Nikujaga (Japanese Beef Stew) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1 lb ground beef or 1 lb pork loin, cubed
4 potatoes, halved and cut in 1/4-inch cubes or 2 lbs pumpkin, cut into bite sized pieces
1 carrot, peeled and quartered
12 white pearl onions
8 large shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
3 cups dashi
2 cups sake
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon curry powder (optional)
2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
shichimi togarashi, to taste (optional)
steamed japanese rice, as an accompaniment (optional)

Preparation

Heat vegetable oil in a deep pot/dutch oven and saute the meat on high heat until it changes color. Add vegetables, ginger and mushrooms in the pot and saute together for a minute or two.
Pour in the dashi and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium and skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface.
Add sake, sugar, mirin, soy sauce, and curry powder and cover. Simmer until vegetables are softened, stirring occasionally (about 20-30 minutes). Serve with green onions in top.