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  • 13 hours ago
Kabocha no nimono is a Japanese simmered pumpkin recipe that turns sweet kabocha squash into a tender side dish with gentle savory flavor. This dish usually starts by cutting kabocha into pieces with the skin left on, then simmering it in a broth made with dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sake, and a little sugar. As the pumpkin cooks, the flesh becomes soft and creamy while the skin helps each piece hold its shape. The broth slowly soaks into the kabocha, giving it a balanced mix of natural sweetness, umami, and light saltiness without making the dish heavy. The final kabocha no nimono is warm, simple, and comforting, pairing well with steamed rice, grilled fish, miso soup, bento meals, or other Japanese home-style dishes as a soft and flavorful vegetable side.
Transcript
00:00Hi everyone, I'm Yuto and today on Saturday, I'm going to show you how to make a classic
00:04autumn side dish called Kabocha no Nimono or Japanese Simmered Pumpkin in English.
00:08Let's get started. First, you need about 450 grams of Kabocha squash,
00:13which is about a quarter of a medium-sized Kabocha. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon like this.
00:19You can wash off the seeds and bake them with some seasoning to make a tasty snack.
00:25Next, place it flat on your cutting board and cut it in half like this. It's pretty hard so be
00:32sure
00:32to use a sharp knife and use a rocking motion to guide the knife through. Continue to use this
00:38rocking motion to cut it into strips, then into large bite-sized pieces. Kabocha skin is edible and
00:46becomes soft after cooking so there's no need to peel it. It also stops the Kabocha from falling apart
00:52when cooking. Okay, next, we're going to take a saucepan and arrange the pieces with the skin side
00:59facing up. Make sure to choose a pan big enough to make one layer. We don't want it to overlap
01:05for this
01:06recipe. This just about fits, so now add about 300 milliliters of dashi broth and bring it to a boil
01:16of a medium heat. Once it starts to bubble, add half tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of mirin,
01:292 tablespoons of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of sake. Continue to let it cook for about 2 minutes,
01:37then place a dropped lid on top and let it simmer for 10 minutes or until fork tender.
01:43The purpose of the drop lid is to stop the kabocha from moving too much and breaking. It also helps
01:50the bubbles move the condiments around the pot more evenly without the need to mix it.
01:56If you don't have a drop lid, check out my video on how to make one with baking paper or
02:01foil.
02:02After about 10 minutes, check them by piercing with a fork or skewer. It should go in smoothly like this.
02:09If it's still hard, continue to cook and check it every few minutes.
02:15And that's it, Japanese kabocha no nimono, a classic autumn side dish.
02:21And great news, I've launched a free mobile app that makes following along with my recipes even easier.
02:27It's the perfect kitchen companion after watching my videos. You can access step-by-step instructions
02:32right on your phone while you cook. The download link is in the description below.
02:38Thanks so much for watching. If you want to get the printable version of this recipe,
02:42it's available on my blog. The link is on the screen. And if you like kabocha squash,
02:46check out my kabocha loaf cake video on the screen too. I hope to see you in the next one.
02:51Take care.
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