This is a soft and chewy pumpkin injeolmi recipe topped generously with sweet Castella crumbs. A perfect seasonal Korean dessert for fall, it’s a healthy, gluten-free snack you can enjoy anytime. My grandmother used to run a traditional rice cake shop, and I’ve adapted her recipe so it’s easy to make even outside Korea. Celebrate the crisp autumn season with this beautiful and delicious Korean fall treat!
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What is Pumpkin Injeolmi?
What is Injeolmi? 인절미
Injeolmi is made by steaming glutinous rice flour and pounding it with a rice cake mallet to make it chewy. If you watch Korean historical dramas, you might have seen people pounding rice cakes. The chewy rice cake made this way is coated with nutty soybean powder to make injeolmi.
Pumpkin Korean Rice Cake
Pumpkin rice cake is usually made with mature pumpkin. It is a traditional Korean rice cake, mainly enjoyed in the fall, as pumpkin adds a natural sweetness to the tteok.
There are different types of pumpkin tteok: Hobak Seolgi, which has a slightly crumbly texture similar to Baekseolgi; Hobak Sirutteok, filled with sweet pumpkin paste and coated with red bean powder; and Hobak Injeolmi, a chewy injeolmi topped with sweet Castella crumbs. While you can still coat it with traditional soybean powder like regular injeolmi, nowadays, using sweet and soft Castella crumbs as a topping has become more popular and trendy.
Ingredients for Castella Injeolmi with Pumpkin
Main Ingredients
- Steamed pumpkin (peeled)
- Glutinous rice flour
- water
- sugar
- salt
Toppings and Variations
- Castella cake: Use finely ground soft and fluffy Japanese or Korean-style Castella as a topping.
- Muffins or Madeleines: In Belgium or Europe, where I live, it’s hard to find Japanese or Korean-style Castella. In that case, basic egg-flavored muffins or madeleines work really well as a substitute. You can also use pound cake.
- Soybean powder: You can use soybean powder like basic injeolmi, or in countries where it’s hard to find, you can use misutgaru (roasted grain powder) as a more accessible alternative.
Step-by-Step Pumpkin Injeolmi Recipe
- After removing the pumpkin seeds, pour water into a microwave-safe bowl, cover with a lid, and microwave for 5–7 minutes. If you don’t have a lid, you can cover it with plastic wrap and poke a few holes before microwaving. Check if it’s cooked by piercing with a chopstick.
- Peel the steamed pumpkin, then add sugar and salt. Mash and mix well using a masher or fork.
- Add glutinous rice flour to the pumpkin and knead it into a smooth dough.
- Line a steamer with a cloth or parchment paper and place the pumpkin dough on it. If using parchment paper, poke several holes so the steam can pass through, and lightly brush with oil.
- Steam over medium heat with the lid closed for 10–15 minutes.
- Remove the steamed tteok and knead it well to make it chewy, then spread it thick and wide.
- Grind only the white part of Castella or madeleines in a chopper. You can also sift it for a finer texture.
- Sprinkle the ground Castella evenly over the tteok.
- Cut the tteok into bite-sized pieces and serve.
Tips for Perfect Pumpkin Rice Cake
When is the tteok done?
Steam the tteok (rice cake) until it becomes slightly translucent and no white flour is visible inside.
If you still see white flour, continue steaming for an additional 5 minutes.. If you still see white flour, steam for an additional 5 minutes.
How to prevent the tteok from sticking while kneading
Since it’s hot, start with a spatula, then use plastic gloves lightly brushed with sesame oil while kneading. Without gloves or oil, the dough will stick to your hands.
Best 10 Korean Tteok Menu
Not sure which Korean tteok to try? Here’s a list of the top 10 must-try tteok. Choose from these, and you’ll never go wrong—enjoy only the most delicious Korean rice cakes!
Easy Korean Rice Cake, Songpyeon Recipe
Would you like to try making another simple Korean rice cake? The tteok that Koreans eat on Chuseok, the Korean Thanksgiving, is called songpyeon. I’ve adapted the recipe so that it can be easily made outside of Korea. These traditional Korean rice cakes are filled with a sweet and nutty sesame filling and are a classic and delicious treat.
