I’m so delighted about this collab with K Fresh Malaysia! The team sent me a box of seasonal fresh produce air-flown from Korea. In addition to everyday staples, there were some exotic picks (I’m using them for the first time too!) like Incubator Pumpkin, Perilla Leaves and a variety of chilli peppers ranging from the sweet to the spicy!

The Incubator Pumpkin comes vacuum packed. This zucchini-looking vegetable can be enjoyed raw, unpeeled and tastes so much like sweet pumpkin. The Perilla Leaves (you could say Korean “Ulam”) - spade-shaped leaves with a minty-herby-basil flavour - is definitely a win in my books with its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties.

Using these ingredients (and the peppers) I’ve created a Korean Pumpkin Rosti - a pan-fried flat cake traditionally using potatoes. To go with these gorgeous Rösti, a spicy avocado dip and a fresh spinach tomato salad.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

For the Rosti:

• 1 Incubator Pumpkin, grated

• 1 Cheongyang pepper, thinly sliced

• 1 Asagi Gochu pepper, thinly sliced

• 4 Perilla Leaves, rolled and sliced thinly

• 1 tbsp all purpose flour

• 1 egg

• Salt and pepper

• Butter / olive oil for cooking

For the Spicy Avocado Dip:

• 1 ripe Avocado

• 2 Cheongyang peppers, finely chopped

• ½ Large red onion, finely chopped

• 1 handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped

• 2-3 cherry tomatoes, chopped

• Juice of half a lemon

• Salt & pepper

For the Spinach Tomato Salad:

• 1 cup fresh baby spinach

• 3-4 cherry tomatoes, halved

• 2 Perilla Leaves, rolled and sliced thinly

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and pepper

Method:

To make the Rosti:

1. Use a grater and grate the Incubator Pumpkin, then place it in a kitchen cloth and squeeze out allthe excess liquid. Transfer the pumpkin to a mixing bowl. Discard liquid.

2. Add the thinly sliced Perilla Leaves, Asagi Gochu and Cheongyang peppers into the bowl. Thenadd the all purpose flour, salt and pepper.

3. Beat the egg and add to the bowl. Mix the ingredients well.

4. Heat a frying pan with some butter / olive oil.

5. Spoon in the mixture to form a flat Rosti / pancake. Let it cook for a minute or two before flipping it to the other side. The rostis should be golden brown and crisp on the edges.

6. Remove the rostis from the pan.

To make the Spicy Avocado Dip:

1. Place the chopped red onions, Cheongyang peppers, cherry tomatoes, and coriander leaves in a shallow bowl.

2. To the same bowl, add the ripe avocado (peeled and seed removed), lemon juice, salt and pepper.

3. Mash nicely together till desired consistency.

To make the Spinach  Tomato Salad:

1. In a mixing bowl, add the spinach leaves, tomatoes, Perilla Leaves, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Give it a good toss.

Putting It All Together:

1. Place the rostis on a plate, serve with spinach tomato salad and spicy avocado, with a drizzle of olive oil.