Ingredients

   
170g ground chicken
400g Yukon Gold potatoes (small), halved
5 snap peas
15ml neutral oil
30ml sake
30ml mirin
15g sugar
30ml soy sauce
360ml water
10g potato starch or cornstarch
15ml water (for slurry)

Steps

  1. Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add ground chicken and break into crumbles. Cook 3–4 minutes until no longer pink.

  2. Add potatoes and stir-fry for 2 minutes until coated with oil.

  3. Add sake, mirin, sugar, soy sauce, and water.

  4. Place a drop lid (otoshibuta) directly on the ingredients. Reduce to low heat and simmer 13–15 minutes without stirring, until a skewer pierces a potato easily and liquid has reduced.

  5. While potatoes cook, blanch snap peas in salted boiling water for 1–2 minutes. Remove, cool, and split open.

  6. Mix potato starch with 15ml water to make a slurry. Remove drop lid, stir in slurry until sauce thickens.

  7. Serve in bowls, garnish with snap peas.

Notes

  • This is a simplified nimono — same sweet-soy broth as nikujaga but with ground meat and fewer ingredients.
  • Use Yukon Gold or waxy potatoes. Russets fall apart during simmering.
  • A drop lid keeps potatoes from breaking and circulates the broth evenly. Parchment paper cut to size works if you don’t have an otoshibuta.
  • Don’t stir while simmering. Let the drop lid do the work.
  • This improves overnight. The potatoes absorb more broth as they cool. Make it a day ahead for best flavor.
  • Ground pork works as a substitute. Thinly sliced beef makes it closer to nikujaga.