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.