Kabocha Squash Simmered in Butter
かぼちゃのバター煮 · Kabocha no Butter-ni
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Kabocha no butter-ni is a gentle twist on classic Japanese simmered squash: instead of soy sauce and dashi, the kabocha cooks in a little water with butter, a touch of sugar and a pinch of salt. The butter brings out the squash's natural sweetness and gives it a soft, almost creamy texture that even small children find easy to eat. The skin is left on for color and fiber, and the cubes are cut small so they cook through evenly and fit neatly on a child's spoon. It is one of those quiet side dishes that disappears from plates without any fuss.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 75 gkabocha squashSweet, dense Japanese pumpkin with dark green skin and orange flesh. Substitute: Butternut squash or another sweet winter squash.
Seasonings
- 60 gwater
- 2 gunsalted butter
- 2.7 gsugar
- 0.2 gsalt
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- kabocha squash (かぼちゃ)
- Sweet, dense Japanese pumpkin with dark green skin and orange flesh. Substitute: Butternut squash or another sweet winter squash.
Directions
- 1
Trim away only any blemished parts of the kabocha skin, then cut the squash, skin on, into 2 cm cubes.
- 2
Put the water, butter, sugar and salt in a pot and heat until the butter and sugar dissolve. Add the kabocha from step 1, cover with a drop lid (otoshibuta) or a sheet of parchment paper set directly on the squash, and simmer until tender.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 82.5 kcal | 165 kcal | 82.5 kcal |
| Protein | 1.5 g | 3 g | 1.5 g |
| Fat | 2 g | 3.9 g | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 18.2 g | 36.3 g | 18.2 g |
| Fiber | 2.7 g | 5.4 g | 2.7 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.2 g | 0.3 g | 0.2 g |
| Calcium | 16.5 mg | 33 mg | 16.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.3 mg | 0.6 mg | 0.3 mg |
| Potassium | 322.5 mg | 645 mg | 322.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 82.5 kcal | 1.5 g | 2 g | 18.2 g | 2.7 g | 0.2 g | 16.5 mg | 0.3 mg | 322.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 165 kcal | 3 g | 3.9 g | 36.3 g | 5.4 g | 0.3 g | 33 mg | 0.6 mg | 645 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
Ingredients in this recipe
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