Authentic Nikujaga (Japanese Meat and Potato Stew)
https://sudachirecipes.comNikujaga is a classic Japanese homecooked dish made with tender, thinly sliced meat and chunky vegetables simmered in a delicious Japanese style broth. This dish is so warming and a typical home dish in Japan!
Ingredients
- 300 g potato(s) waxy type
- 120 g carrot(s)
- 100 g yellow onion(s)
- 200 g pork or beef thinly sliced
- 1 tsp cooking oil
- 400 ml dashi stock check out how to make my homemade dashi here
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 50 ml mirin
- 50 ml sake
- 100 g konjac noodles optional
- 40 ml soy sauce
- 8-10 snow peas to garnish
- 2 tsp soy sauce added seasoning at the end
Instructions
- First, peel 300 g potato(s) and cut them into quarters. Soak them in a bowl of cold water to remove the excess starch.
- Peel 120 g carrot(s) and 100 g yellow onion(s), cut the carrot into rough chunks and the onion into medium wedges.
- Cut 200 g pork or beef into bitesize pieces.
- Take a pot and heat it on medium. Once hot, add 1 tsp cooking oil and add the meat to the pot. Fry until both sides of the meat are sealed.
- Once sealed, add the onion and stir fry for 1 minute.
- Add the potatoes and carrots to the pot and mix thoroughly.
- Add 400 ml dashi stock and bring it to a boil.
- Once boiling, add 1 tbsp light brown sugar, 50 ml mirin and 50 ml sake. Turn the heat down to a simmer and place a drop lid on top, touching the broth. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Boil 100 g konjac noodles in a separate pot for 2-3 minutes and then drain the water to remove any unwanted odor.Once the 30 minutes are up, remove the drop lid and add 40 ml soy sauce and konjac noodles to the pan. Tilt the pan/pot from side to side to move the soy sauce around without mixing (avoid mixing).
- Place the drop lid back on and simmer for another 5 minutes.Optional step: For the best flavor, turn off the heat and allow it to cool completely. Once cool, reheat on the stove over a medium setting until boiling.
- Remove the stringy part of 8-10 snow peas and blanch for 1 minute in a separate pot of boiling water.
- Remove them from the pot, cool with cold running water and cut them into diagonal pieces.
- Remove the drop lid and use a spoon or ladle to scoop the broth and baste it over the exposed vegetables. Add 2 tsp soy sauce and tilt the pan to distribute it through the rest of the broth.Simmer for a few more minutes and taste-test the soup. (You can add more soy sauce to taste.)
- Once you're happy with the taste, dish up. Sprinkle with the cut snow peas to garnish.
- Enjoy!
Notes
This dish is most commonly made with beef or pork. Using thinly sliced meat keeps the cooking time short. If you use stewing meats and don't cook them for long enough they could end up chewy, keep the cooking time in mind when choosing meat cuts.
You can use any snow peas or green beans, whichever you prefer.
Japanese people sometimes add konjac or renkon (lotus root), if you can get hold of these ingredients then you should try adding them too!
Nutrition
Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 13.5g | Fat: 13.6g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 46.3mg | Sodium: 1230.7mg | Fiber: 14.1g