Pumpkin the Japanese Way.

• 600 g pumpkin (not butternut, but a HARD skinned variety like Queensland Blue or Kent)
• 300 ml dashi (I use instant made according to the directions on my current packet)
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 14 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

1. Halve or quater the pumpkin, remove seeds and stringy part.
2. Cut into 5cm pieces.
3. Slice off the skin at random to give surface a mottled appearance and to allow flavour of dashi to steep in.
4. (We all are able to eat the skin once the dish is cooked).
5. Put pumpkin in saucepan skin side down, and add the dashi.
6. Bring to the boil and add the mirin and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, with a dropped lid (smaller than the cooking pot) placed right on top the ingredients.
7. (This keeps the ingredients from breaking up, whilst distributing the flavours without stirring).
8. Add the salt and soy.
9. Cover with saucepan lid and simmer until soft and most of the liquid evaporates.
10. Turn off the heat and cool in saucepan to let the flavour seep in.
11. I taste before all the liquid is gone to see if it is flavorful enough as some pumpkins are tastier than others.
12. If it's lacking in flavour I might add a bit more soy, mirin or a big pinch of sugar.
13. This is generally eaten at room temperature as a side dish.

pumpkin, directions, mirin, salt, soy sauce

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/pumpkin-the-japanese-way-41394 (may not work)