Let's cook braised pumpkin!

Stewed dishes are one of the representative foods of Japan. Let’s cook braised pumpkin.
Let’s cook braised pumpkin.
Ingredients (2 servings)
・pumpkin 1/4 (about 430g which include seeds, about 380g after removed seeds)
・water 400ml
・HON・DASHI (NSG, monosodium glutamate, bonito fish soup stock, Japanese soup stock) (about one teaspoon or less, 2.7g)
HON・DASHI (NSG, monosodium glutamate, bonito fish soup stock, Japanese soup stock)
・Katsuobushi (small pieces of sliced dried bonito), if you need.
Katsuobushi (small pieces of sliced dried bonito)
・Soy sauce 15ml
・Sugar 15ml
・Mirin (Japanse sweet sake) 15ml if you need.

1. Remove pumpkin seeds and pulp with a spoon.
Remove pumpkin seeds and pulp with a spoon.
Remove pumpkin seeds and pulp with a spoon.
2. Get rid of a part of rind of pumpkin to help absorb seasonings.
Get rid of a part of rind of pumpkin
3. Cut into 4-5cm pieces.
Cut into 4-5cm pieces.
Cut into 4-5cm pieces.
4. Plane off the corners to avoid falling to pieces. (If it takes much time for you, you don’t have to.)
Plane off the corners to avoid falling to pieces.
Plane off the corners to avoid falling to pieces.
5. After rinse off, put them into pot, and pour water.
put them into pot, and pour water
6. Add adequate HON・DASHI to water. I usually put also small amount of Katsuobushi(about2g) so I decrease HON・DASHI. (If you use enough Katsuobushi, you don’t need HON・DASHI. If you don’t use Katsuobushi, you need to prepare Japanese style soup broth instead of water, or add HON・DASHI to water.)
Add adequate HON・DASHI to water
put also small amount of Katsuobushi
7. Keep high heat to boil. After boil, turn down to medium heat and cover with a drop lid. If you don’t have, Aluminum foil is a good item. Make small slit to the center of it.
Turn down to medium heat and cover with a drop lid.
8. After keep medium heat for about 5minutes, add sugar. If you have, add mirin to have a hearty taste. If you like sweet taste, you can increase sugar or mirin.

9. Add soy sauce※ and cover with a drop lid again. Keep medium-low heat for about 5minutes. From time to time turn the pot while tilting to soak the surface of pumpkin with soup. (You can use spoon if difficult.)
From time to time turn the pot while tilting to soak the surface of pumpkin with soup.
10. Ready to eat.
eady to eat
※Soy sauce is easy to penetrate compare to sugar so we use after sugar.

In Japan the order of seasonings are like the following.
さ（さとう：砂糖＝sugar）
し（しお：塩＝salt）
す（す：酢＝rice vinegar）
せ（しょうゆ：醤油＝soy sauce）
そ（みそ：味噌=Miso, soybean paste）

Stewed dishes take time. But if you get used to it, you can make other dishes during simmering. Let’s try!

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