Niku Jyaga (Braised Meat With Potatoes)

Do you know that the word "jyaga"-imo (Japanese name for potatoes) is derived from the word Jagarata (old name of Jakarta, now capital city of Indonesia).  Japanese named it from Jagarata because that is how potatoes arrived in Japan, it came from Jagarata.   Some Japanese who have travelled South and lived in Jagarata in the past, brought back potatoes and started potatoes cultivation here.

See photo (top left) for Niku Jyaga

What you need to make Niku Jyaga:

200 gram of thinly sliced pork meat

5-6 potatoes

1 whole onions

2 tbsp of sugar

2 tbsp of soy sauce

2 tbsp of sake

1 1/2 cup of dashi (preferably use Japanese type of broth)

1 tbsp of salad oil

It is very easy to make:

1. Peel potatoes and onions (also the meat if they are not yet cut into thin slices).   Cut them into edible slices.   Some people may like finely cut onions, which is also OK.

2. Fry the onions in the pot you will use for cooking.   Use salad oil for frying.

3. Also fry the meat and then put the potatoes into the mixture.

4. Put all the required sauces, then pour dashi.

5. Cook until potatoes becomes tender.    Put a lid, however, it is better to let a little bit of steam out of the lid as you cook.