Japanese foods--nimono

[Hiroyuki]

I made satoimo nikkorogashi last night. My satoimo started to split a little bit as they cooked, is this normal? How far are you supposed to reduce the liquid? Even if I made a few mistakes making it this time they were really tasty and I have a bunch left over. Great easy dish!

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What's your recipe, John?

According to this recipe

http://gourmet.yahoo.co.jp/seturl?mid=japa...1003&id=T001004

you first blanch the satoimo for 4-5 minutes, drain, wash them one by one under running water gently to remove the numeri (slime?). Then you put the satoimo back in the pan, add dashi. When it boils, turn the heat to medium, simmer for 5-6 minutes while skimming foam, add sugar and mirin, simmer for another 5-6 minutes. Add soy sauce and put on a paper lid (paper towel?) and simmer for about 20 min. over low heat.

When the satoimo become soft and the liquid is reduced, occassinally shake the pot gently so as not to let the satoimo fall apart.

The word "nikorogashi" comes from from this step: rolling (korogasu) the satoimo while simmering (ni-ru). I prefer the word "nikkorogashi" because it's funny-sounding.

You can see photos of many of the steps by clicking [ 写真を見る ].

What a meticulous recipe!!

My recipe?

Just boil satoimo for 2-3 minutes, add instant dashi powder, sugar and mirin first and soy sauce later. It takes less than 10 minutes to cook them. Then I just let the dashi liquid seep through the satoimo.

And, remember, satoimo no nikkorogashi tastes really good the next day!!

You can see a video of another recipe here

http://www.manma-miya.jp/recipe/2523/2523.html

Click 動画でチェック to view it.

This particular recipe is for "slime-less" simmered satoimo.

[_john]

What's your recipe, John?

You can see a video of another recipe here

http://www.manma-miya.jp/recipe/2523/2523.html

Click 動画でチェック to view it.

This particular recipe is for "slime-less" simmered satoimo.

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I looked up several recipes and saw what they had in common. Then I followed one that had directions for removing slime. I think I just boiled them too long, I don't have a lot of experience cooking satoimo. I think I need to try someone else's satoimo nikkorogashi before I will be able to make it well. I had left overs for lunch today and they were even better the second day. Do you eat satoimo nikkorogashi as a side dish? Can you use it as an ingredient in other dishes?.

Edited April 14, 2006 by _john (log)

[Hiroyuki]

I had left overs for lunch today and they were even better the second day. Do you eat satoimo nikkorogashi as a side dish? Can you use it as an ingredient in other dishes?.

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I'm glad that you say so - they are better the second day - just like Japanese curry . Mostly as a side dish. In other dishes?? Not that I know of.

[BarbaraY]

I once again made niku jaga. I found that I liked it better made with the mealy potatoes. All I had in the cupboard was red potatoes and they didn't absorb the seasonings as well. IMHO

Still was good, though.

[Hiroyuki]

I once again made niku jaga. I found that I liked it better made with the mealy potatoes. All I had in the cupboard was red potatoes and they didn't absorb the seasonings as well. IMHO

Still was good, though.

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Beef again?

[EdS]

I hadn't made niku jaga in ages but got the craving last week and made it three times. I think I had some catching up to do. I made it twice with beef and then tried it for the first time with pork. I have to say I like them both.

One of my cookbooks has this to say about niku jaga:

One of the most popular Japanese dishes. The taste of this home cooking is especially relished by men.

I relish niku jaga.

[BarbaraY]

I once again made niku jaga. I found that I liked it better made with the mealy potatoes. All I had in the cupboard was red potatoes and they didn't absorb the seasonings as well. IMHO

Still was good, though.

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Beef again?

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Yes, Hiroyuki, beef again but fattier than the first time. I really will try it with pork soon. I usually prefer pork to beef anyway.

I hadn't made niku jaga in ages but got the craving last week and made it three times. I think I had some catching up to do. I made it twice with beef and then tried it for the first time with pork. I have to say I like them both.

One of my cookbooks has this to say about niku jaga:

One of the most popular Japanese dishes. The taste of this home cooking is especially relished by men.

I relish niku jaga. 

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Esvobada, I have that book too.

Edited August 8, 2006 by BarbaraY (log)

[Hiroyuki]

I hadn't made niku jaga in ages but got the craving last week and made it three times. I think I had some catching up to do. I made it twice with beef and then tried it for the first time with pork. I have to say I like them both.

One of my cookbooks has this to say about niku jaga:

One of the most popular Japanese dishes. The taste of this home cooking is especially relished by men.

I relish niku jaga. 

