Recipe: Appetizing Nikujaga  (Simmered meat and potatoes)

Nikujaga  (Simmered meat and potatoes). Nikujaga quite literally translates to "meat and potatoes" - niku means "meat" and jaga means "potatoes" in Japanese. It's a comfort food and the Japanese version of beef stew. The beef in Nikujaga is added more for flavor than substance.

Nikujaga (Japanese: 肉じゃが) literally means "meat and potatoes", from two of the main ingredients niku (meat) and jagaimo (potatoes). Unlike Western stews, the simmering time is much shorter because nikujaga uses thinly sliced meat. It's a classic Japanese homecooking dish- savory potatoes and beef that have been fast simmered in a sweetened soy sauce! (Note: If you try to cook Nikujaga on a medium or low heat, the potatoes will boil in the pot for too long and turn mushy). You can have Nikujaga  (Simmered meat and potatoes) using 10 ingredients and 6 steps. Here is how you achieve that.

Ingredients of Nikujaga  (Simmered meat and potatoes)

1. You need 6 of potatoes.
2. Prepare 1 of onion.
3. Prepare 1 of carrot.
4. Prepare 200 g of sliced beef or pork (ground meat is also ok.).
5. Prepare 2 tbsp of olive oil.
6. Prepare 6 tbsp of sake.
7. You need 4 tbsp of sugar.
8. It's 4 tbsp of mirin.
9. It's 6 tbsp of soy sauce.
10. You need 4 cup of dashi.

Nikujaga, or meat and potatoes is an easy comforting Japanese stew made with beef, potatoes and carrots. My version of this Japanese comfort food is loaded with melt-in-your-mouth tender slices of beef simmered together with sweet onions, and big chunks of potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes. Nikujaga literally translated is meat and potatoes. And this is one version you can make with dashi.

Nikujaga  (Simmered meat and potatoes) instructions

1. Cut the potatoes and soak into water for a while. Slice onion. Cut carrot and beef into bite-size.  2. Add olive oil to the flying pan and sauté beef.  3. Add onion, carrot, and potato without water and sauté them.  4. Add dashi, sake and sugar. Simmer it for 5 minutes.  5. Skim the scum. Add mirin and soy sauce.  6. Place the paper towel directly on the food and simmer it       for 25 minutes..
2. Add olive oil to the flying pan and sauté beef..
3. Add onion, carrot, and potato and sauté them..
4. Add dashi, sake and sugar. Simmer it for 5 minutes..
5. Skim the scum. Add mirin and soy sauce..
6. Place the paper towel directly on the food and simmer it for 25 minutes..

There are all kinds of variations on nikujaga since it's a popular comfort food. Like any stew or long simmered food, it will taste even better the next day. The best part about this aside from the flavor? Nikujaga is literally meat (niku) and potatoes (jagaimo) in Japanese. It is a stewed dish seasoned with mainly soy sauce and sugar.