Kabocha Pumpkin Hot Pot Recipes

KABOCHA PUMPKIN HOT POT

Steps:

• Place shiitake mushrooms in a large bowl and add 5 cups of water. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 5 hours.
• Strain liquid into a large bowl, reserving both liquid and mushrooms. Trim stems and discard; cut caps in half and set aside. Add soy sauce and mirin to bowl with mushroom liquid; set aside.
• Place kombu on the bottom of a 4 1/2- to 5-quart Japanese clay donabe or cast-iron pot. Top with pumpkin, daikon, taro, carrot, negi, cabbage, shimeji mushrooms, and reserved halved shiitake mushrooms. Add mushroom liquid mixture.
• Cover pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover and add noodles; let simmer until noodles are tender, about 10 minutes more. Serve immediately garnished with shichimi togarashi.

KABOCHA PUMPKIN SOUP

Steps:

• Place kabocha squash cut-side down into a microwave-safe baking dish. Pour 1/2 inch water around the squash. Microwave on high until tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender.
• Scoop kabocha squash flesh into the blender. Add pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Blend until smooth.
• Pour blended mixture into a saucepan. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes.

SIMMERED KABOCHA PUMPKIN AND FRIED TOFU WITH SWEET SOY SAUCE

Steps:

• Soak kabocha in a bowl of water for 15 minutes. Drain.
• Combine kabocha squash, dashi stock, fried tofu, onion, sake, mirin, soy sauce, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Cover with aluminum foil. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until kabocha squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove aluminum foil carefully.
• Cool before serving, about 10 minutes.

JAPANESE (KABOCHA) PUMPKIN

Steps:

• Cut pumpkin in half. Clean out seeds and rinse leaving the skin on. Cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in a large pot over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Add pumpkin and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring once. Continue to simmer another 10 minutes or until done. Pumpkin is done when it is easily pierced with a fork or toothpick. Do not overcook or the pumpkin will become mushy.
• Dried shrimp, ebi, can be found in the oriental section of most supermarkets. You can use shrimp bullion or fish stock instead.
• Nutrition information: Calories 70, Fat 2 g., Cholesterol 6 mg., sodium 97 mg. 1 bread exchange. ww points 2.

ROASTED KABOCHA (JAPANESE PUMPKIN) SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F / 175°C.
• Cut kabocha in half, scoop out seeds and membranes, and set aside.
• Prick the kabocha flesh with a fork, brush with olive oil and place face down on a baking dish. Bake for about 40 mins at 350F/175°C or until tender.
• While the kabocha is roasting, clean and dry the seeds (as best you can) and toast them in a dry pan on med-high heat for about 5 minutes or until nicely golden brown and set aside. Alternately, you can bake them in the oven for about 10-20 minutes at 400F / 200°C.
• In a large pot, saute sliced onion in butter until soft.
• When the kabocha is soft, carefully (it's hot!) scoop the flesh in chunks out of the skin and add to the pot with onions. Alternately, you can wait for it too cool or roast it already peeled.
• Add the bouillon powder, water and cinnamon, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Cover the pot to keep it from splattering.
• Pour the mixture into a large bowl. In batches, puree the mixture in a blender (only fill about 3/4 or less full), and add it back to the pan. If you have an immersion blender, even better, and you can just puree it all in the pan.
• Stir in the milk and heat gently over low heat, stirring frequently. Mix in salt and pepper to taste, ladle into bowls and top with toasted seeds.