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Does the book explain the phrase ofukuro no aji (taste of mom's cooking)? Niku jaga and satoimo no nikkorogashi are two typical Japanese dishes that are often associated with ofukuro no aji.

[torakris]

Nikujyaga is definitely best when made with the mealy (starchier) potatoes, I wouldn't recommend using waxy potatoes at all. It is also much better with beef, but that is just personall preference.

I also like to keep mine very simple just beef, potatoes and onions and maybe some shirataki threads if I must extend it a bit. I do not like carrots, snow peas and other vegetables in it and especially no curry powder!! This seems to be a popular version I am constantly running across in magazines usually with pork. It maybe possibly be good but just don't call it nikujyaga.

I guess this was a little jet lagged induced rant....

[EdS]

My book didn't mention anything about ofukuro no aji but I can see how opinionated someone could be about a simple dish like this that one might have eaten since childhood. Growing up with a mother from Hawaii meant being served many dishes that were sort of Japanese but not quite. The closest thing to nigu jaga was a hamburger and potato stew with soy sauce and sugar. She managed to burn it most of the time. I have no plans to duplicate my mom's "niku jaga".

I've been using waxy potatoes so they don't break up. Is this one of those things people argue about?

[torakris]

My book didn't mention anything about ofukuro no aji but I can see how opinionated someone could be about a simple dish like this that one might have eaten since childhood. Growing up with a mother from Hawaii meant being served many dishes that were sort of Japanese but not quite. The closest thing to nigu jaga was a hamburger and potato stew with soy sauce and sugar. She managed to burn it most of the time. I have no plans to duplicate my mom's "niku jaga".

I've been using waxy potatoes so they don't break up. Is this one of those things people argue about?

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If the potatoes are cooked right they shouldn't break up, you should get nicely softened edges though with a bit of meltinginto the sauce. Though it is a simmered dish it isn'tsimmered for a long time at all.

I guess if the Japanese didn't want the potatoes to break up they would have used daikon.

[EdS]

Well, this thread forced me into an early dinner and I can confirm everything Kristin says.

[BarbaraY]

My book didn't mention anything about ofukuro no aji but I can see how opinionated someone could be about a simple dish like this that one might have eaten since childhood. Growing up with a mother from Hawaii meant being served many dishes that were sort of Japanese but not quite. The closest thing to nigu jaga was a hamburger and potato stew with soy sauce and sugar. She managed to burn it most of the time. I have no plans to duplicate my mom's "niku jaga".

I've been using waxy potatoes so they don't break up. Is this one of those things people argue about?

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If the potatoes are cooked right they shouldn't break up, you should get nicely softened edges though with a bit of meltinginto the sauce. Though it is a simmered dish it isn'tsimmered for a long time at all.

I guess if the Japanese didn't want the potatoes to break up they would have used daikon.

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This was my (minor) problem with the most recent one. The first pot I made had russet potatoes and they melted a bit into the sauce and seemed to absorb more flavor. Some of my recipes call for one type and some the other.

Edited August 10, 2006 by BarbaraY (log)

[torakris]

Though upthread I said I disliked bastardized version of nikujyaga, last night I did one myself. I needed to preapre a meal from the pantry as I was waiting for my new refrigerator...

tuna-jyaga with canned tuna and shishito from my garden

It was actually quite good and I would make it again it I needed a main dish in a hurry...

[Cheeko]

I've been using waxy potatoes so they don't break up. Is this one of those things people argue about?

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I don't know if its true, but I hear that a a tablespoon of butter is supposed to help your potatoes hold up.

[Cheeko]

After reading this thread and looking at all of torakris' delicious looking pics, I wanted to try this dish for my husband. He loved it. Grabbed the recipe from here:

http://www.recipezaar.com/111412

We didn't have shiitake, but I had an acorn squash that was waiting for a reason to be used. Amazing how wonderfully the flavors go so well together...

My grilled brown-rice onigiri was not so successful, but I just pretended that's the way it should look when its grilled. Of course, hubby just smiled like he believed me. I poured the broth over the broken onigiri - he loved it too.

[Hiroyuki]

Oh, beef again!

I think I'll make a pork version and post a photo here.

I've never seen shiitake used in niku-jaga!

[Cheeko]

Oh, beef again!  

I think I'll make a pork version and post a photo here.

I've never seen shiitake used in niku-jaga!

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Actually, our organic food mart does not carry pork, just beef and chicken. I must also admit, the recipe I used for the seasoning measurements was from a very gifted 14 year old from Texas. Next time around, I will try pork and a little less sugar.

[Hiroyuki]

Oh, beef again!  

