A blue Japanese bowl containing Nishime, simmered vegetables and chicken.

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The menu for Osechi Ryori (Japanese New Year cuisine) is all about preserving traditional recipes and celebrating the auspicious occasion. Every dish plays a role in wishing for prosperity and good health in the new year, with the simmered stew called nishime (煮しめ) or Chikuzenni (筑前煮) served for its auspicious significance.

While I’ve shared my stovetop Chikuzenni recipe before, I decided to speed things up this year with this Instant Pot Nishime recipe. The pressure cooker function makes a big batch in a short time—perfect for entertaining family and friends!

What is Nishime?

Nishime (煮しめ) is a traditional Japanese one-pot stew of root vegetables and chicken simmered in dashi broth seasoned with soy sauce, sake, and mirin. It’s the most popular nimono (煮物, simmered dish) and a classic Japanese home-cooked meal. It’s also served on special celebratory occasions like Japanese New Year because the ingredients have different meanings to symbolize joy, happiness, prosperity, and cleansing.

The traditional Japanese vegetable stew commonly includes root vegetables, starchy potatoes, konnyaku (konjac), kombu, deep-fried tofu, sometimes chicken, fish cake (chikuwa and kamaboko), and occasionally fish depending on the region.

What’s The Difference Between Nishime and Chikuzenni?

The cooking method where you simmer ingredients for a long time to reduce the cooking liquid is called nishimeru (煮しめる), and shortened to nishime (煮しめ). Why is nishime also called Chikuzenni? It was named after the old Chikuzen Province in Northern Kyushu that’s part of modern-day Fukuoka Prefecture. This dish originated there; however, it’s now enjoyed throughout Japan under both names.

A blue Japanese bowl containing Nishime, simmered vegetables and chicken.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Nishime

Auspicious Japanese Vegetables

We include the following vegetables in nishime for auspicious reasons:

  • carrot – Welcome spring by cutting carrot slices into a plum (ume) flower.
  • lotus root – The holes of the lotus root present a clear and unobstructed future; you can cut it into a flower shape called hana renkon.
  • burdock root (gobo) – A skinny, long root vegetable that grows straight down into the ground; it symbolizes stability for the house and family.
  • shiitake mushroom – It represents longevity when you cut the edges of the mushroom into a hexagon to resemble a turtle shape.
  • taro – It symbolizes fertility or descendants’ prosperity as you can find a lot of baby taro on one root.
A blue Japanese bowl containing Nishime, simmered vegetables and chicken.

Why Make Decorative Cuts on Nishime Ingredients?

We often cut the ingredients into fancy shapes when making this vegetable stew for the Osechi Ryori meal on Japanese New Year and other celebratory occasions. Whether you want to use decorative cuts or not is entirely up to you. I have two reasons why it can be a nice thing:

  1. Dresses up a new year’s dish. This is a special time when we put on fancy clothing and decorate our homes, so why not do it for the Osechi, too?
  2. Adds a “wow” factor to this humble dish of common Japanese root vegetables and other low-key ingredients.

Too much work? I agree, especially when you have to make so many other dishes for the New Year. But hey, that’s why I’m introducing this Instant Pot version!

How To Make Instant Pot Nishime

If you will include this dish in your Osechi meal, I recommend cooking it 2 days before you plan to serve.

  1. Make the dashi. 
  2. Prepare/cut the ingredients.
  3. Sauté the chicken in the Instant Pot in sesame oil. 
  4. Add the vegetables, dashi, and seasonings. 
  5. Pressure cook for 3 minutes under High pressure. Let the pressure release naturally.
A blue Japanese bowl containing Nishime, simmered vegetables and chicken.

Substitutions for Japanese Ingredients

Vegetables: You can find many nishime ingredients in Chinese and/or Korean grocery stores and sometimes Southeast Asian markets. Some major grocery stores like Whole Foods or local co-ops may carry these unique vegetables, too.

Konnyaku (Konjac): Konnyaku, on the other hand, may be difficult to find. But, you can skip it as konjac is included more for the texture and auspicious symbolism.

