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Do you remember my post, the story about my childhood Japanese school lunches? One favorite, savory entrée of our school lunch was the Japanese style potato salad. For those of you who are familiar with Japanese bento boxes served at Japanese restaurants, you have seen and tasted the Japanese potato salad served in one of the bento compartments. This potato salad tastes quite different from American potato salad or salad Olivier. Japanese potato salad has a hint of sweet’n’sour and with crunchy uncooked vegetables such as thinly sliced cucumber, onion, and in some cases, thinly julienned, uncooked carrots and/or apples. Japanese mayonnaise and karashi mustard used tastes quite different than the ones commonly used in the USA. It is the combination of all these ingredients that make this salad’s unique taste and texture. Without any hesitation, Japanese potato salad is my most favorite of all potato salads.
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Japanese Potato Salad • ポテトサラダ
Recipe by: Fae’s Twist & Tango (fae-magazine.com)
INGREDIENTS
• 600 g/ 1¼ lb russet potato(es), peeled and cut in about 2.5cm/1″ squares
• 170 g/ 6 oz/ 1 carrot (not very thick), peeled, quartered lengthwise, sliced in 5mm/¼”
• salt
• 1½ Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 150 g/ 5 oz/ 1½ Japanese or 3 thin Persian cucumbers
• 60 g/ 2 oz/ ½ small onion
• 60 g/ 2 oz/ 4 thin slices ham, cut in 4 cm/1½” x 5mm/¼” strips (I used black forest ham)
• 4 Tbsp mayonnaise, preferably Japanese version Kewpie mayonnaise [1][2]
• ½ tsp Japanese mustard karashi in tube[2]
• 2 large eggs
Other common ingredient options
• ¼ cup cooked corn or green peas
• ¼ Fuji apple, with red skin, sliced very thinly and cut in 12mm/ ½” x 5mm/¼” pieces
• ¼ cup Satsuma oranges or tangerine, fresh or drained canned. If using fresh, peel off the inner skin.
[1] Vegan version: Skip eggs, ham and use vegan mayonnaise, recipe → here.
[2] These products are found in local Japanese (or usually in Chinese) markets for reasonable prices.
DIRECTIONS
◊ In a medium-sized saucepan, add cut potatoes, cold tap water to cover generously, ¼ tsp salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook for 5 minutes. Add carrots to the cooking potatoes and cook until a skewer goes through a potato piece smoothly (do not over cook for the potatoes to fall apart). Drain well and place in mixing bowl. While still hot, sprinkle sugar and drizzle vinegar evenly, mix well and set aside to totally cool (while mixing, the potato will fall apart, and it is ideal to keep some in chunks.
Meanwhile…
◊ Hard boil the eggs and let them cool.
◊ Using mandolin or knife, with peels on, slice cucumbers very thinly. Place them in a small bowl, sprinkle 1/8 tsp salt and massage in well. Let sit for 10 minutes. (This process is to drain the liquid out of cucumbers.)
◊ Slice onion very thinly along the grain, place in a small bowl and sprinkle with 1/8 tsp salt. Add cold tap water to cover generously. Let sit for 10 minutes. (This process is to drain the liquid and pungent smell out of the onion.)
◊ With hands, tightly squeeze out the liquid from the cucumber slices and add them to the mixing bowl. In a sieve, drain and rinse the marinated onion slices well. With hands, tightly squeeze out liquid and add to the mixing bowl. Add the cut ham to the mixing bowl. Add Japanese mayonnaise and karashi mustard and mix well.
◊ Coarsely chop the boiled eggs and add to the mixing bowl, and gently/briefly combine. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator to chill until ready to serve.
~ どうぞめしあがれ • Douzo Meshiagare ~
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So, what’s cooking in your kitchen?
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I’m a big potato salad fan and this Japanese version sounds great. It is almost like a complete meal.
