Japanese Creamy Potato Salad • Potesara

I absolutely adore a beautiful Japanese potato salad! They’re incredibly common in Japan, whether homemade or sold ready-made in supermarkets, and let me tell you, they’re delicious, easy to make, and way more yummy than just plain mashed potatoes ;D The big difference is mainly in the quantity of ingredients used and the use of Japanese mayonnaise which, unlike more traditional mayonnaises, tends to use only egg yolks instead of whole eggs, rice vinegar instead of other vinegars, and some spices, creating a denser, creamier, and more seasoned mayo than regular mayonnaise.

However, for this recipe, you can absolutely use traditional mayonnaise without any problems if you can’t get your hands on Japanese mayo like the Kewpie brand (yes, the brand is a baby). The salad itself isn’t supposed to be completely creamy, so you can easily make it with just a fork, you’re only supposed to roughly mash everything so you end up with a creamy part mixed with chunks of potato and other ingredients. So let’s check the recipe, shall we! ;D

Japanese Creamy Potato Salad • Potesara

Servings: 4
Time: 45mins
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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Oh gawd i love me some japanese potato salad, its more like seasoned mashed potatoes with vegies, but they call it potato salad so ill call it as well... 5 stars! that and some FamilyMart Famichiki and im in heaven!

Ingredients

Potatoes – 6
Carrots – 2
Garlic – 4 Cloves
Onion – 1 Small
Cucumber – 1 Small
Leek – 1 Small (White Part Only)
Chives – 2 Sprigs
Mayonnaise – 2 Tablespoons (Japanese Kewpie)
Olive Oil – 2 Drizzles
Rice Vinegar – 1 Drizzle (or cider vinegar or other mild vinegar)
Salt – A Pinch

Directions

Start by peeling the potatoes and carrots, cut them into strips and place them in a small saucepan with hot water and a pinch of salt. Cook until both are tender (you can check by piercing them with a knife; if it goes in easily, they are cooked).
Remove the potatoes and carrots from the water and let them cool slightly. While they are cooling, blanch the garlic cloves for 1 minute in boiling water so that they are not completely raw when added to the salad (which would make the potato salad too spicy).

Cut the potatoes and carrots into cubes and place in a bowl, followed by the garlic cloves, a finely chopped small onion, the sliced small cucumber, and a little of the white stalk of a leek. It doesn’t need to be all sliced to the same size; different sizes create different textures, but don’t make it too chunky.

Now season everything with a pinch of salt, two drizzles of olive oil, and a drizzle of rice vinegar. Add 2 large tablespoons of mayonnaise and mix everything together roughly. You want about half of the potatoes to be mashed and the other half to be in small pieces.
Taste and adjust the salt, rice vinegar or mayonnaise to your liking. Finally, sprinkle with a pinch of chives and it’s ready to serve while still slightly warm, or you can store it in the refrigerator and serve it cold the next day. Bon appétit! ;D

Notes & Tips: You can swap the chives for cilantro or parsley. If you don’t have Japanese mayonnaise, you can experiment with other mayonnaises until it’s to your taste, or season the potato salad a bit more strongly with pepper and smoked paprika to give it a different touch.

Also, Japanese tend to use just plain cooking oil or sesame oil, but I kinda prefer the taste of olive oil, and it’s not much, so use whatever oil you have at hand, also it’s of course common to use japanese mayo like kewpie, do not that japanese mayo has a bit more egg and rice vinegar, so it has a slightly more spicy eggy taste.

I’ll say again, don’t overmix! You want that gorgeous contrast between creamy mashed bits and tender potato chunks. If you’re making this ahead (highly recommended!), the flavors meld beautifully overnight in the fridge.

Slightly warm potatoes absorb the dressing better, so dress them while they’re still warm rather than stone-cold. If your salad seems dry the next day, don’t panic, just add an extra drizzle of mayo or a tiny splash of rice vinegar to bring it back to life (if it’s too sweet)!

This recipe for Japanese Creamy Potato Salad • Potesara was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Salada de Batata Japonesa foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.