← Nouns Cooking · Japanese

Ingredients

• 500 g kabocha squash (about ¼ of one), seeded, cut into 4–5 cm chunks
• 300 ml water (or dashi)
• 1½ tbsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Sake
• 1 tbsp Mirin
• 1 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 pinch Salt

Method

1. Peel away a few strips of the hard green skin so the seasoning can soak in, and shave the sharp edges off each chunk so they do not break apart.
2. Arrange the kabocha skin side down in a single layer in a wide pan. Add the water, sugar, sake and mirin.
3. Bring to the boil, then cover with a drop lid (a circle of baking paper) and simmer over medium-low heat for 8 min.
4. Add the soy sauce and salt and simmer for 6–8 min more, until a skewer slides easily into the flesh and the liquid has reduced by about two thirds.
5. Turn off the heat and leave the kabocha to cool in the pan for a few minutes, which lets it absorb more flavour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips

• Do not stir; gently shake the pan instead so the chunks stay whole.
• Dashi gives a deeper flavour but makes it non-vegetarian. Butternut squash works too but cooks faster.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Just One Cookbook Chopstick Chronicles Japanese Cooking 101