A comforting and flavorful side dish featuring tender potatoes, crunchy vegetables, savory ham, and the unique tang of Kewpie mayonnaise.
Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 15-20 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the vegetables and ham. Thinly slice the cucumber and carrot, and dice the ham.
Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or fork, leaving some small chunks for texture.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until the sugar is dissolved.
Pour the rice vinegar mixture over the mashed potatoes and mix well.
Add the carrots, cucumber, and ham to the potatoes. Gently fold in the Kewpie mayonnaise. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired creaminess.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. You may want to add more salt, pepper, or Kewpie mayonnaise.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld before serving. This is best served cold.
Nutrition per serving (285g)
For a sweeter flavor, you can add a small amount of Japanese mustard (karashi) to the mayonnaise.
You can substitute the ham with cooked bacon or leftover cooked chicken.
To prevent the cucumber from making the salad watery, you can salt the cucumber slices and let them sit for 15 minutes, then squeeze out the excess water before adding them to the salad.
Experiment with other vegetables like corn or edamame.
If you don't have Kewpie Mayonnaise, you can use regular mayonnaise, but the flavor will be slightly different. Consider adding a pinch of MSG to approximate the Kewpie flavor.
Large Pot
Mixing Bowl
Vegetable Peeler
Knife
No wine pairing suggestions available for this recipe.