Recipe
Japanese potato salad, the creamy bento side dish
Japanese potato salad, or potesara, is half mashed and half chunky, with crisp cucumber and a tangy mayo dressing. It's one of the easiest ways to fill the corners of a bento box.
What makes it different
Compared with American potato salad, the Japanese version is partly mashed, which makes it creamy and easy to scoop into small spaces. It's seasoned with a little rice vinegar while the potatoes are still warm, and dressed with Japanese mayonnaise, which is richer and tangier because it's made with egg yolks and rice vinegar.
Tips for the best texture
- Start potatoes in cold water. They cook evenly from edge to center.
- Season while hot. Warm potatoes absorb the vinegar and salt; cold ones don't.
- Salt the cucumber. Slicing it thin and salting it for 10 minutes draws out water, so the salad doesn't get runny in the box.
- Add mayo only when cool. Mayonnaise added to hot potatoes turns oily.
Packing it
Scoop it into a silicone cup or lettuce leaf so it doesn't touch the rice. It's a great partner for karaage or katsu. Because it contains mayonnaise and egg, pack it with an ice pack and eat it within about 4 hours, as covered in our food safety guide.
Storage
It keeps 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge, which makes it a perfect component for a weekly bento prep session. Don't freeze it; the potatoes turn grainy.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch chunks
- 1 small carrot, thinly sliced into quarter-moons
- ½ Japanese or Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
- ¼ tsp salt for the cucumber, plus more to taste
- 1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
- 2 slices ham, chopped (optional)
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 3–4 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise (such as Kewpie)
- Black pepper to taste
Steps
- Put the potatoes in a pot of cold salted water, bring to a boil and simmer about 12 minutes. Add the carrot for the last 4 minutes. Cook until the potatoes are just tender.
- Meanwhile, toss the cucumber with ¼ tsp salt and let it sit 10 minutes, then squeeze out the liquid.
- Drain the potatoes and carrot, return to the hot pot for a minute to steam off moisture, then roughly mash the potatoes, leaving some chunks.
- While still warm, stir in the rice vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Let cool to room temperature.
- Fold in the cucumber, egg, ham and mayonnaise. Taste and adjust seasoning. Chill until ready to pack.