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Prep Time 0:25

Cook Time 0:25

I love Japanese pumpkin croquettes (kabocha korokke), popular in Japanese izakayas (beer houses). I don’t, however, love deep-frying (don’t get me wrong, i can get into frying, I just try to avoid it when I can). So these croquettes are a bit of a compromise, with all the flavor of traditional fried pumpkin croquettes, but baked—a delicious compromise if I do say so myself—with sesame seeds and nori, which complement the pumpkin and soy flavors nicely. The very non-traditional croquettes are a little more like very moist biscuits, and are perfect with a bowl of miso and a very cold Sapporo.

• Ingredients
• 1 1/2 cups flour plus more for dusting Pantry
• 1/2 tsp baking powder Pantry
• 3/4 cup canned pureed pumpkin $1.50 for 15 oz.
• 1 egg, lightly beaten $1.50 for 6
• 1 tbsp soy sauce Pantry
• 1/2 sheet dried nori seaweed, snipped into 1” strips $2 for 10 sheets
• 1/2 onion, diced $0.50
• 1 tsp olive oil plus more for greasing baking sheet Pantry
• 1/8 cup toasted sesame seeds $2 for 8.5 oz.
• 1/2 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs) $2.50 for 8 oz.

Total Cost of Ingredients $10

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil.

Heat olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Cook onions for 3-4 minutes, or until translucent. Remove from heat.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Stir in pumpkin, egg, soy sauce, onions and nori. Mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until a sticky dough forms. If the dough is too moist, add a bit more flour.

On a clean, dry plate, combine the sesame seeds and the panko. Mix well with fingers. Set aside.

Use floured hands to form the dough into balls that are about 2” in diameter. Roll each ball in the panko-sesame seed mixture, and place on the greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm

Makes about 12-15 croquettes.