Easiest way to eat Japanese kabocha
Kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) is kind of squash that is denser, creamier and richer in flavor.
Japanese kabocha (squash) is rich in Vitamin C, E and beta carotene. They are all antioxidants, which means kabocha is great to improve your immune system!
The harvest season for kabocha season is winter. However you can buy it pretty much anytime today. (But obviously, winter kabocha tastes much better.)
The best part of boiling kabocha is the fact that you don’t have to add anything since it’s pretty sweet on its own. It may taste like sweeter version of baked/re-fried beans, which are rich in fiber like kabocha.
Once you remove seeds and pith, your kabocha is ready to go. It’s okay to leave skin.
The simplest way to eat kabocha is to cut it into smaller pieces and steam or boil them. That’s all. If you Google kabocha recipes, you will find something like “nimono (simmered kabocha).” You would add some seasonings such as soy sauce, sake and mirin to make nimono. But honestly, I would say they are all optional. If you got good quality kabocha that is dense, creamy and sweet, you wouldn’t need any additions.
In a pan, add water to barely cover cut pumpkins. Start boiling.
You can remove scam as water starts boiling. I used MUJI’s scam remover.
Reduce heat, cover it with a lid and leave it for 20 minutes or longer, until they are soft.
Soft and sweet…you could also make paste for desserts.
If there are carrot cakes, there should be kabocha cakes. It’s the same idea. But kabocha is more versatile if you want to make desserts. Kabocha pudding, kabocha cheese cake and kabocha muffin are popular sweets people make at home. You make kabocha paste, then just add it to the dessert of your choice.
