Kids Web Japan

Another popular dish is nikujaga, which literally means meat and potatoes. It's somewhat like stew, but with more vegetables (especially potatoes) and a lot less meat than Western stews. You can also make this dish with just potatoes and onions.

Beef is usually used in western Japan, while pork tends to be more popular in the east. You can use the meat of your choice. In either case, avoid meat that's too lean. When using lean meat, slice to a medium thickness or cut into cubes and simmer for 30 to 50 minutes until soft before adding other ingredients.

Ingredients

potatoes	4(600 grams)
carrot	1(1 cup, chopped)
shiitake mushrooms	4
onion	1
sliced beef	200 grams
water or sake	2 tablespoons
dashi or other soup stock	500 cc
sake(if not available, use the same amount of water)	60 cc
soy sauce	80 cc
granulated sugar	3 1/2 tablespoons

Peel potatoes, cut into halves or quarters, and soak in water. Peel carrot and cut into circular or semicircular (if large) slices about 3 millimeters thick. Remove shiitake stems and cut caps into four pieces. Slice onion into 5-millimeter rings.

When using sliced sirloin or pork loin, cut into 8-centimeter squares and rub in 2 tablespoons of water or sake, separating each slice of meat to prevent clumping.

Place the soup stock and seasoning in a pot and bring to a boil. Insert the meat one slice at a time, skimming off the impurities that rise to the surface.

Add onions, carrots, and, after 5 minutes, shiitake and potatoes, making sure to place the potatoes in the bottom layer of the pan. Simmer without a lid for 30 minutes.

Nikujaga turns out best when the ingredients have plenty of soup stock to cook in.

It's easy!
Try making your favorite dish!