Rich nikujaga (Japanese beef & potato stew)

For ➍
2 ts vegetable oil
200 g beef sliced thin (shortribs work great)
1 onion, in thick slices
4 yukon gold potatoes, cut into large chunks
1 carrot, cut into large pieces
4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed & quartered
1 dl sake
4 dl dashi (or low sodium beef stock)
2 tbs sugar
½ ts salt
3 tbs soy sauce
100 g shirataki noodles, drained & rinsed
75 g green beans, trimmed

Heat a heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add the oil.Stir-fry the beef until cooked through. Transfer to a bowl, with tongs or a slotted spoon, leaving as much of the oil in the pot as possible.
Add the onions and fry until translucent. Add the potatoes, carrots and shiitake mushrooms and continue stir-frying for about 3 m.
Add the sake and bring to a boil until you stop smelling alcohol (1-2 m). Add the dashi, sugar, salt, soy sauce and shirataki, and then return the beef to the pot. Simmer, partially covered for 30-40 m, or until the meat is tender and the carrots and potatoes are very soft.
Add the green beans and cook uncovered until they are cooked through.

Serve immediately, or refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to develop.
Nikujaga was invented by cooks of the Japanese navy, at the end of the 19th century,inspired by the beef stews of the British navy. It is a Japanese version of a beef stew that is simmered in the classic Japanese seasonings of soy, sugar, sake and mirin. Nikujaga can be made with different ingredients, and different kind of meats.
Try a simple version or a fusion tomato version.