Japanese style potato salad

I haven't posted any Japanese recipes. This recipe today isn't traditional Japanese it's western influenced potato salad. I love this, it has so many bits added giving it interesting texture and colourful. It's a meal on its own. Great for a hungry munchy anytime of the day or night. Lovely as filling for crunchy baguette or serve with BBQ.

Here is how I make this tasty potato salad.




Ingredients: Makes about 5 - 6 cups of salad

500 - 600g potato (I like to use waxy new potatoes, you can use any type you like)
2 medium carrot
1/2 large or 1 whole small red bell pepper
1/2 cucumber
2 large hardboiled eggs
100g ham, whole piece or sliced
1 cup mayonnaise (Japanese mayo if you have some if not use std mayo)
3 tbsp Japanese rice vinegar (if not use any plain colourless rice vinegar or lemon juice)
1/2 tsp salt (more if you preferred)
1 - 2 tsp sugar
good pinch of ground pepper
some milk or water


Method:

• Boil or steam potatoes with skin. When cooled peel and crush. Better lumpy than smoothly mashed.
  
• Dice carrot. Steam (or simmer with few tbsp of water for about 10 minutes till water has evaporated) till carrot softened. Leave aside to cool.
  
• Dice red pepper.
• Dice cucumber. Remove centre soft core
• Chop or dice ham.
  
• Chop eggs
  
• Put crushed potato into large mixing bowl, mix with mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, sugar, ground pepper.
  
• Then add remaining ingredients. Mix. If the salad looks dry add enough milk or water to soften the texture. I normally add up to 1/3 - 1/2 cup milk or water.
  
• Can eat right away or chill. Ok to keep in the fridge for couple of days.