Ninjaga (Vegan Nikujaga)

Ninjas are definitely getting fewer nowadays. But just a few hundred years ago in Japan during the Edo period, there were still so many of them.

One day, the shogun, -the military leader of Japan, invited a ninja to his castle. I mean, who wouldn’t? Shoguns are just like us; we all want to meet ninjas! So when this ninja agreed on the shogun’s request, he was so delighted; so very delighted that he invited all his associates and many high-ranking samurais to his castle. When the ninja arrived at the shogun’s castle, so many people were there already, eager to meet one of Japan’s most mystic creatures.

Feeling everyone’s anticipation, he entered a room, bowed softly, and said hello. He stood there for a while, and quietly looked around people, looking directly back at him from head to toe.

“Why don’t you show me what you can do”. The shogun broke the silence. “Finally!”, they all silently screamed. Is he going to walk on water, or disappear in front of them, or anything supernatural…..? Their mind started to race.

The ninja said, “Okay, I will show you my technique.” He walked closer to the audience.

Then he untied his black belt and spread it on the tatami mats. He began walking slowly on the end of his belt, until he reached the other end. After successfully walking on his own belt, he bowed his head to the shogun.

The shogun and all the samurai were puzzled. The shogun was even angry. “What did you do!? You just walked on a belt. Even I can do that!”

Then the ninja said, “Yes, anyone might be able to do this. However, if it is 100 feet or even 1,000 feet higher, how many of you can do it? I can do it anywhere, anytime, under any circumstances.”

The shogun was taken aback. He looked at the ninja with gasp, but it wasn’t a reproachful stare; -it was admiration. The shogun soon understood; -the key to be a ninja lied not in the skills; it was in himself, who he was, and how he endured the years of practice, lifelong of resilience, and endless effort in self-discipline. Ninjas are someone with the strongest mind and soul; -someone with unfathomable patience.

You see, the kanji character of 忍(nin or shinobu) means “patience”, and 者(ja, or mono) means person. -Ninja means “patient person”. Perhaps it’s one of their mind tricks that they did on you, because many of you still think ninjas are just shady and sneaky.

忍(nin) character, incidentally, is an interesting one; it’s made of two parts; the top is 刃(yaiba), which means ”sword”. The bottom is 心 (kokoro), which means “heart.” Nin is a state of patience when a sword is pointing towards your heart, yet never succumb to dismay, and remain calm while you are only moments away from death.

When I made this Ninja Nikujaga that I call “Ninjaga”, I was only moments away from what it felt like death. I was going through the ugliest breakup. I don’t think I was depressed, but I saw darkness, with an imminent disaster. Perhaps making this recipe was my way of “walking on a belt”, even though it felt like I was walking 1000 feet higher than my own capacity. I wanted to prove myself that I could do those things, not as a victim, but as a person with complexity and patience, you know, like a ninja.

But deep inside, I was just a girl with her broken heart; -so deeply broken that I just wanted to push away my sadness to something else, something so resembling my tenacity and uncertainty, and I ended up making this peculiar recipe, that I named it “Ninjaga”.

This is a “nikujaga“, Japan’s most famous comfort food, but vegan version. I name it “Ninjaga”, not only because ninja’s diet was mostly vegan back then, but also I was going through some personal “ninja” moments. Also the name nikujaga already sounds like ninjaga, and that’s just life’s little idiosyncrasies.

 

How to make Ninja Potatoes:

1. Boil the whole potatoes for 15 minutes until cooked.
2. Cut the seaweed into thin strings.
3. Wet the seaweed strings with water.
4. Wrap the strings around the boiled potatoes.
5. Poke two dents with chopsticks around the eye area.
6. Stuff the dents with cooked potatoes.
7. Cut the seaweed into two tiny dots.
8. Place the dot seaweed on the eyes.
9. DONE.
   
   

Potato Ninja done, then next; making vegan nikujaga.

It’s simple. You just cut the veggies, put them in a pot with a bunch of seasonings and water, simmer 30 minutes, and done. It’s really simple.

How to make Vegan Nikujaga:

1. Cut the veggies.
2. Cook onions till they turn transparent. (use half a cup water instead of oil.)
3. Add the rest of the veggies.
4. Add water till the veggies “look like they are having a bath”. (That’s from my mum. Meaning, the tip of the veggies should pop out from the water. Like, you know, a bath.)
5. Add the seasonings.
6. Put a lid and simmer for 20~30 min with mid-low heat.
7. Don’t burn it. Mix it sometimes.
8. Done.
   

Then grab your Ninja Potato, put on top of your vegan nikujaga, and you are done.

No meat. No dashi. No oil. No problem.

You see, “niku” means meat, and “jaga” means potatoes. So if someone calls you an oxymoron and asks you how a vegan can eat “nikujaga”, make sure you tell them the difference between nikujaga and ninjaga; -it has nothing to do with our diet or choice in food; it is the way of our living, who we are, and how we choose patience rather than penchants. Ninjas are definitely getting fewer nowadays, but if you take a closer look, if you look into the untold reality, I believe there are still so many of us left.

 

Thanks for reading.

-Yuki