Ingredients
1 kabocha
Water
Dash (very small splash) of Hon Tsuyu
1T shoyu
1-2T brown sugar
About 1T mirin
Water
Dash (very small splash) of Hon Tsuyu
1T shoyu
1-2T brown sugar
About 1T mirin
What To Do
Cut and seed kabocha into approximately 1-inch chunks. You can cut bigger or smaller if you like, as long as they are all about the same size so that they cook at the same rate.
Set the kabocha pieces, skin side down in a single layer in a large pot, such as a dutch oven. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan, but not enough to cover the kabocha. Mix Hon Tsuyu, sugar, shoyu and mirin together and mix into the water. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Once this happens, turn the heat down and let it steam for about 20 minutes.
Set the kabocha pieces, skin side down in a single layer in a large pot, such as a dutch oven. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan, but not enough to cover the kabocha. Mix Hon Tsuyu, sugar, shoyu and mirin together and mix into the water. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Once this happens, turn the heat down and let it steam for about 20 minutes.
Notes and Talking Story
- Kabocha is Japanese pumpkin.
- Braised kabocha is pure Japanese home cooking. My grandma made it; my mom makes it, and my kids, sisters, nieces and nephews all eat it.
- It looks like a flat green Halloween pumpkin, but does not turn orange unless it's really, really old. Not as stringy as Jack-o-Lanterns, and not as mushy.
- The other thing that has been drilled into my brain is that the braised kabocha skin *IS THE BEST PART* If you ever eat at my mom's house and she makes this, make *SURE* you eat the skin.
