Photography by: Atsuko Ikeda
Niku Jaga
肉じゃが
SERVES 4
Nikujaga is another dish that finds its roots in England. It even sounds the part, being
more or less pronounced Mick Jagger! Literally translating as ‘meat’ and ‘potato’, nikujaga is a succulent slow-cooked beef, potato and noodle stew and now one of Japan’s most-loved home-cooked dishes.
Ingredients
650 g/1 lb. 7 oz. waxy potatoes
180 g/6. oz. shirataki noodles
large pinch of salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced into wedges
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped into chunks
350 g/12 oz. thinly sliced sirloin or rib eye of beef
380 ml/1.⁄₃ cups Kombu & Katsuobushi Dashi
2 tbsp sake
1 tbsp soft light brown sugar
4 tbsp mirin
5 tbsp soy sauce
16 mangetout/snow peas
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Method
Peel and cut the potatoes in half (cut any very big potatoes into thirds). Soak the potatoes for 10 minutes in a bowl of water to remove the starch. Drain and set aside.
Add 500 ml/2 cups plus 2 tbsp water to a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the shirataki noodles and salt. Boil for 3 minutes, then drain well. Set aside.
Heat the oil in the large saucepan, then fry the onion, carrots, and potatoes for 2 minutes, stirring.
Add the beef and continue to fry for 2 minutes, stirring, until the beef is browned. Add the shirataki noodles and the dashi stock, then bring to the boil. Skim any scum off the surface of the broth.
Once boiling, reduce the heat and bring to a simmer. Add the sake, brown sugar and mirin. Put the drop lid on, reduce the heat down to very low and let simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender and cooked.
Add the soy sauce, replace the drop lid and simmer over a low heat for 8 minutes. Finally, add the mangetout/snow peas and cook for 2 more minutes.
Remove the nikujaga from the heat, then cover and leave to stand for 10–20 minutes before serving.
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