The Japanese dish of simmered potatoes, carrots, and meat in a savory broth is nikujaga.
Nikujaga is a home-style Japanese stew whose name combines niku, meaning “meat,” and jagaimo, meaning “potato.” Thinly sliced beef is common, while pork is especially popular in parts of eastern Japan. Potatoes and onions are usually central ingredients, and carrots or shirataki noodles may also be added.
The ingredients are simmered in dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar until the liquid reduces and the vegetables become tender. This places nikujaga within the broader Japanese category of nimono, dishes gently simmered in seasoned liquid. It is especially associated with home cooking and winter meals, often served alongside white rice and miso soup.
Nikujaga is sometimes confused with oden, but oden is a broader one-pot dish containing items such as daikon, boiled eggs, fish cakes, and tofu. Sukiyaki uses a richer cooking style with meat and vegetables, while shabu-shabu cooks thin slices at the table in simmering broth.