What is "nimono"

n. Any of various stewed dishes in Japanese cuisine.

is a simmered dish in Japanese cuisine. A nimono generally consists of a base ingredient simmered in shiru stock flavored with sake, soy sauce, and a small amount of sweetening. The nimono is simmered in the shiru over a period of time until the liquid is absorbed into the base ingredient or evaporated. The base ingredients for a nimono is typically a vegetable, fish, seafood, or tofu, either singly, or in combination. The shiru stock for a nimono is generally dashi. Other than sake and soy sauce, the stock can be further flavored by mirin, sugar, salt, vinegar, miso, or other condiments. A heavy covered pot is used in making nimono in order to spread the heat evenly throughout the ingredients during the simmering process.