Nikujaga is a Japanese family dish usually eaten in winter. The Japanese love it for its simplicity, but many people also like it for its comforting taste.
Summary
Nikujaga, a comforting family dish
Nikujaga 肉じゃが, which literally means “meat – potato” is a Japanese savory dish that is very popular among Japanese people. As its name suggests it is mainly made of meat (pork or beef), potatoes, onions, vegetables, shichimi togorashi (Japanese chili pepper)and Japanese noodles called shirataki. This dish is cooked in a Japanese broth (soy sauce, sake, mirin sugar).
It is cooked much faster than a western stew because in Nikujaga, the meat is finely sliced, so it is cooked more quickly.
Nikujaga is a very popular dish in Japan, it is the dish that Japanese people ask for when they have not eaten it for a while. It is a family dish that is usually cooked at home but you can find it in restaurants in Japan like in izakaya.
The ingredients in Nikujaga
Potato
Minced Pork Belly
Traditionally used in the Kanto region
or minced beef
Traditionally used in the Kansai region
Nikujaga comes in a large donburi bowl and is eaten alone or with a bowl of Japanese rice, miso soup, grilled fish or tsukemono…
You will notice that this dish contains many “umami” ingredients, it is indeed very good!
