I was surprised when I saw a small Japanese kabocha being sold at a Farmers Market. Kabocha is a pumpkin or it could also be a winter squash of Asian variety according to Wikipedia.
If you follow my blog, you may have realized that I've been cooking a lot of "boiled" dishes lately. The technique is to "niru" (煮る). When you cook ingredients in a broth, the broth is sucked up by the ingredients, ending up in a very tasty dish. This technique can be used for vegetables, meat and seafood. The best thing about it is that it is so easy. You just prepare the broth (probably just a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, etc), toss in the ingredients drop a lid and wait for the broth to be soaked up! The dish I'm introducing today is a Japanese kabocha nimono (煮物). Kabocha boiled in Japanese broth. It's sweet but savoury. The more you leave it in the broth, the more intense the taste will get. So be careful in boiling the ingredient too long! Ingredients:
Broth
Steps:
Note: Mix while heating so that the pumpkin is heated evenly. Also, you can adjust the heat to low since the aluminum foil lid can contain a lot of heat. I packed the leftovers in my bento the next day. Became tastier than the day before!
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"Ni-tu-ke" (煮付け) is a way of cooking in Japan which involves boiling the ingredient in soy sauce and sugar. Fish is very expensive in the US compared to Japan but I've found that Trader Joe's sells cheap tilapia (around $6 for 3 generous pieces). It may not be the best fish but it's a wonderful alternative for those on a budget.
Grilling or baking the fish in butter may sound easy but sometimes could end up being burnt and tough. This recipe involves boiling the fish in a simple savoury sauce. It's easy, takes only 10 minutes and you'll end up with a tasty traditional Japanese dish. Better than going to a Japanese restaurant! Serve with white rice, miso soup and veggies, like always. Here, I'll also be introducing a new technique called "otoshi-buta" (落とし蓋) which means to put a lid directly onto the food or deep into the pan. Ingredients:
Sauce (start with this, add more or less depending on how sweet/savoury you like your sauce)
Steps:
San Francisco's Japan Town's Nijiya has a special 20%-off-all-meat-day on the 29th of every month a.k.a. Meat day. "2-9" can also be read "ni-ku" which means "meat" in Japanese. On this day last month, I went a little crazy purchasing thin sliced pork and beef. Enough to last us a month. Today's dish uses thin sliced pork and any of your favourite vegetables. I used Japanese daikon, zucchini and onions since it's been in season at SF's farmers markets. This dish is a "ita-me-ni" (炒め煮) which means to stir fry and boil in liquid. In this case, we boil the ingredients in Japanese soy sauce, ginger, sugar, mirin and sake; a typical teriyaki type sauce. A typical Japanese dish which goes perfectly with rice and miso soup. With every bite, I was reminded of home. A similar dish I've posted earlier is the "Shoga-yaki"; pork ginger stir fry. Also a must try if you have thin sliced pork in your fridge. Ingredients:
Steps:
P.S. Heart of the City Farmers Market I just wanted to add a note about the wonderful experiences I've been having at one of San Francisco's Farmer's Markets. I go to Heart of the City Farmers Market in Civic Center every Sunday to get fresh vegetables and fruits. Today, I got 2 eggplants, 4 apricots, a bag of cucumbers, a bag of large green peppers, kabocha, strawberries, black berries and mini tomatoes for just......$10! Not only can you get fresh vegetables and fruits from farmers markets. You can also speak with the people who are responsible for the products and get advice from them; how to pick the best kinds and such. Highly recommended! Little food stands and trucks can be hidden gems as well. I've got multiple comments about Tamagoyakis, Japanese sweet omelettes.
According to some research, Japanese people only started to eat egg during the Edo period (16th to 18th century). Even then, I'm sure it was a luxury item. Now tamagoyakis are often made as a form of comfort food. Moms and Dads pack it in children's lunches a.k.a. obento. Every time I eat a tamagoyaki I always reminisce my mom's homemade lunches back in elementary school. Just like an onigiri (rice ball), it's a dish which reminds you of your family. Somehow tastes different depending on the family though the ingredients being used are probably the same. Ingredients being used are eggs and sugar with a dash of oil on the pan. Use a small pan for perfect results. It may seem difficult at first but practice makes perfect. The more you try, the more easier it gets. I promise! As I mentioned earlier, I sometimes make these at night, cut them, freeze them in saran wrap and take it for lunch in its frozen state in the morning. By lunch time, they are defrosted and taste delicious! They go perfectly with rice; especially onigiri. I hope you check out the recipe I posted for this dish and try it out yourself! With all the amazing vegetables in season and my visits to the farmers markets here in San Francisco, I've been needing to find a way to consume the vegetables but in an easy manner; especially for those weekday dinners at home after work. I've discovered the simplest Japanese vegetable stir fry recipe!
Ingredients (for 2 people):
Steps: Simply stir fry the veggies your pan until they are cooked through, then add the Hondashi, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar. Heat until water is evaporated. It's delicious and makes your dish taste like a true Japanese dish despite its simplicity and ease! Please give it a try! It goes well as a side dish with grilled chicken, grilled fish and even my favourite natto! |
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