Dashi Packet: I used a dashi packet in this recipe to show how quickly you can make dashi. You can buy dashi packets on Amazon from my favorite brand Kayanoya (or use a less-expensive option). I really want to encourage you to ditch the dashi powder and start using dashi packets instead for a delicious flavor that’s important for nishime and other dishes in Japanese cooking.

Dashi from Scratch: Of course, it’s best to make dashi from scratch. It is so simple and takes only 30 minutes or less to make. You can’t make authentic Japanese food without dashi, so please try your best to make dashi instead of using another type of stock (unless I mention it).

May the New Year bring you and your family lots of happiness and new inspiration as you enjoy this Instant Pot Nishime together.

A blue Japanese bowl containing Nishime, simmered vegetables and chicken.

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Instant Pot Nishime

4.80 from 30 votes
by Namiko Hirasawa Chen
A blue Japanese bowl containing Nishime, simmered vegetables and chicken.
Nishime is a comforting Japanese stew of tender root vegetables and chicken simmered in a light dashi broth. This beloved homestyle dish also plays a central role in the Osechi Ryōri feast for Japanese New Year. See how I use the Instant Pot to cut cooking time without sacrificing flavor.
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Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 55 minutes
Total: 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Servings: 6 (as a side)

For the Dashi (Japanese Soup Stock)

For the Seasonings

Instructions

Before You Start

  • If you will serve this in your Osechi meal, I recommend cooking it 2 days before you plan to serve. For more helpful tips on planning your Japanese New Year feast, please read my A 5-Day Osechi Cooking Timeline blog post.
  • Gather all the ingredients.
    A top-down view of various ingredients for Instant Pot Nishime, including chicken, root vegetables, shiitake mushrooms, snow peas, konnyaku, soy sauce, mirin, dashi packet, and seasonings on a wooden surface.

To Make the Dashi

  • Add 1 cup water and 1 dashi packet to a small saucepan. Slowly bring it to a boil on medium-low heat, gently shaking the packet a few times to release more flavor. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 1 minute. Turn off the heat.
    Nami's Tip: If you don't have a dashi packet, you can make stock using dashi powder.
    A diptych showing water being poured into a small saucepan on the left, and a tea bag held with chopsticks in simmering water on the right, both on a stovetop—evoking the mindful preparation found in Instant Pot Nishime.
  • Squeeze out the liquid and discard the packet. Add 5 dried shiitake mushrooms to the dashi and soak for 15 minutes to rehydrate and release flavor into the dashi.
    Two side-by-side images show a metal pot with water. On the left, chopsticks hold a tea bag in the water. On the right, several dried shiitake mushrooms soak—both common steps when preparing Instant Pot Nishime—while both pots rest on green silicone pads.

