Nikujaga is a stew of pork or beef, potatoes, carrots, and other ingredients seasoned with soy sauce and sugar. Nikujaga is a staple of Japanese home cooking, but it is said to have originated from an imitation of European stews.
Here we introduce a healthy recipe for Nikujaga using lean pork. When eating nikujaga as a side dish, it is recommended to serve less rice, taking into account the carbohydrate content of potatoes!
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Calories 356Kcal
Protein 27.6g
Fat 5.9g
Carbohydrate 51.4g
Salt 2.5g
Ingredients (3 servings)
200g lean pork thigh
2 potatoes
1/2 carrot
1/2 onion
250ml water
1tsp vegetable oil
(A)
2tbsp soy sauce
1tbsp sugar
2tbsp cooking sake
2tbsp mirin (sweet cooking sake)
1/2tbsp powdered Japanese soup stock
How to cook
- Mix seasonings (A) together.
- Cut potatoes, carrots, and onions into bite-size pieces.
- Heat oil in a pan, add pork and saute over medium heat until the meat changes color.
- Add potatoes, carrots, and onions and saute until oil coats all of them.
- Add water and (A), cover with a drop-lid, and simmer over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes.
- When the potatoes and carrots are easily pierced with chopsticks, the dish is done.
*What is a drop lid?
A lid that is slightly smaller than a pot, and is used when making stews to prevent the ingredients from collapsing and to allow the flavors to soak in. It is common to use parchment paper or aluminum foil instead.
Cut a few small holes into a parchment paper cut to match the size of the pot.
Japanese seasonings used
soy sauce（醤油）
cooking sake（料理酒）
mirin (みりん・sweet cooking sake)
powdered Japanese soup stock（粉末和風だし）
