Japanese Beef and Potato Stew aka Nikujaga
What do you crave on a rainy and gloomy day?
I usually crave something warm and soupy that would make me feel at home.
Today’s dish “Nikujaga” quite literally means meat and potatoes. It is a popular taste of mother’s home cooking in Japan, and everyone makes it slightly different. Being a weird bougie kid, I used to not like this meal very much. BUT….as I’ve gotten older, I began to appreciate this gentle taste.
It looks intimidating, but it’s actually really easy to make. All the ingredients go so well together (it’s like a symphony!😂), and it will surely warm your cold heart and soul (really, what is wrong with me today?).
Anyways, there is one important step when making this dish, and you cannot cannot CANNOT forget it. It’s called “otoshibuta.” This technique is used in many Japanese stew dish, and it prevents ingredients from crumbling and helps distribute the flavor evenly.
Traditionally, you’re supposed to use this wooden lid to rest directly on top of the food. However, I unfortunately do not own that lid (I feel like I should buy it, but I always forget it? You know, one of those things).
Well, how do I do it? If there’s a will, there’s always a way.
I use aluminum foil! It’s a great alternative and it works just fine. I’m sure there’s aluminum foil in almost every household. I won’t tell you to buy something that you might only use it like once…
So, here you go!☺️
All my love,
Kaori
P.S. I got an email from the universe today and they told me this: “Just how much time do you spend thinking big, Kaori? I mean, really BIG? Good, very good! Because that’s exactly how much of ‘it’ you’re going to get! What a coincidence, The Universe”
Such a wonderful email to wake up to! I hope this can make you smile, too❤️
Nikujaga
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (most people use thinly sliced beef, but ground beef works just fine!)
- 1 tbsp sake (white wine)
- salt & pepper
- 4 large potatoes
- 2 cups water
- 2 carrots (or some baby carrots)
- 1 onion
- 1 pack konjac noodles
- 1 tbsp oil (vegetable oil, avocado oil…etc.)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
Broth ingredients
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp sake (white wine)
- 3 tsp fish stock (dashi) powder – hondashi
- 1 tbsp mirin
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes, cut them into quarters, and soak them in cold water for 15 minutes.
- Peel and cut the onion into wedges and chop the carrots into rolling wedges.
- Cook konjac noodles in the boiling water for 1 minute and put them in cold water.
- In the meantime, combine the broth ingredients together. Set aside.
- Heat up oil in a pot and cook ground beef (or sliced beef) on medium heat with sake and salt & pepper until the meat is brown.
- Add onions and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the broth ingredients, potatoes, 2 cups of water, and konjac and bring to boil.
- Once boiling, skim the scum and foam. Make sure all the ingredients are flat and covered by broth. Add water if it's not covered.
- Place aluminum foil directly on top of the food and simmer with low heat for 15 minutes.
- Take off the aluminum foil, add soy sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.