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The preparation:
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First, prepare the Dashi broth.
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Slice the onions into strips.
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Now peel the carrots and quarter them. Then cut them into bite-sized pieces.
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Then peel the potato and cut it into wedges.
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Halve the beef slices if they are very thick.
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Briefly add the shirataki noodles to boiling water and then rinse them well to neutralize the fishy taste.
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Heat oil in a pot and fry the onions in it until they become translucent.
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Now fry the meat until it is cooked through and no longer pink.
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Now add the potatoes and carrots first, followed by the noodles, then the Dashi, Mirin, soy sauce, sugar, and sake.
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Bring the broth to a boil briefly, then reduce the temperature slightly. Stir well so that all ingredients are covered with liquid.
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If foam forms on the broth, you can simply skim it off with a sieve.
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Let the stew simmer for about 15 minutes, until all ingredients are cooked. Don't stir the stew while it's simmering.
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Nikujaga is now ready and you can enjoy it.
Tip: It tastes even better if it sits for a while or overnight!
Table of contents:
Summary
Nikujaga is a beloved Japanese dish, perfect for chilly winter days, combining beef and potatoes in a comforting stew that warms you from the inside out. The name derives from "niku," meaning meat, and "jaga," a shorthand for jagaimo, which means potato. Each family has its own variation, making it a staple of home cooking. Key ingredients include thinly sliced beef, potatoes, onions, and shirataki noodles, which are made from konjac root and offer a low-calorie alternative to traditional noodles. The beef is flavored with soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar, creating a distinctive taste. Cooking tips include having your butcher slice the meat thinly or freezing it for easier slicing. For a vegetarian option, tofu or other meat substitutes can replace the beef, and additional vegetables can be added for variety, ensuring they are incorporated at the end to retain their texture.Nikujaga is a popular dish in Japan and ideal for cold winter days. The beef and potatoes give you the necessary energy and the broth warms you up from the inside. You can get all the ingredients, except for the spices, in any supermarket. You can find the spices either in an Asian shop or order them online.
What does Nikujaga mean?
“Niku” means meat in Japanese and “Jaga” is short for “Jagaimo”, which means potato. Nikujaga is one of the most popular stews in Japan and every family has its own variation. Therefore, it is often associated with Mama's home cooking.
What do I need for Nikujaga?
The main ingredients are meat, potatoes, onions and the special Shirataki noodles[/link] , which are made from konjac roots. And contrary to what the name suggests, not that much meat is used. It's more there to give the stew its flavor. The meat is cooked in soy sauce , sake , mirin and sugar, which gives it its typical flavor. It is also cut very thinly, which makes the stew cook quickly. In eastern Japan, pork is often used instead of beef.
How do I prepare the Shirataki noodles?
Shirataki noodles[/link] are cooked in hot water for a few minutes. They smell and taste quite fishy, which is why you should rinse them with water after cooking. Shirataki noodles are very low in calories and are a good substitute for conventional noodles. They are not only very popular in Asia, but also in Western cuisine.
Tips for preparing Nikujaga:
- You can save yourself the trouble of cutting the meat by simply asking your butcher to slice it very thinly for you.
- Alternatively, you can freeze the meat first. Because it is much easier to cut into thin slices when it is semi-frozen.
- For the vegetarian version of the stew, you can replace the meat with tofu or other meat substitutes. In this case, add a little more soy sauce to the recipe.
- For a change, you can also cook other vegetables like peas, beans or broccoli along with it. However, add them at the end so they don't get mushy.
Comments
Hey! Thank you so much for the great recipe!! It worked out really well for us! The taste, cooking times, ingredients… everything was perfect. Today we cooked the recipe for the second time and noticed that preparing the dashi can also be done right at the end. We sautéed onions and meat in a deep pot, then pretty quickly added water with dashi powder plus mirin, soy sauce, sake, and sugar, brought it to a boil, added the vegetables, and put on the lid. Instead of noodles (since we just didn’t have any at home), we cooked a pot of sushi rice on the side. Thanks so much!
Hallo Marianne, Thank you very much for your feedback! I'm glad that you enjoyed it. Best regards Ryusei