Hi Karen, You are absolutely right. Maybe a slice or two of French baguette on the side? 🙂
When I can tear myself away from the sushi section of a menu, I’ll often order a bento-inspired dish for lunch. The potato salad, when served, is a favorite but I’ve never thought to attempt to make it for myself, Fae. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. When I make potato salad next, yours will be the recipe I follow. 🙂
Hi John, I’m so glad you already know the special taste of this Japanese potato salad. In almost all Japanese TV cooking shows, the cook says, ‘Your children would love the taste of this recipe’. It seems that, recipes are created with children’s taste buds in mind. Which says, we both still have our youthful taste buds! 😀 )))
Yum, yum and an additional yum Fae!! This potato salad is a winner for sure. I love all the flavors in it, and right away thought that the pickled cucumbers that I made recently and blogged about would add a great crunch and taste to the potato salad. Will definitely be trying it out, I too love a nice crunch in the potato salad, I’ve used celery before, but will surely be making it with my pickled cukes. I like the addition of the Black forest ham too, there’s enough protein there for everyone 🙂 I’m not so sure that I’ve heard of the Japanese mustard, will have to look into that for sure.
Hi Loretta, Yes, yes, give it a try with your scrumptious pickled cucumbers! Japanese mustard come in tube (check out the link in the recipe) and also come in powdered form. I’m sure you can find them in the Chinese store too. It is the kind you may have seen in dim sum restaurant condiments. Once you try this particular mustard, I am sure you’ll find many more use for it. 🙂
I never knew the Japanese had potato salad Love this, I am a fan of almost every potato salad, Russian, Persian, American and now I have to try Japanese. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe.
Hi Suzanne, The flavor and texture of Japanese potato salad is going delight you. Give it a try! 🙂
I love all kinds of potato salad–this one looks especially pretty!
Hi Nancy, Yes, it is pretty visually and also so~ delicious. 🙂
This looks really fresh and colourful Fae. I’ve just made a potato salad dish and it looks very boring in comparison! Adding the ham makes it perfect for lunch rather than a side dish. 🙂
Hi Amanda, Later when we were older and transferred to an American school, we sandwiched the potato salad and took to school for lunch. 🙂
I love this beautiful salad! Not only it is colorful,but also looks tasty and healthy!
Hi Chris, It is easy to make and truly delicious! 🙂
I think I know why this is one of your favorite potato salad preparations, Fae… It looks delicious! I love the addition of ham! It such a natural buddy to potatoes, yet I would never have thought of adding it. But seeing your salad, it makes perfect sense. Lovely salad! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Hi Nancy, I added black forest ham, which goes very well with the seasoning. However, any ham should do. Kids especially will love this flavor. 🙂
Fae, your salad sounds delicious and I love the bowl and your gorgeous pictures!
Thank you, Persian Mama! The bowl is a gift from a Japanese friend. When you praise my photography, you make my day. 😀 )))
I remember having a potato salad like this when I was visiting Japan. It was delicious.
Hi Gerlinde, So you know! It really is a refreshing potato salad. 🙂
Wow Fae! I am loving this! I have been making a number of potato salads this summer for our grilling season and your recipe is wonderful! I am going to try it the next time I make one! Thanks so much for this gorgeous recipe! 😀
Hi Juliana, Oh, please do give it a try and surprise your family. I hope you can find the Japanese mayo and mustard at your local Japanese/Asian market. Grilling… My mouth is watering. 😛
It looks like a great salad and it’s definitely far more nutritious and tasty than any school dinner I ever had to suffer!!
😀 ))) Hi Elaine, We sure enjoyed it in our school lunches. I must say, we had our share of inedible school lunches too. 😀
That’s a very pretty potato salad. I love how there are so many twists to potato salad and this looks lovely.
Hi Virginia, Thank you. Give this one a try. It really is quite refreshing with the fresh vegetables (or fruits) in it. 🙂
Ah, this comes just in time as I recently had a version of this salad at a Japanese restaurant in Duesseldof, Germany, and would love to recreate it at home. The only things that was different from what seems this very recipe (except sans ham) was the fact that the potatoes were very finely mashed.
Hi Nath, I’m glad you liked the salad and want to recreate it. How fine you mash the potato is your preference. You can skip the ham and add or not add more vegetables. The idea is the flavor of the seasoning. Enjoy! 🙂
It may be different from American Potato Salad but I know I would enjoy it with all of those goodies in it. I have recently become more acquainted with Japanese and Chinese grocery stores. I bought some of that Kewpie Mayo but I don’t remember the recipe. Now I have a better one – thanks Fae 🙂
Hi Judi, You are going to definitely like this potato salad. Japanese, Chinese, Asian markets have so much to explore. I am still learning. 😀 )))