Winter Solstice Recipe: Simmered Pumpkin

This is a dish traditionally served on the winter solstice in Japan. It is pronounced "kabocha no nimono" in Japanese. "kabocha" is a winter vegetable related to the pumpkin. "nimono" is a type of cooking in which the ingredients are left to simmer in the pot for a long time. Following is how "kabocha no nimono" is prepared at the Kitajima's.

Ingredients (serves 4) pumpkin 800g minced meat 250g salad oil 2T sugar 5T mirin 2T soy sauce 4T

Preparation: 1. Cut pumpkin into 3cm slices. 2. Fry minced meat in salad oil until brown. Add pumpkin slices. 3. Add sugar, mirin and soy sauce. Cover and cook over a low flame for a long time. It's done when you can pierce it with a "take-kushi" (bamboo skewer). Use your best judgement! The secret is to let it cook for a long time. Ms. Kitajima points out that you may need to add a bit of soup stock or water, depending on the kind of pot you use.

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