Pumpkin Kabocha No Nimono
Published October 27, 2012
Marcus Nilsson for The New York Times. Food stylist: Brian Preston-Campbell
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
2 cups dashi (optional, but very nice; recipe below)
8 cups 1-inch cubes pumpkin flesh
3 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
½ pound rib-eye, thinly sliced (optional)
Chopped fresh scallions
¼ cup dried bonito flakes
FOR THE DASHI
1 small piece dried kelp (konbu), about 2 inches long
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
10 grams carbs; 39 milligrams cholesterol; 201 calories; 5 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 12 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 1 gram fiber; 701 milligrams sodium; 14 grams protein; 4 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Combine the kelp and 2 cups water in a saucepan over medium heat. As soon as the mixture is about to boil, turn off the heat and let the kelp sit for 10 minutes. Add the bonito flakes and stir; let sit for a couple of minutes, then strain.
- Step 2
Add the beef to the bubbling broth and cook just until it loses its raw color. Add the beef and broth to the bowl with the pumpkin. Garnish with scallions, and serve, passing extra soy sauce at the table, if you like.
FOR THE PUMPKIN:
- Step 3
Put the pumpkin and 2 cups dashi or water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. Add the soy sauce, mirin and rice vinegar, and continue to boil until the pumpkin is tender, 15 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pumpkin to a serving bowl with a slotted spoon.
Private Notes
Comments
Mark says in his Kitchen Matrix cookbook that a 4-pound pumpkin will yield about 8 cups of cubes. He recommends cutting the pumpkin just as if you were carving a jack-o'-lantern: cut a circle around the stem, then pull up on the stem and discard it. Using the cavity as a handle, peel the pumpkin with a sturdy vegetable peeler. Then cut the pumpkin in half and scrape out the seeds.
I made this. It was very satisfying. I did bump up the mirin, vinegar and soy sauce because I really like strong flavors. Also didn’t peel the kabocha. I followed a tip that says keeping some of the peel on will help retain the shape of the squash, but I did trim the edges of the squash peel as suggested on another site. Ate the leftovers for a few days and loved it! Sometimes added some flat noodles, sometimes with rice. Sometimes ate it by itself.
Mark says in his Kitchen Matrix cookbook that a 4-pound pumpkin will yield about 8 cups of cubes. He recommends cutting the pumpkin just as if you were carving a jack-o'-lantern: cut a circle around the stem, then pull up on the stem and discard it. Using the cavity as a handle, peel the pumpkin with a sturdy vegetable peeler. Then cut the pumpkin in half and scrape out the seeds.