Kabocha Dippers, Japanese Pumpkin-Part 3

On Sunday my original plan was to make simmered kabocha and aburage .  But as I started to chop the second pumpkin, I realized that my roommate's pot was not going to be big enough (we are currently a one-pot household).  So I decided to bake the rest.

My baking inspiration comes from the summer of 2007, when I lived in Japan for 3 months.  During my brief stay, my overstimulated tastebuds were going crazy with the variety of new kabocha dishes.  But among the kabocha salads and kabocha tempura, I will always remember my first lunch when I arrived in Japan. I was surprised with a baked kabocha.  Look, I even saved the picture!

(Notice the kabocha slice at the top.)



Two years later I tried to mimic this.  But I had a difficult time cutting the kabocha into even slices, since I was using my roommate's 8 inch knife (we are currently a one-knife household).

Baked Kabocha Dippers-
Cut kabocha in half and take out the seeds. 
Slice into uniform strips, the thinner the better. 
Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350, and flip the slices halfway.  
When kabocha is tender, remove from oven and eat. 
It's sweet and starchy by itself, or dip in soy sauce for a salty zing!

Just Hungry's blog has a sweeter version too!  Sweet and Spicy Roasted Kabocha Squash.

This ends my 3-post ode to kabocha.  I hope you enjoyed my stories, learned something new, or gathered inspiration to eat this sweet green and orange pumpkin.  Happy Kabocha!