Japanese potato salad- simple and authentic recipe

Hey Food Explorers, today I'm preparing one of my most requested side dishes, Japanese potato salad. You'll need four large potatoes, four eggs, a carrot, about half a cucumber, around 100 grams which is about 3.5 ounces of ham, kewpie and salt. Measurements don't need to be exact with this recipe. To start, put the potatoes whole in a big enough pot that they all sit on the bottom. Cover with cool water. Always start your potatoes from cool, not boiling water. Starting in hot water reacts with the starch and creates uneven cooking. Put on a high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add around half a teaspoon of salt. Turn down to medium so they don't boil over and let it go for around half an hour. Boiling the potatoes whole means they take a little bit longer to cook but they also absorb less water and it adds flavor to the end result. They are ready when they are soft in the center when you prick with a skewer or fork. Next, pop the eggs on to boil for around six to eight minutes. You want hard boiled eggs. Peel and chop the carrots into small cubes, around this size. Now they'll need to be slightly cooked but still retain a good bite. I just microwave mine in a mug with a little bit of water for around 90 seconds. You could boil them for a couple of minutes on the stovetop if you prefer. Drain these and allow to cool. With the cucumber, cut out the seeds and chop into cubes around the same size as the carrots. The seeds become watery in the dish so I remove them. Also dice the ham into squares a similar size. Once the potatoes are cooked through, drain them and allow them to cool just enough so you'll be able to handle them. Then you can just use your hands to peel off the skin. Pop them in a larger bowl and use a knife to chop them up. Unlike most potato salad, these potatoes aren't cubed. They're mushed together with the kewpie and you get a bite from the carrots and cucumber. Add some salt but not too much. You can always add more at the end if needed. Next, cut in the eggs. Again you don't need them to be in cubes, just sort of blend them in with the potatoes. Then add the kewpie, around half a cup. I never measure this, I just want a nice creamy consistency. And then add the remaining ingredients. Give it all a good stir, checking if it needs more salt. Then it's time to dish up. I love making this when we have Japanese dinners and over Christmas time I make it without the ham and serve it with my Christmas ham and it's always a hit. I really hope you enjoy.