't have to be perfectly smooth. Add all the mashed squash to the mixing bowl with the onions. Mix together, add the salt and pepper. Cool the mixture.
7. Put the fresh breadcrumbs in a flat container. Put the flour in a separate flat container. Crack all the eggs in a bowl and whisk it with the cold water.
8. Scoop the kabocha into roughly -cup balls. For each ball, roll it in the flour, then in the egg, then cover it with the bread crumbs. When the ball is in the breadcrumb container, press down on the ball to make a hamburger patty shape. Make sure the breadcrumbs cover the entire korokke (croquette). Put the breaded croquettes aside.
9. In a deep frying pan or in a deep-fryer, heat canola oil to 350F. Toast the hamburger buns. Fry the breaded croquettes for 3 minutes each. Remove and shake lightly to get rid of excess oil.
10. To build the sandwich, place the lettuce on the bottom bun, then the croquette, then four slices of avocado and some tonkatsu sauce, add a tiny pinch of salt and pepper.
See more: Asian, Comfort Food, Eggs/Dairy, Vegetables