FAQ about Castella Injeolmi (Pumpkin Tteok)
How do I store leftover pumpkin injeolmi?
Never store tteok in the refrigerator. It hardens quickly and loses its taste. Storing at room temperature is even worse. In summer, tteok can spoil in as little as 2 hours.
For injeolmi, wrap each piece individually with plastic wrap, then store in an airtight container or zipper bag in the freezer. When you want to eat it, thaw at room temperature for at least 3 hours or heat in the microwave for about 1 minute.
What is injeolmi powder?
The powder used for injeolmi is soybean powder. It is made by steaming or roasting yellow soybeans and then grinding them finely. This powder is also used as a topping for bingsu and adds a nutty flavor.
Can you make injeolmi at home?
Yes. In fact, injeolmi is one of the easiest Korean tteok to make at home. Simply mix glutinous rice flour with water, steam it, and coat with soybean powder. I added pumpkin to make it sweeter and more delicious. You can check the recipe on this blog.
What does injeolmi taste like?
Made with glutinous rice flour, injeolmi is very chewy and coated with soybean powder, giving it a strong nutty flavor. Sugar is sometimes added to the powder to make it slightly sweeter.
What is injeolmi made of?
Injeolmi is made from glutinous rice flour, which gives it a chewy texture, and coated with soybean powder made from yellow soybeans. The rice flour is kneaded with salted water, giving it a slightly savory taste.
What is pumpkin injeolmi?
Pumpkin injeolmi is a traditional Korean rice cake made by steaming glutinous rice flour dough infused with pumpkin puree, then coating it with finely ground sesame powder.
Is pumpkin injeolmi gluten-free?
Yes, pumpkin injeolmi is gluten-free as it is made with glutinous rice flour and does not contain wheat or gluten-based ingredients.
Can I use regular cake instead of Castella for the topping?
Absolutely! If Castella is unavailable, you can substitute it with plain sponge cake, madeleine, or pound cake. Simply grind the cake into fine crumbs and sprinkle over the tteok.
Can I use a microwave to cook the pumpkin?
Yes, you can microwave the pumpkin. Cut it into quarters, remove the seeds, place it in a microwave-safe bowl with ½ cup of water, cover with a lid or plastic wrap with holes, and microwave for 5–7 minutes until tender.
Kitchen Guide for Pumpkin Injeolmi Tteok
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Castella Pumpkin Injeolmi Tteok: Easy Korean Rice Cake
Equipment
- 1 microwave safe bowl with lid(or plastic wrap)
- 1 fork or masher
- 1 steamer(deep wok) with lid
- 1 steamer cloth (or baking paper)
- 1 silicone spatula or rice paddle
- 1 plastic gloves
- 1 chopper
- 1 Knife & cutting board
Ingredients
- 110 g steamed pumpkin (peeled)
- 120 g glutinous rice flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/3 tsp salt
- 100 g castella cake (or madeleine or muffin)
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Cut the pumpkin into quarters and remove the seeds.
- Put the pumpkin pieces in a microwave-safe bowl. Add ½ cup of water, cover with a lid or wrap, and poke a few holes. Microwave for 5–7 minutes, or until tender when pierced with chopsticks.
- Once cooked, peel off the pumpkin skin.
- Add sugar and salt to the pumpkin, then mash well with a fork or masher until smooth.
- Add glutinous rice flour to the mashed pumpkin and mix until it forms a dough.
- Line a steamer with a cloth or parchment paper. Poke small holes in the paper so steam can pass through, and lightly oil the surface.
- Steam the dough over medium heat for 10 minutes with the lid closed. It’s ready when the color turns slightly translucent and no white flour is visible inside.
- Remove the steamed dough and knead it while it’s hot to make it chewy. Flatten it into a thick, wide sheet. (Tip: Use a spatula first, then wear plastic gloves lightly brushed with sesame oil. The dough is sticky when hot.)
- Blend or finely grind the white part of the Castella cake (or sponge cake) in a chopper. You can also sift it through a fine sieve for a finer texture.
- Sprinkle the finely ground cake evenly over the surface of the rice cake.
- Cut into bite-size pieces and enjoy!
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @blondekimchi_ on Instagram and hashtag it #blondekimchi.
