Kabocha no Nimono with Beef (Japanese Simmered Pumpkin) — Pressure Cooker Recipe

Kabocha no nimono — Japanese simmered pumpkin — is one of the coziest, most comforting side dishes on the home table. Chunks of kabocha squash are simmered in a sweet-savory broth of dashi, sugar, soy sauce, and mirin until they’re meltingly soft and glossy. It’s naturally sweet, deeply savory, and the kind of humble dish that turns up in bento boxes and alongside dinner all over Japan.

I made this in our Iris Ohyama electric pressure cooker, which gets the kabocha perfectly tender in a fraction of the usual time. I also went a little off-script from the basic recipe and added some beef and a cut-up sheet of aburaage (fried tofu) — the beef makes it more of a main dish and the aburaage soaks up all that lovely broth. It’s exactly the kind of easy, forgiving home cooking we make on a normal night.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Sweet, savory, and comforting. Tender kabocha in a glossy dashi-soy broth is pure Japanese comfort food.
• Fast in a pressure cooker. The kabocha turns meltingly soft in just a couple of minutes under pressure.
• A side or a main. Add beef and aburaage like I did and it’s hearty enough to headline dinner.
• Great for meal prep. It keeps and reheats beautifully, and it’s a bento staple.

What is Kabocha no Nimono?

Nimono (煮物) is the broad family of Japanese simmered dishes, where ingredients are cooked gently in a seasoned dashi broth until tender and infused with flavor. Kabocha no nimono is the pumpkin version, and it’s a classic — kabocha (Japanese pumpkin/squash) is dense, sweet, and holds its shape well, so it’s perfect for simmering. The skin is edible and stays on, giving each piece a pretty green-and-gold look.

This is comfort-food territory, right alongside my daikon and beef nimono and nikujaga — all easy, homey simmered dishes that go perfectly with a bowl of rice. If you love kabocha, you might also enjoy my kabocha korokke.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Kabocha	1/2	Cut into large bite-sized chunks, skin on
Beef	100 g	Thinly sliced or ground (my addition)
Aburaage	1 sheet	Fried tofu, cut into strips (my addition)
[A] Simmering broth
Dashi	100 ml
Sugar	3–4 tbsp	The original recipe uses 5; I find 3–4 nicely balanced
Soy sauce	1 tbsp
Mirin	1 tbsp

The broth is built on dashi, so a good packet or stock is worth having. An electric pressure cooker makes this fast and hands-off, but a regular pot with a drop lid works too — it just takes a bit longer.

How to Make Kabocha no Nimono

Step 1: Prep the Kabocha and Aburaage

Scoop out the seeds and cut the kabocha into large bite-sized chunks, leaving the skin on. Cut the aburaage into strips. Kabocha is dense, so use a sharp, sturdy knife and take your time.

Step 2: Add Everything to the Pot

Put the kabocha, beef, and aburaage into the pressure cooker’s inner pot, then add the dashi, sugar, soy sauce, and mirin. Try to lay the kabocha skin-side down so the flesh sits in the broth.

Step 3: Pressure Cook

Set the pot in the cooker, close the lid, and set it to seal. On my Iris Ohyama cooker I used the auto-menu setting for this dish; on any pressure cooker, a minute or two under pressure is plenty for kabocha. Let the pressure release naturally before opening.

Step 4: Reduce the Broth

Once the pressure has dropped and it’s safe to open, check the kabocha — it should be fork-tender. There’s usually quite a bit of liquid left, so switch to the sauté or pot mode and let it bubble for a few minutes to concentrate the broth and glaze everything. Be gentle so the kabocha doesn’t fall apart.

Step 5: Serve

Spoon the kabocha, beef, and aburaage into a bowl, along with some of the broth. It’s delicious warm, but honestly it’s just as good at room temperature or cold from the fridge the next day.

Tips and Variations

• Adjust the sweetness. Kabocha nimono is traditionally sweet — the original recipe uses 5 tbsp of sugar, but I find 3–4 tbsp better balanced. Start on the lower end and add more to taste.
• Keep it vegetarian. Leave out the beef for the classic simple version; it’s lovely with just kabocha, or kabocha and aburaage.
• Don’t overcook. Kabocha goes from tender to mushy quickly under pressure — a short cook plus natural release is all it needs.
• No pressure cooker? Simmer in a covered pot with a drop lid until fork-tender, about 15–20 minutes.

What to Serve It With

Kabocha nimono is a classic part of a home-style Japanese meal:

• With rice and a bowl of miso soup for a classic teishoku set.
• As one of several small side dishes, next to a grilled fish or ginger pork.
• Packed into a bento box — it’s a lunchbox classic.

Storing

Kabocha nimono keeps well in a sealed container in the fridge for 3–4 days, and the flavor deepens as it sits in the broth, making it excellent for meal prep and bento. Serve it cold, at room temperature, or gently reheated. It doesn’t freeze especially well — the texture of the kabocha turns grainy — so it’s best enjoyed within a few days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you peel kabocha for nimono?

No — the skin is edible and is left on. It holds each piece together during simmering and gives the dish its classic green-and-gold look. If you like, you can shave off a few patches of skin with a peeler so the broth soaks in faster, but it’s not necessary.

How long do you pressure cook kabocha?

Very briefly — just a minute or two under pressure, followed by a natural release. Kabocha is soft and cooks fast, so it’s easy to overdo it. If you want firmer pieces, cut them larger and rely on the residual heat during the pressure release.

Can I make kabocha nimono without a pressure cooker?

Absolutely. Add everything to a regular pot, bring to a simmer, cover with a drop lid (otoshibuta), and cook gently until the kabocha is fork-tender, about 15–20 minutes. Spoon the broth over the pieces now and then so they cook evenly.