Some of the offerings in Japanese food are carb heaven (or hell, if you choose to see it that way). Some vegetables are definitelty included such as kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) and satusmaimo (white yam) pictured above.
Kabocha has a flavor very similar to butternut squash. In Japanese cooking, it is either deep fried in tempura batter or simmered in a soy-sauce and brown sugar broth. Tempura provides a quick, convenient way to enjoy kabocha slices, but the drawback is that the color is covered up (and it’s fried in oil). It takes longer to simmer pieces of kabocha, but the soy sauce and brown sugar definitely compliment its flavor.
A few years ago, a friend of mine baked kabocha with some stuffing as one of his Thanksgiving dishes. While the initial preparation and cooking time can be time consuming, the idea is fairly simple and adaptable. I’ve stuffed kabocha with ground turkey and some chopped vegetables and have gotten some good results. I’ve always wanted to try this out with lamb, but I haven’t gotten around it. Conceptually, it’s easy, but execution takes some committment.
Satsumaimo means Satsuma potato, but it is simply a white yam or sweet potato and can be prepared as such. It has a nice, light flavor, though it is just as sweet. Like kabocha, it can be sliced up and fried in tempura batter. Satsumaimo can be baked and eaten.
Not pictured but just as delicious is the purple yam, which grows in Okinawa. I’ve only had it in my childhood, but I have never seen one in the US. Several years ago, a friend of my mother’s brought one from Okinawa and tried to grow it in their yard, but the yam turned white. It must be something in the soil.
