Grandma's Recipes 
埼玉県 
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Japanese Grandma's Nikujaga with Thick Fried Tofu (Family Recipe)
Nikujaga is Japan's quintessential comfort food, but every family has their own twist. This Chiba family's version swaps shirataki noodles for thick fried tofu (atsuage), with oyster sauce and butter as secret ingredients passed down through generations.
🧂 Ingredients
servings
* In traditional Japanese grandma cooking, measurements are approximate — think of them as guidelines rather than exact amounts.
| Main Ingredients | |
| Pork belly | about one package |
| Potatoes | about 3 (Regular size from the store) |
| Carrot | 1 piece |
| Onion | 1 piece |
| Atsuage (thick fried tofu) | one package (Used instead of shirataki noodles in this family recipe) |
| Seasonings | |
| Soy sauce | one swirl around the pot |
| Dashi granules | a pinch |
| Mirin (sweet rice wine) | one swirl |
| Sake (cooking rice wine) | one swirl |
| Sugar | a pinch |
| Water | enough to just cover the ingredients |
| Oyster sauce | just a little bit (Secret ingredient) |
| Butter | just a tiny bit (Secret ingredient) |
👩🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cut the potatoes, carrots, and onions into bite-sized pieces. Cut the thick fried tofu into bite-sized pieces as well.
- 2
Stir-fry the pork belly in a pot until the color changes, then add the vegetables and stir briefly.
- 3
Add enough water to just cover the ingredients, then add soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, and dashi granules.
- 4
Add the thick fried tofu, then the secret ingredients: oyster sauce and a small amount of butter.
💡 The oyster sauce and butter bring out even more flavor from the thick fried tofu.
- 5
Simmer until the potatoes are tender.
💡 Using a drop lid helps the flavors penetrate deeply.
📖 Memories & Stories
In our family, nikujaga never had shirataki noodles. When I asked my grandmother why, she explained that shirataki doesn't fill you up, so thick fried tofu is better because it's more substantial. Adding oyster sauce and butter as hidden flavors brings out the best in the tofu. That's why our family has always used thick fried tofu instead. It made perfect sense, and ever since then, nikujaga without thick fried tofu just feels incomplete.
Source: Learned directly from grandma (Submitted by: まっつん)
🍽 Cultural Background
Nikujaga is said to have originated in the Meiji era as a Japanese adaptation of Western beef stew. Each family has their own unique touch with ingredients and seasoning. In this Chiba household, using thick fried tofu instead of shirataki noodles has been the tradition for generations.
