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    Home » Recipes » Vegetable

    Japanese Simmered Pumpkin (かぼちゃの煮物)

    Published: Oct 25, 2020 · Modified: Sep 9, 2021 by Yuto Omura

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    Sweet, fluffy and delicious Japanese Simmered Pumpkin is the ultimate comforting side dish. Made with "kabocha" that is simmered in a delightful assortment of Japanese condiments, it's perfect to serve with any home dish or even in a bento box!

    Japanese simmered pumkin

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    What is Simmered Japanese Pumpkin?

    The Japanese name for this dish is "Kabocha no Nimono" (かぼちゃの煮物) which directly translates into pumpkin cooked by boiling or stewing.

    The pumpkin is not simply boiled in water, it's simmered in a mixture of Japanese condiments such as soy sauce, mirin and sake. (I like using Kikkoman brand soy sauce and mirin.) These flavours really bring out the taste of the pumpkin and the method of cooking makes the texture soft and fluffy.

    We also tend to leave the skin on, it keeps the pieces together after it's boiled and it's good for you! Not to mention it looks very colourful!

    Japanese Simmered Pumpkin Side

    History of simmered pumpkin

    As a traditional dish

    Simmered pumpkin actually has a long history as a home cooking dish. In old Japan, it was a tradition to eat pumpkin in winter. There's even an idea of "eat a lot of pumpkins to get through winter". Probably because pumpkin is sweet, comforting and nutricious.

    Back then, the easiest and the most ideal way of cooking pumpkin was simmering.

    It was also useful that pumpkins can be stored for a long time.

    Precut pumpkins

    In Japanese supermarkets, you can buy precut pumpkins especially for this dish. One reason might be that it's hard to cut, you definitely need a sharp knife to make this dish! But also because of how many people cook this dish, you can kind of guess how popular it is right?

    It's also a popular choice to put in a lunch box (bento) as well.

    Japanese simmered pumpkin overhead view

    What kind of Pumpkins are used in "Japanese Simmered Pumpkin"?

    Kabocha

    Okay, so actually this dish doesn't use regular pumpkin. The most popular kind of pumpkin in Japan is called 'Kabocha'. Kabocha is a kind of winter squash, it's a little similar to butternut squash but the shape is different and kabocha has a thick green skin. As I mentioned before, you can eat the skin once it's cooked!

    The taste of kabocha is also a lot sweeter than butternut squash, and the texture is kind of like a mix between pumpkin and sweet potato. It's fluffy and delicious, and it's pretty versatile too! It can be used in a number of dishes, savory or sweet!

    Other dishes that use Kabocha

    Here are some other dishes where you can use Japanese pumpkin, Kabocha!

    • Tempura かぼちゃ天ぷら
    • Pumpkin Korokke かぼちゃコロッケ
    • Kabocha Soup かぼちゃスープ
    • Kabocha Salad かぼちゃサラダ
    • Kabocha Pudding (purin) かぼちゃプリン

    Let's get started!

    Print
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    Japanese Simmered Pumpkin Side

    Japanese Simmered Pumpkin (かぼちゃの煮物)


    ★★★

    3 from 1 reviews

    • Author: Yuto Omura
    • Total Time: 25 minutes
    • Yield: 5-6 sides 1x
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    Description

    How to make delicious Japanese Simmered Pumpkin (かぼちゃの煮物)


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 450g Japanese Kabocha Pumpkin
    • 300ml Water
    • 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
    • 2 tbsp Sake
    • 2 tbsp Mirin
    • ½ tbsp Sugar

    Instructions

    1. First, scoop the seeds and pulp out of the kabocha. You can throw them away, we won't need them in this recipe.
    2. Cut the kabocha flesh into equal size chunks and leave the skin on. The skin is edible and it's good for you too!
    3. Place the kabocha pieces into a large pot with the skin side facing up. Make sure the kabocha pieces make only one layer in the pan, you don't want any pieces overlapping or sitting on top of one another.
    4. Add 300ml of water to the pot.
    5. Turn on the stove to a medium heat and bring the water to the boil.
    6. Once the water is boiling, add 2 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp mirin, continue to boil for 2 mins.
    7. After 2 mins, add 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp sake and turn the heat down to low.
    8. Simmer with the lid on for 15 mins until the kabocha is nice and soft.
    9. Serve as a side dish for a teishoku set meal or put it in a bento box.
    10. Enjoy!

    Notes

    You can store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days after letting it cool. Put some broth in the container too!

    • Prep Time: 10 mins
    • Cook Time: 15 mins
    • Category: Sides
    • Method: Boiling
    • Cuisine: Japanese

    Keywords: Japanese Kabocha no nimono recipe, Japanese Simmered Pumpkin, Japanese simmered squash, Japanese simmered kabocha, simmered kabocha squash recipe, nimono recipe

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    Comments

    1. simonandrew

      November 09, 2020 at 12:16 am

      Ahhhh, this sounds amazing.

      ★★★

      Reply

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    Thanks for visiting Sudachi Recipes. My name is Yuto and I'm a Japanese guy with a passion for food. Here I share tasty and accessible recipes so that you can bring a taste of Japan to your own kitchen.

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