Each piece of pumpkin is coated in a rich, umami-packed salted egg yolk sauce, creating an irresistible blend of textures and flavors. This recipe is perfect for adding a savory twist to your pumpkin dishes, and it’s a lot easier than it looks.
What is Salted duck egg yolk
Salted duck egg yolk is the cured yolk of a duck egg, which is preserved by salting. This curing process gives the yolk a rich, savory, and slightly grainy texture with a deep umami flavor that’s both salty and creamy.
It’s a widely used ingredient in East and Southeast Asian cuisines.
You can find it as a filling in dishes like zongzi and mooncakes, such as the Lotus Paste Egg Yolk Mooncake and the renowned Chinese Golden Salted Egg Yolk Pastry (Dan Huang Su).
Additionally, it can be incorporated into stir-fried dishes, like the one in this recipe.
If you’re using salted duck eggs, you’ll need to separate the egg whites and keep just the yolks.
Cook the yolks and then crush them into crumbles before adding them to the recipe.
However, I personally prefer using salted egg sauce. It’s super convenient, easy to store, and is a staple in many Chinese dishes.
This salted egg pumpkin dish is one of my signature recipes.
I use kabocha for this recipe, but feel free to use any type of pumpkin you like! 
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 kabocha (about 500g)
Additional Ingredients
- 50g cornstarch
- 30gsalted egg yolk sauce (about 1 tbsp)
- 300ml cooking oil (for frying the pumpkin)
- 1 tbsp cooking oil (for stir-frying the sauce)
- 20g green onions (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the Pumpkin
- Wash and peel the baby pumpkin, removing the outer skin.
- Slice the pumpkin into pieces about 1 cm thick.
- In a pot, bring water to a boil. Add the pumpkin slices and blanch for about 1 minute until the surface slightly softens. Remove and drain.
- Place the pumpkin slices on a large plate and sprinkle them evenly with 50g cornstarch, making sure each slice is coated with a thin layer of cornstarch.
Fry the Pumpkin Slices
- Pour 300ml cooking oil into a pot and heat until it reaches about 160°C (test the oil temperature by inserting a chopstick—small bubbles should form around it).
- Carefully add the cornstarch-coated pumpkin slices to the oil without stirring initially, allowing them to set and hold their shape.
- After about 1 minute, gently separate the slices with chopsticks to prevent sticking.
- Continue frying on low heat, occasionally flipping the slices to cook evenly, until they turn golden and crispy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the fried pumpkin slices and drain excess oil on a plate lined with paper towels.
Make the Salted Egg Yolk Sauce
- Pour out most of the oil, leaving just 1 tbsp in the pot.
- Add 30g ofsalted egg yolk sauce and stir-fry over low heat.
- Stir continuously to heat the sauce evenly, cooking until it starts to bubble and release a savory aroma.
Coat the Pumpkin with Salted Egg Yolk Sauce
- Quickly add the fried pumpkin slices into the pot with the bubbling salted egg yolk sauce.
- Toss well, ensuring each slice is evenly coated with the sauce.
- Stir-fry briefly, then transfer the salted egg pumpkin to a serving plate. You can garnish it with chopped green onions if you like, but this step is optional.
Salted Egg Pumpkin Recipe
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 kabocha about 500g
Additional Ingredients
- 50 g cornstarch
- 30 gsalted egg yolk sauce about 1 tbsp
- 300 ml cooking oil for frying the pumpkin
- 1 tbsp cooking oil for stir-frying the sauce
- 20 g green onions optional
Instructions
Prepare the Pumpkin
- Wash and peel the baby pumpkin, removing the outer skin.
- Slice the pumpkin into pieces about 1 cm thick.
- In a pot, bring water to a boil. Add the pumpkin slices and blanch for about 1 minute until the surface slightly softens. Remove and drain.
- Place the pumpkin slices on a large plate and sprinkle them evenly with 50g cornstarch, making sure each slice is coated with a thin layer of cornstarch.
Fry the Pumpkin Slices
- Pour 300ml cooking oil into a pot and heat until it reaches about 160°C (test the oil temperature by inserting a chopstick—small bubbles should form around it).
- Carefully add the cornstarch-coated pumpkin slices to the oil without stirring initially, allowing them to set and hold their shape.
- After about 1 minute, gently separate the slices with chopsticks to prevent sticking.
- Continue frying on low heat, occasionally flipping the slices to cook evenly, until they turn golden and crispy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the fried pumpkin slices and drain excess oil on a plate lined with paper towels.
Make the Salted Egg Yolk Sauce
- Pour out most of the oil, leaving just 1 tbsp in the pot.
- Add 30g ofsalted egg yolk sauce and stir-fry over low heat.
- Stir continuously to heat the sauce evenly, cooking until it starts to bubble and release a savory aroma.
Coat the Pumpkin with Salted Egg Yolk Sauce
- Quickly add the fried pumpkin slices into the pot with the bubbling salted egg yolk sauce.
- Toss well, ensuring each slice is evenly coated with the sauce.
- Stir-fry briefly, then transfer the salted egg pumpkin to a serving plate. You can garnish it with chopped green onions if you like, but this step is optional.
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