To Prepare the Ingredients

  • Peel 1 carrot. Slice the top 2 inches (5 cm) into ¼-inch (6-mm) coins to make optional carrot flowers. Slice the rest of the carrot diagonally while rotating it a quarter turn between cuts—this is called the rangiri Japanese cutting technique.
    For the carrot flowers, punch out a plum blossom shape from the coins with a vegetable cutter.
    Nami's Tip: Repurpose the scraps by mincing and adding them to fried rice or soup.
    Three-panel image showing hands slicing a carrot, pressing a metal cutter into a carrot slice, and removing a heart-shaped piece—perfect for adding to your Instant Pot Nishime—with more shaped slices on the cutting board.
  • Peel 1 lotus root (renkon) with a vegetable peeler. Cut it crosswise in half. To make optional lotus root flowers, follow my guide How to Make Hana Renkon.
    Three images show hands peeling, slicing, and chopping lotus root on a wooden cutting board. The root’s unique holes are visible in the slices—perfect preparation for your Instant Pot Nishime recipe.
  • Slice it crosswise ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Soak the slices in water.
    Nami's Tip: To make the lotus root whiter, soak it in 2 cups water + 1 tsp vinegar.
    Three-panel image showing lotus root being prepared for Instant Pot Nishime: whole lotus root on a cutting board, a hand slicing it with a knife, and the slices soaking in a bowl of water.
  • Thickly peel the tough skin from 5 taro (satoimo) with a sharp knife. I cut the ends off, then peel down the sides. Ideally, the top view should resemble a hexagon shape with six sides. Cut the taro crosswise in half and soak in a bowl of water to remove the starch and astringency.
    Nami's Tip: Taro is slippery, so peel carefully. Taro skin is tough, so I don’t recommend a vegetable peeler. It's not considered wasteful to remove taro skin thickly with more flesh attached.
    A person peels a root vegetable, slices it on a cutting board, and places the slices in a glass bowl of water, preparing ingredients for Instant Pot Nishime.
  • Lightly scrape off the skin of 1 gobo (burdock root) with the back of your knife. Cut the gobo in rangiri irregular rolling cuts. Soak in water to remove the starch and astringency.
    Nami's Tip: Scrape the gobo skin minimally. Its flavor is right beneath the skin, so preserve as much of this flesh as possible.
    A sequence of three images shows a person slicing a long root vegetable, cutting it into chunks for Instant Pot Nishime, and placing the pieces into a bowl of water.
  • Cut 1 bamboo shoot lengthwise into quarters, then cut each crosswise in half so the tip end is 1½ inches (3.8 cm) long. Slice the tips lengthwise ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Slice the bottoms ¼ inch (6-mm) thick.
  • Slice ½ block konnyaku (konjac) crosswise ⅛ to ¼ inch (3 to 6 mm) thick.
    Here, I'll show you How to Make Tazuna Konnyaku or auspicious braided horse reins (optional). Cut a 1½-inch (3.8-cm) lengthwise slit in the center of each slice.
    Instant Pot Nishime 4
  • Push one end through the slit and pull it out the other side. Either side of the slit will be twisted to resemble horse reins. Pull gently on both ends so it lays flat. Repeat with the remaining slices.
    Instant Pot Nishime 5
  • Remove the stem ends and tough strings from 10 snow peas. Boil water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add a pinch of salt and blanch the snow peas for 30–60 seconds until crisp-tender. Scoop them out to drain in a sieve or transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Keep the water boiling.
    A person trims snow peas, blanches them in boiling water, and then places the cooked snow peas on a bamboo tray with chopsticks—perfect for serving alongside Instant Pot Nishime.
  • Add the konnyaku to the pot and boil for 2–3 minutes to remove the odor. Drain.
    On the left, konjac noodles are being boiled in a pot with chopsticks. On the right, cooked konjac noodles and snap peas—perfect for Instant Pot Nishime—are drained on a bamboo tray.
  • Squeeze the liquid from the soft, hydrated shiitake mushrooms into the dashi soaking liquid. Strain it through a fine-mesh sieve over a measuring cup. Reserve 200 ml (about 1 cup minus 2 Tbsp) of this dashi.
    Collage of three images: hands squeezing liquid from a pouch into a pot, liquid being poured through a mesh strainer into a glass measuring cup, and a close-up of brown Instant Pot Nishime liquid in a Pyrex measuring cup.
  • Cut off the tough stems of the shiitake mushrooms.
    Optionally, cut the edges of the shiitake caps into a hexagon, which resembles a turtle shape and symbolizes longevity.
    A sequence of three images shows hands slicing a shiitake mushroom on a wooden cutting board with a knife, prepping ingredients for Instant Pot Nishime and ending with the whole mushroom cap ready to be cut.
  • Cut ¾ lb boneless, skinless chicken thigh into slanted pieces using the sogigiri Japanese cutting technique: Angle your knife back nearly parallel to the cutting board and slice the chicken into pieces of equal thickness.
    Nami's Tip: The even slices and increased surface area help the chicken cook faster and absorb seasoning.
    On the left, a person slices raw chicken breast on a black cutting board with a knife. On the right, several pieces of chicken are placed in a clear glass bowl, ready to be added to an Instant Pot Nishime recipe.

