The central dish of a meal, typically the main item such as meat or fish; usually does not include rice or soup. Roughly equivalent to 'main dish' or 'main course'.
今日の主菜は焼き魚と煮物のどちらにしますか。
For today's main dish, would you prefer grilled fish or simmered dishes?
定食は主菜にご飯と味噌汁が付いていることが多い。
Set meals often come with rice and miso soup along with the main dish.
パーティーのメニューは主菜を二種類用意する予定だ。
For the party menu, we plan to prepare two kinds of main dishes.