Japanese Grandma's Kencho Stew (Yamaguchi-Style Daikon and Tofu)

Name: Japanese Grandma's Kencho Stew (Yamaguchi-Style Daikon and Tofu)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 大根 0.5本 (approx. 400〜500g); 人参 0.5本 (approx. 75〜90g); 木綿豆腐 0.5丁 (approx. 150〜200g); しょうゆ 大さじ1〜2; 砂糖 大さじ1〜2; みりん 大さじ1〜2

Kencho is Yamaguchi's signature stew — thin daikon slices simmered with crumbled tofu in a simple savory broth. It's everyday comfort food that tastes even better the next day.

Prep Time 10min
Cook Time 20min
Servings 2 servings
Difficulty ★☆☆

Daikon Tofu Yamaguchi Regional Specialty Everyday Home Cooking

🧂 Ingredients

2 servings

* In traditional Japanese grandma cooking, measurements are approximate — think of them as guidelines rather than exact amounts.

Main Ingredients
Daikon radish	A good chunk 0.5本 (approx. 400〜500g) (Thinly sliced)
Firm tofu	Half a block 0.5本 (approx. 75〜90g) (Crumbled by hand)
Carrot	Half 0.5丁 (approx. 150〜200g) (Thinly sliced)
Aburaage (fried tofu)	1 piece (Strips)
Seasonings
Dashi broth	Enough to simmer 大さじ1〜2 (作る量に合わせて調整)
Soy sauce	大さじ1〜2
Mirin	大さじ1〜2
Sesame oil	A drizzle

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1

Heat sesame oil, stir-fry daikon and carrot.
2

Add crumbled tofu and aburaage. Stir-fry briefly.
3

Add dashi, bring to simmer.
4

Season with soy sauce and mirin. Simmer until daikon is translucent.

💡 Tastes even better reheated the next day

📖 Memories & Stories

Grandma made kencho so often it felt like it was always on the table. She always said the best kencho was made the day before and reheated.

Source: Learned directly from grandmaWritten from memory (Submitted by: HK)

🍽 Cultural Background

Kencho represents the quiet, everyday food that sustains families — simple, nourishing, deeply satisfying. It reflects making the most of humble ingredients.