Simmered beef and tofu is one of the classic Japanese nimono (simmered) dishes. You might think of it as a version of meat and potatoes without the potatoes, like the popular dish Nikujaga, but it's more like this dish is similar to the Kanto-style sukiyaki. The seasoning is based on soy sauce, sugar, sake, and mirin, and it tastes milder in flavor than sukiyaki. I think the star of the dish isn’t the meat, but the tofu. 
The choice of meat can vary between beef or pork — there's no set rule. In our family, we’ve always used beef for simmered beef and tofu and pork for nikujaga.

From the Yakuzen perspective, beef nourishes the blood and Qi, and supports the functions of your spleen and stomach. Tofu helps hydrate dryness and is easy to digest, making it a great option when your digestive system is a bit off. Onions are known to promote the flow of Qi, harmonize your stomach, and aid digestion. Green beans also increase Qi and enhance your spleen’s functions.

It’s definitely worth trying when you’re feeling a bit run down and your stomach needs a little support.

Ingredients (2 Servings)

1 pac Momen (Firm) Tofu (cut into 8 pieces)
300 g Thinly sliced Beef * You can substitute with sliced pork.
1/2 Onion (cut into wedges) * You can substitute with Naganegi (Japanese spring onion)
30 g Green beans (Boil for 1 minute, then cut into 5-6cm width)
1 tbsp Cooking oil
150 ml Water
3 tbsp Soy sauce
30 ml Sake
1 tbsp Mirin
2 tbsp Sugar (cane sugar recommended)
1 tsp Japanese dashi stock powder
Shichimi chili pepper (optional)

Method

Step 1 - Heat the cooking oil in a pot or deep frying pan. 
Step 2 - Add the beef and cook on medium heat until half-cooked. Then add the onions and tofu.
Step 3 - Add the water, soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar and Japanese dashi stock powder, and bring to a boil. 
Step 4 - Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on. Turn the stove off. Add the green beans.
*Let it cool down if you have time. This makes the beef, onion and tofu soak up the flavour and taste better.