Nikujaga (Japanese Beef and Potato Stew)
Nikujaga is a Japanese home-style dish where thin slices of beef, potato, and carrot are simmered in a sweet-savory soy sauce. Just sauté the ingredients, then pour in kelp stock and the seasoning sauce and let it simmer down — simple to make, and the soft potatoes soak up all the flavor, making it just as great over rice as it is with a drink.
Ingredients
Main
- Beef (for bulgogi)500g
- Potato3
- Carrot1/2
- Onion1
- Cheongyang chili2
Sauce & Broth
- Kelp (dashima) stock400 ml
- Soy sauce6 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking wine)5 Tbsp
- Anchovy fish sauce1 tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Minced ginger1/2 tbsp
- Salt1/2 tsp
- Black pepperA little
Directions
- 1
Mix 6 tbsp soy sauce, 5 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp anchovy fish sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp minced garlic, and 1/2 tbsp minced ginger together to make the seasoning sauce.
- 2
Heat oil in a pan and add the potatoes, stir-frying.
- 3
Stir-fry for 1–2 minutes, then add the carrot and cook together.
- 4
After stir-frying the carrot for 1–2 minutes, add the onion and stir-fry for about 1 more minute.
- 5
While stir-frying so the onion mixes in evenly, add 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper and stir well.
- 6
Add the sliced Cheongyang chili and stir-fry together.
- 7
Once the chili's aroma comes through, add the beef and stir-fry.
- 8
Once the beef is nicely browned,
- 9
add the prepared seasoning sauce and
- 10
pour in the kelp stock and bring to a boil.
- 11
Once the broth and seasoning sauce come to a rolling boil, lower to medium heat and simmer until the seasoned broth reduces down to just a little left — and it's done.