Japanese
Kabocha no Nimono (Japanese Simmered Pumpkin)
Chunks of kabocha pumpkin gently simmered in a sweet dashi and soy broth until tender. A classic Japanese home-cooking side in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Pantry bits
- 1/4 kabocha (Japanese or Kent pumpkin), about 500g
- 300ml dashi
- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Scoop out the seeds and cut the pumpkin into 4-5cm chunks. Shave off a few patches of skin and trim the sharp edges with a knife or peeler so the pieces don't break up as they cook.
- Arrange the pumpkin skin side down in a single layer in a wide saucepan. Add the dashi, sugar, mirin and sake.
- Bring to a simmer, then cover with a drop lid (or a circle of baking paper with a hole in the middle) and cook on low for 8 minutes.
- Add the soy sauce and simmer for another 5-8 minutes until a skewer slides easily into the thickest piece. Don't stir; tilt the pan to baste instead.
- Turn off the heat and let the pumpkin sit in the broth for at least 10 minutes. Serve in shallow bowls with a little of the broth.
About this dish
Nimono are simmered dishes, the backbone of Japanese home cooking, and kabocha no nimono is one of the best known. The pumpkin turns sweet, fluffy and tender while keeping its shape.
Kabocha (sold in Australia as Japanese or Kent pumpkin) has a dense, chestnut-like flesh that's ideal here. Leave the skin on: it softens as it cooks and helps the pieces hold together.
It's good warm, but even better at room temperature after sitting in its broth. Serve with rice and grilled fish, or pack it into a bento.
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