Simmered Kabocha (Japanese Pumpkin)
This Japanese-style simmered pumpkin (kabocha no nimono or kabocha-ni in short) is healthy and easy to make. It is popularly served as a side-dish in a Japanese meal or in bento boxes, as it keeps well and can be eaten at room temperature or slightly warmed.
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When cooked, its fluffy texture and sweetness resemble sweet potato more than the typical pumpkin. Its skin is also soft and easily digestible.
It’s not only good as a side-dish. When I shot this recipe, I had the simmered kabocha with brown rice and edamane.
Simple and healthy lunch for one :)
Optional: Trim the sharp edges of each pumpkin piece for better presentation. I skip this step when I’m busy.
Put the pumpkin pieces into a small pot in a simple sauce of dashi, mirin, soy sauce, sugar and sake. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until softened. This is the initial stage of simmering. This simple sauce brings out the natural good taste of kabocha with a perfect blend of savoury (salty) and sweet.
Simmered Kabocha Recipe
The amount of kabocha is indicative. It can be a bit more or less as long as it occupies one layer in your cooking pot. Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for a few days and served warm (re-heated in microwave), at room temperature or chilled.
Ingredients:
- 350g piece kabocha (カボチャ, 南瓜, Japanese pumpkin or winter squash)
- 250ml water (or enough to just cover the pieces in a small pot)
- 1 tsp instant dashi powder
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1 tsp brown sugar to taste
You also need
- a small fitting cooking pot
Directions:
- Remove the seeds, wash kabocha and scrub the skin. Cut to uniform bite-sized chunks. Optional: Trim the sharp edges of each piece for better presentation.
- Arrange kabocha pieces one layer in a small fitting pot. Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a simmer and season to taste. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until pumpkin is cooked through and tender.