With Autumn being our favourite time of year it only stands to reason that kabocha squash, being such an Autumnal vegetable, is one of our go-to ingredients when we want to eat something Japanese and comforting.  Kabocha, with its sweet yet savoury flavour makes a great main component for a meal, but works just as well as a side dish or a splash of colour in a bento.  These recipes work well with butternut squash or most other hard skinned winter squashes (crown prince is a really good match for kabocha in both flavour and texture, but it’s probably best to peel its harder outer skin away)

Kabocha Namul.

Namul (or namuru) is a family of dishes of Korean origin; shredded vegetables, seasoned with sesame and served as a side dish.  This namul works really well as a side dish to rich, sweet meat dishes such as buta no kakuni, and its nutty flavour contrasts extremely well with vinegared foods or those served with a ponzu dipping sauce.  It even makes a great coleslaw substitute in sandwiches.

Continue reading “Two ways with kabocha (kabocha namul & kabocha no miso)” →