I think I'll make a pork version and post a photo here.

I've never seen shiitake used in niku-jaga!

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Actually, our organic food mart does not carry pork, just beef and chicken. I must also admit, the recipe I used for the seasoning measurements was from a very gifted 14 year old from Texas. Next time around, I will try pork and a little less sugar.

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I made niku-jaga for supper tonight.

Ingredients are PORK , 1 carrot, 2 large onions, and 2 potatoes.

My preference: More onions than in regular recipes, about twice as many.

Needless to say, like any other nimono, niku-jaga tastes much better the next day.

[Cheeko]

I made niku-jaga for supper tonight.

Ingredients are PORK , 1 carrot, 2 large onions, and 2 potatoes.

My preference:  More onions than in regular recipes, about twice as many.

Needless to say, like any other nimono, niku-jaga tastes much better the next day.

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Looks Heavenly! My husband is so happy I learned to make this dish. I will try it with pork this week.

[sk_ward]

Here is my latest nimono--gomokumame. This version differs a little from the version that Torakris posted a while back. Hers had carrots, renkon and konbu. This version has daizu (soybeans), gobo, konnyaku, carrots, and shiitake. Boiling the beans took much longer than I expected. The recipe said to boil them for about 45 minutes, but I wasn't sure if I was really supposed to keep it at a full boil, so I brought it to a boil and then turned it down to a very gentle boil. It took forever to get the beans to soften!! However, the smell made it worth it. The recipe made an "easy to make amount," which turned out to be way too much for just me, so I froze the leftovers. I wasn't too sure about freezing konnyaku, so I took all of the konnyaku bits out of what I ended up putting in the freezer. Actually, I wasn't sure about freezing it period, but we'll see how it goes!

[sk_ward]

This is a nimono made by my aunt. Potatoes from her garden, konbu bow-ties (is there a special name for these in Japanese?), takenoko, and chikuwa. Yum!! I hope that she'll teach me how to make it some day!

[Hiroyuki]

konbu bow-ties (is there a special name for these in Japanese?),

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Musubi konbu (結び昆布). My mother can make a similar nimono, too.

[torakris]

Here is my latest nimono--gomokumame.  This version differs a little from the version that Torakris posted a while back.  Hers had carrots, renkon and konbu.  This version has daizu (soybeans), gobo, konnyaku, carrots, and shiitake.  Boiling the beans took much longer than I expected.  The recipe said to boil them for about 45 minutes, but I wasn't sure if I was really supposed to keep it at a full boil, so I brought it to a boil and then turned it down to a very gentle boil.  It took forever to get the beans to soften!!  However, the smell made it worth it.  The recipe made an "easy to make amount," which turned out to be way too much for just me, so I froze the leftovers.  I wasn't too sure about freezing konnyaku, so I took all of the konnyaku bits out of what I ended up putting in the freezer.  Actually, I wasn't sure about freezing it period, but we'll see how it goes! 

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This is a great example of joubi sai, like we discussed in that thread. It should keep for quite a while in the refrigerator. Let us know how it freezes though.

The long cooking of the daizu (soy beans) is usually why I omit them most of the time. In a pinch I use canned but I don't really care for their flavor as much.

Beautiful picture by the way.

[sk_ward]

Here is my latest nimono--gomokumame.  This version differs a little from the version that Torakris posted a while back.  Hers had carrots, renkon and konbu.  This version has daizu (soybeans), gobo, konnyaku, carrots, and shiitake.  Boiling the beans took much longer than I expected.  The recipe said to boil them for about 45 minutes, but I wasn't sure if I was really supposed to keep it at a full boil, so I brought it to a boil and then turned it down to a very gentle boil.  It took forever to get the beans to soften!!  However, the smell made it worth it.  The recipe made an "easy to make amount," which turned out to be way too much for just me, so I froze the leftovers.  I wasn't too sure about freezing konnyaku, so I took all of the konnyaku bits out of what I ended up putting in the freezer.  Actually, I wasn't sure about freezing it period, but we'll see how it goes! 

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This is a great example of joubi sai, like we discussed in that thread. It should keep for quite a while in the refrigerator. Let us know how it freezes though.

The long cooking of the daizu (soy beans) is usually why I omit them most of the time. In a pinch I use canned but I don't really care for their flavor as much.

Beautiful picture by the way.

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I just defrosted the first batch and it actually tasted just fine. The carrots became a little bit soft, but I was actually mostly concerned about the bean texture and there was no problem there at all. I missed a couple of konnyaku bits before putting the batch in the freezer, but I was glad that I tried to take them out prior to freezing! They shriveled up and turned out really grody.