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Japanese Potato Salad　ポテトサラダ

This Japanese Potato Salad is creamy, cozy, and full of comforting homemade flavor. Unlike traditional cold potato salad, this Japanese version tastes even better slightly warm. Made with mashed potatoes, cucumber, egg, ham, and Japanese mayonnaise, it’s simple, satisfying, and perfect for busy weeknight cooking or an izakaya-style meal at home.
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Servings: 2 people
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 medium size potatoes
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 Japanese cucumber
  • 2 ham slices
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/3 tsp Japanese rice vinegar
  • 3 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise

Method
 

  1. Peel the potatoes and cut into small pieces. Store them under cold water until it's time to use.
  2. Bring the egg to a boil in salted water and cook until it is hard-boiled.
  3. Boil the potato pieces in salted water until they become soft enough to mash.
  4. Cut the end off of the Japanese cucumber and rub each surface together for about 10 seconds, and then rinse the cucumber under cold water.
  5. Chop the cucumber into small pieces. Sprinkle a little salt, and leave them for 5-10 minutes to remove excess moisture.
  6. Once the egg is hard-boiled, let it rest in cold water for a few minutes. Then peel, and chop it into small pieces.
  7. Squeeze the cucumber pieces inside a dry paper towel to remove the excess moisture.
  8. Cut 2 slices of cooked ham into small pieces. Make sure you have roughly equal portions of the cucumber, egg, and ham.
  9. Check if the potato pieces are soft by testing the insides with a thin stick. When they are soft enough to be mashable, drain the boiled water, making sure there is none left in the pot.
  10. Mash the potatoes while they are still warm. Then add 1/2 tsp each of salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1/3 tsp of Japanese rice vinegar, and 3 tbsp of Kewpie mayonnaise. Mix all together well.
  11. Add the egg, ham, and cucumber to the seasoned mashed potato, and mix together thoroughly.
    It is ready!  We hope you enjoy your "TOKYO FLAVORS, NEW YORK STYLE" meal!  Itadakimasu!

Notes

  • Yellow potato varieties, such as Yukon Gold, are recommended for this salad because they create a creamy texture and richer flavor.
  • In New York, fresh Japanese cucumbers are often available seasonally at the Union Square Greenmarket.  If you can’t find Japanese cucumbers, English cucumbers are an acceptable alternative.  Whatever cucumber you use, it’s important to remove the excess moisture before mixing it in with the potatoes.  This helps keep the salad creamy and flavorful and not too watery.
  • For the best flavor, add the seasonings and the other ingredients while the potatoes are still warm. Warm potatoes absorb the seasonings better, and this creates a more delicious potato salad.