How to Make Nikujaga

By Amelia

Hi everyone! As nikujaga (肉じゃが）has been a favorite dish among people that attend our first event of the year, I have decided to share our recipe since sadly this year we were not able to welcome everyone with a plate of rice and nikujaga. But don’t worry, this recipe is very simple and easy, and anyone is able to make it at home! For people who do not know what nikujaga is, it is a popular Japanese stewed dish made with potatoes (じゃがいも）, carrots（にんじん）, onions（玉ねぎ）, peapods（絹さや）, and meat（肉）. It is called nikujaga because the main ingredients are potatoes and meat. Now let’s get cooking!

(Serves 3-4)

The ingredients you will need are:

4 Medium sized Potatoes

1 Medium sized Carrot

1 Large Onion

Handful of Peapods (optional, add however much you like)

300g (~½ lb) Thinly sliced beef

½ cup Soy sauce

½ cup Brown sugar (May be substituted with plain sugar)

1 teaspoon Dashi (optional)

1. Start by peeling your potatoes, carrot, and onion.

2. Then cut the potatoes into bite sized cubes and soak them in water for 10 minutes to remove the starch.

3. Cut the onion into thin slices and carrots into small pieces. Place the cut onions and carrots into a large pot or deep pan.

4. After 10 minutes, drain the potatoes and put it into the pot with the carrots and onions.

5. Add enough water to just barely submerge the ingredients in the pot and cover with a lid.

6. Cook the vegetables on medium-high heat for about 10-15 minutes or until the onions have become tender and potatoes and carrots have started to soften a bit.

7. While you are waiting for the vegetables to cook, you can prepare the peapods by peeling the edge and cutting the ends as shown.

8. You can also make your otoshibuta（落し蓋）or drop lid. This is traditional Japanese kitchen equipment which can be easily made with aluminum foil. This drop lid is important later as it will ensure evenly distributed heat and prevent large bubbles from forming.

9. To make your otoshibuta, take 2 pieces of aluminum foil slightly bigger than your pot and stack them. Then fold the sides and corners to achieve a “drop lid” to the size of your pot.

10. Once the vegetables have been semi-cooked, turn the heat to medium-low and add ¼ cup of brown sugar. Then gently mix to incorporate.

11. Put in ¼ cup of soy sauce and mix gently.

12. Simmer for 3 minutes then add 1 tsp of dashi and gently mix (optional).

13. Submerge all of the thinly sliced beef and evenly distribute it into the broth. (This step may be emitted if you are vegetarian)

14. Cook on medium until the meat is no longer pink, stirring occasionally.

15. Once meat is cooked through, put the heat on low.

16. Now add the rest of the ¼ cup of brown sugar and ¼ cup of soy sauce little by little, mixing in between and tasting until desired salty/sweetness.

17. Place your otoshibuta (drop lid) directly on top and gently push it down to ensure it is touching the ingredients. Simmer on medium-low for about 10 minutes.

18. Optional: Grab a snack while you wait ;)

19. When there is almost no water left on the bottom of the pot and all the vegetables are able to be pierced through, add in your peapods.

20. Cook the peapods with your otoshibuta (drop lid) for about 5 minutes. Once the peapods are cooked, you are done!! Serve with white rice :)

I hope everyone can give this delicious and easy to make Japanese dish a try!! I’m sure you will love it if you have never tried it before. And to everyone who has had this before at our events, I hope you are able to try this recipe out at home yourself. We hope to be able to see you all again soon with more Japanese foods at our events !!! <3