Sweet and salty flavor ! Simmered Pumpkin 
This is very popular simmered dish with the soft texture of pumpkin.
<<ingredients : serves 4>>
1/2 (500g) small pumpkin
1 tbsp — sugar
2 tbsp — mirin (sweet cooking sake)
1 tbsp — soy source
1 1/2 cups — water
<<How To>>
- Remove the pumpkin seeds and the fibers surrounding them with a spoon. Peal roughly and partially. Cut it into bite-sized (3-4cm blocks), bevel the edges and rinse in cold water.
- Place the pumpkin with the skin side down in a pot. pour in enough water so that the pumpkin is completely submerged. Add sugar, mirin, and soy source.
- Cover the pan and place over high heat. When it begins to boil, skim off foam and reduce the heat to medium.
- Cover with a drop-lid and simmer for about 7-10 minutes. Check the tenderness of each pumkin block by sticking a skewer into it. When the pumpkin is tender enough for the skewer to go in smoothly, turn off the heat and let rest until cool.
<<Tips>>
- Even the pot is removed from the heat, the pumpkin continues to be heated due to the remaining heat of the liquid. So, pay attention to the timing at which the heat should be turned off, otherwise the pumpkin will be overdone.
- Don’t stir or turn the pumpkin over with chopsticks while simmering. This will cause the pumpkin to lose its shape. Leave the pumpkin intact until the end of simmering.
