Kabocha no Nimono (Simmered Japanese Pumpkin)

Name: Kabocha no Nimono (Simmered Japanese Pumpkin)
Total time: 35 min
Yield: Serves 2–3
Ingredients: Kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) 1/4 of one (about 400 g); Water A little for washing + 200 ml for simmering (+ 50 ml to add); Sugar 1 1/2 tbsp; Mirin (sweet rice seasoning) 1 tbsp; Soy sauce 1 tbsp (+ a little more to add after tasting)

🌱 VeganNo meat, fish, eggs, dairy, honey or bonito dashi

Serves 2–3 · About 35 min (10 min of this is just letting it sit with the heat off)
A sweet simmered dish of kabocha cooked in sugar, mirin and soy sauce. It also explains how to cut hard kabocha safely.

① Remove the seeds and soften a little in the microwave→② Cut safely→③ Arrange and simmer→④ Turn off the heat and let sit

What to buy

Vegetables

Kabocha (Japanese pumpkin)Pre-cut pieces are easier to cut than a whole one1/4 of one (about 400 g)

Check what you already have

WaterA little for washing + 200 ml for simmering (+ 50 ml to add)Sugar1 1/2 tbspMirin (sweet rice seasoning)1 tbspSoy sauce1 tbsp (+ a little more to add after tasting)

Tap an item to check it off (checks clear when you close the page).

How to make it

Remove the seeds and soften a little in the microwave

Microwave 600 WAbout 2 min

Wash the outside of the kabocha with water and wipe it with a paper towel
Put it on the cutting board cut side up and scrape out the seeds and stringy parts (the soft part around the seeds) with a spoon
Wrap in plastic wrap, put on a microwave-safe plate, and heat at 600 W for 2 minutes
It is hot, so take it out using a pot holder or cloth, and let it cool in the wrap until you can touch it

How to tell it's doneWhen you set the knife tip on the skin, the blade goes in a little more easily than before heating. Do not heat it until it is soft all over (it will fall apart when simmered).

Be carefulSteam comes out when you remove the wrap. Lift it from the far edge and take it off without bringing your face close.

Cut safely

About 5 min

Wet a cloth, wring it out, and lay it under the cutting board (this keeps the board from slipping)
Put the kabocha on the cutting board cut side (yellow side) down. Turn it so it does not wobble when pressed
Curl the fingertips of the hand holding the kabocha inward
Set the heel of the blade (the part near the handle) on it and press straight down with your body weight. Do not lift the knife up and chop down
If the blade stops partway, keep holding the handle and put your other palm on the back of the knife (the side opposite the edge), then press straight down. Do not let your fingers go below the edge
If the blade gets stuck, do not twist it side to side (it can suddenly come free and hit your hand, or the blade can chip). Keep pressing straight down all the way
Cut into strips about 4 cm wide, then cut into pieces about 4 cm square of similar size

How to tell it's doneEverything is cut, in pieces of about the same size.

Be carefulIf it is so hard that the blade barely moves when pressed, do not force it. Go back to step 1, microwave 1 minute more, let it cool, then cut.

Arrange and simmer

Medium → Medium-low heatAbout 12 min

Lay the kabocha in a pot skin side down, without overlapping
Add 200 ml water, 1 1/2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp mirin and 1 tbsp soy sauce
Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cut aluminum foil into a circle a little smaller than the pot and lay it right on top of the kabocha (a drop lid)
Medium-low heat for about 12 minutes. Do not stir partway (stirring makes it fall apart)

How to tell it's doneA bamboo skewer (or chopsticks) slides easily into the biggest piece. The liquid is down to about half.

Be carefulLift the foil now and then to check. If the liquid is almost gone, add 50 ml water.

Turn off the heat and let sit

Heat off10 min

Turn off the heat, remove the foil, put the lid on the pot, and let sit 10 minutes (the flavor soaks in as it cools)
Taste it. If too weak, add 1/2 tsp soy sauce to the liquid, warm over low heat for 1 minute, and spoon the liquid over with a ladle

ReadyPut in bowls skin side down and pour a little of the liquid over.

📚 Learn more about this dish

🥬 Ingredient guide

Mirin Shoyu (soy sauce)

🔪 Cutting & cooking tips

Boiling Heat levels (high, medium, low)Otoshibuta (drop lid)

If it didn't work out

It fell apartThe heat was too high in step 3, or you stirred partway. Next time, turn to medium-low heat when it boils and simmer without stirring.

It is hardIt was not simmered long enough. Add 3 minutes at a time until a bamboo skewer slides in easily.

WaterySome kabocha has more water. Remove the foil and cook over medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes to reduce the liquid.

The flavor is weakThe resting time in step 4 was too short, or there was not enough soy sauce. Add soy sauce to the liquid 1/2 tsp at a time, tasting each time.

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Made by YUU, a teen who loves cooking → About me