Niku-Jaga, or Japanese potato stew, is definitely one of the comfort foods for many Japanese people.
I didn’t think much of it when growing up in Japan, but having been living in the U.S for over 15 years I do get craving for this stew more often than I though I would.
The main ingredients of this stew are meat and potato; “Niku” means meat and “Jaga” means potato in Japanese.
But I wanted to keep my stew vegan this time, so I used “A-GE (pronounced like “ah-geh”)” which is a fried tofu product.
This should be probably called “A-ge-Jaga” instead of “Niku-Jaga”!
“A-ge” gives additional richness to the broth, and because of its porousness it absorbs the broth so well.
When you bite into it, the flavors burst into your mouth!
This dish is not something you go to the restaurant for, but rather something you see at the dinner table as a side dish that your mother prepares.
Nothing fancy. It’s flavored with very basic Japanese staples, like soy sauce.
A-ge Potato Stew
canola oil
1 onion, sliced
4 a-ge (fried tofu), cut into bite sized pieces
4 potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
2 carrots, cut into bite sized pieces
1 package Konjac yam noodles, cooked in boiling water for a few minutes, drained
1 large piece Kombu (Japanese dried seaweed)
2 cups water
3 tablespoons sake
4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
salt
1. Cook onion in oil. Add “a-ge”, potatoes, carrots, and konjac yam noodles. Continue to sautee for a few minutes.
2. Add Kombu, water, sake, soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Boil and then turn down to low heat. Cook until potatoes and carrots are cooked through.
I made a big batch, so I decided to make a few lunch boxes for the following work week.
In this bento box you’ll find brown rice, ume-boshi (pickled Japanese plum), sesame spinach, and A-ge-Jaga.
If you are interested in other versions of Japanese potato stew (Niku-Jaga) I’ve made, check out this, this, or this.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Today I’m baking a cake to bring to our tomorrow’s family get-together at my mother-in-law’s house on a lake.
I’m on Instagram.
