Potato Salad Japanese Style

Ingredients

• 650 g potatoes, chopped
• 200 g carrots, chopped
• water, to steam vegetables
• 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
• 100 g cucumbers
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, for cucumbers
• 50 g onions, sliced see instructions
• water, to cover onions see instructions
• 1 cup mayonnaise (200 ml)
• salt, to taste
• ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. 1

   Wash the potatoes and carrots but do not peel. (This makes the vegetable fresh and gives them good texture).

2. 2

   Place in a hot steamer and cook for about 25 minutes over a medium heat, taking care to top up the water from time to time as needed. Prick the vegetables with a toothpick or skewer to see if cooked and remove when done.

3. 3

   Peel the potatoes and carrots while hot and then transfer the potatoes to a bowl and roughly break up. Mix in the chicken stock powder and leave to cool.

4. 4

   Chop the carrots in half length ways and slice into 5 mm thick semi-circular pieces. You can make quarter –button shapes by chopping the halves carrot again length ways before slicing.

5. 5

   Cut the cucumber in half lengthways and use a spoon, remove the seeds. Cut each half again lengthways and then slice into 5 mm thick pieces. In a separate bowl, sprinkle salt over the cucumber and leave for about 2-3 minutes to soften, then squeeze to remove excess liquid. Cut the onion in half, slice and soak in water to remove any bitterness, then drain and pat dry.

6. 6

   When the potato is cool, add the carrots, cucumber and onions and lightly mix. Stir in the mayonnaise, salt and pepper and serve.

7. 7

   Variations: You can make this salad look even more interesting by serving it in individual portions (about the size of an egg) and add a slice of hard-boiled egg.