vegetable cooking | Cooking With Koji

Just 20 min for mum’s taste.
Japanese typical home dish, simmered pumpkin. It’s soft and sweet.
Try my easy (lazy?) way 😛

Remove the pumpkin seeds and cut the pumpkin into bite-size.
(If you like, you can bevel the edges of the pumpkin, it helps to remain the shape while simmering.
it looks nicer, but! I prefer to cook in shorter time –> so I don’t.)

Place the pumpkin with the skin side down in the pot.

Pour enough water into the pot.

Seasonings are just these.
Easy!
2 table spoons of soy sauce.
2 table spoons of Mirin
2 table spoons of honey (or sugar)

Soy sauce

Mirin

Honey

Then, bring it to boil.

Once it boiled, cover with a drop-lid and simmer over a low heat.
If you don’t have drop-lid, you can use aluminium foil in stead.

This is my favorite drop-lid with pig face on it ↓
Steam can go through from his nose.

Put back the lid again and keep simmer for about 10 min.

Check if it is cooked. Mmm, it looks bit more to cook.

Now it looks good.

You can eat now, but try to leave this for 30 to hour.
Taste become better !!

It is always mum’s taste!

If you get nice fresh beans, what will you make?

I often make sesame seeds beans (Goma-ae), but today, I cooked without it. Just beans marinaded with Miso.
(Because….I used sesame seeds for another dishes. ;-p)

It is very simple but yummy. Looks like this ↓↓

I will show you how to make this. Don’t surprise even it is too easy….
First, boil the beans.

Put aside until it cools down naturally.

While waiting for beans cool down, let’s make miso marinade sause. Prepare, Miso and Mirin
(You can use Honey or suger, instead of Mirin)

Mix well. I use traditional “Suri Bachi”. It is an earthenware mortar, often used for grinding sesame seeds.
(Reference for people in Melbourne!! I found “Suri Bachi” at Clifton Hill kitchen-wear shop near the post office :-p )

My favorite Mirin : Mikawa Mirin