To Cook in an Instant Pot

  • Press the Sauté button on your Instant Pot. When the inner pot is hot, add 1½ Tbsp toasted sesame oil.
    A person presses the sauté button on an Instant Pot as oil is poured into its stainless steel inner pot, preparing to cook a delicious Instant Pot Nishime.
  • Add the chicken and stir to coat with the oil and cook for 2–3 minutes, until the surface is opaque and no longer pink.
    Two side-by-side images show raw chicken pieces being sautéed in a stainless steel pot; the left image shows chicken just added, while the right captures someone stirring partially cooked chicken with a spatula—an essential step for Instant Pot Nishime.
  • Add the lotus root, taro, gobo, and bamboo shoot. Add the reserved dashi.
    Split image: Left shows sliced lotus root, bamboo shoots, and other vegetables in a pot. Right shows a hand pouring broth from a measuring cup into the Instant Pot with vegetables—perfect for making Instant Pot Nishime.
  • Add 1 Tbsp sugar, 2½ Tbsp mirin, 1 Tbsp sake, 3 Tbsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce, and ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
    Three-panel image showing hands adding sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and salt into a pot filled with sliced lotus root and other vegetables for Instant Pot Nishime.
  • Stir to combine. Add the carrot, konnyaku, and shiitake mushrooms.
    Left: A hand stirs sliced lotus root and other root vegetables for Instant Pot Nishime. Right: Another hand adds sliced konjac, carrot, and snow peas from a bamboo tray into the pot with the other vegetables.
  • Stir to combine. Press Cancel to stop the Sauté mode. Close and lock the lid.
    An Instant Pot filled with chopped carrots, konjac, shiitake mushrooms, and other root vegetables is ready for a delicious Instant Pot Nishime, shown next to a close-up of the Instant Pot’s control panel.
  • Select Pressure Cook mode and cook for 3 minutes under High pressure. Point the steam release handle to Sealing and not Venting. The float valve will rise when pressurized. When it’s done, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to the Keep Warm mode. Release the pressure naturally.
    A finger presses the “Manual” button on an Instant Pot Nishime set to 3 minutes, followed by close-up shots of the pressure release valve on the pot’s lid.

To Serve

  • Open the lid and gently stir. Divide among individual bowls or transfer to a large serving bowl. Cut each snow pea in half diagonally and arrange on top as garnish.
    Two photos side by side: On the left, Instant Pot Nishime with chopped vegetables and mushrooms simmers in a metal pot. On the right, the cooked Nishime is beautifully served in a decorative blue bowl.

To Store

  • Transfer to an airtight container and cool completely. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The flavor will intensify over time, so consider reducing the seasoning if you plan to serve it later. You can also freeze it for up to 1 month, but remove the konnyaku since its texture changes when frozen. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in a pot on the stove until warmed through.

Notes

Ingredients
  • Chicken: Use chicken tenders like I did, or combine different cuts.
Variations
  • Make it vegan. Swap the chicken for cubed firm tofu, king oyster mushrooms, or a plant-based meat. Use my Vegan Dashi in place of the standard dashi packet.
  • Swap the protein. Chicken thighs are traditional, but pork belly or salmon work well too. Cut them into similar-sized pieces so everything cooks evenly.
  • Add kombu. Nishime kombu is tender kelp for eating that cooks quickly. Soak it in water to soften, tie in a knot, and simmer in your nishime or other simmered dishes.
  • Skip the decorative cuts. Fancy cuts like hana renkon and tazuna konnyaku are beautiful for Osechi, but completely optional for everyday cooking. The flavor is the same either way.
  • Use a stovetop pressure cooker. A traditional pressure cooker works just as well. Follow the same instructions and cook on High pressure, then release the pressure naturally.

Nutrition

Calories: 227kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 54mg, Sodium: 544mg, Potassium: 754mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 4837IU, Vitamin C: 20mg, Calcium: 65mg, Iron: 1mg

The nutrition facts shown are generated by an online calculator and are estimates only. Please consult a professional nutritionist for specific dietary needs.

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Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on December 25, 2018. It’s been republished in 2019.