Pumpkin of Plenty! - Shoku-Iku: Japanese conscious eating for a long and healthy life by Makiko Sano
This is a Japanese monk vegan recipe. It is rich in umami and utterly delicious, with the soft, sweet pumpkin and tofu, but with a fresh, simple flavour. Use a round green squash with bright orange insides: Crown Prince is good.
Serves 3–4
1 small pumpkin, about 15cm in diameter
1 tbsp sesame oil
30g carrot, cut into 1cm strips
2 shiitake mushrooms, finely sliced
20g frozen edamame beans, defrosted sea salt
350g block of firm tofu, drained and dried with kitchen paper
2 tbsp white sesame seeds, crushed
1 tbsp cornflour
Sauce
400ml Basic dashi
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp cornflour
Cut a 3cm lid off the top of the pumpkin. Deseed the inside of the pumpkin. In a large steamer, steam the whole pumpkin with its lid for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a pan over a medium heat and add the sesame oil. Stir-fry the carrot, mushrooms and edamame for three minutes, seasoning with sea salt. Break the tofu into chunks and add them, too.
Add the crushed sesame and cornflour and mix well until the carrots soften. Spoon the tofu and vegetable mix into the pumpkin and steam for another 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a pan over a medium heat and add the dashi, mirin and soy sauce. Separately mix the cornflour with 5 tbsp of water, add to the pan and stir well until it thickens.
Remove the pumpkin lid and tip in the sauce. Serve.
Photography by Lisa Linder. This book can be ordered at all good bookshops or online at quadrille.co.uk, Amazon, or Waterstones.
