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Itoko-ni

A quiet winter-solstice dish from Japan's snow country: azuki beans simmered until soft, then sweet kabocha squash cooked down with them in soy, sugar and mirin until the wedges are tender and glazed. Named 'cousin simmer' because the ingredients go in one after another, like relatives arriving.

MainsSidesVeganUnder 400 kcal
95 min10 prep · 85 cookEasy131 kcalper serving
Itoko-ni

Instructions

  1. Rinse 30 g of dried azuki beans under cold water and tip them into a small saucepan. Cover generously with cold water, bring to the boil over high heat and boil 3 minutes, then drain in a sieve. This shibukiri step throws away the first water and with it the beans' harsh astringency.
  2. Return the drained beans to the pan with 400 ml of fresh water. Bring to the boil, skim off the grey foam, then lower the heat to the barest simmer, half-cover and cook 50-60 minutes. Top up with a splash of hot water if the beans ever peek above the surface. They are ready when one crushes to a paste between finger and thumb with no chalky centre; there should be roughly 100 ml of dark liquid left in the pan.
  3. While the beans cook, scoop the seeds and stringy flesh from 220 g of kabocha and cut it into rough 4 cm chunks, leaving the skin on. Pare the sharp cut edges off each piece (mentori) so they do not crumble, and shave away a few patches of skin here and there to help the seasoning soak in.

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Per serving

131kcal
5gprotein
28gcarbs
1gfat
4gfibre

Computed from the ingredients against a food database, not estimated. The full nutrient table is in the app.

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