Japanese style curry

Do you like Japanese style curry?  I noticed a lot of people like Japanese style or CoCo curry and want to know how to cook it at home. So here is a Japanese curry recipe. You can make a standard version but if you want more variety, or are looking for something new, try the tomato version. It will take you to the next level of Japanese style curry. 

Although it has its origins in India, Japanese have created a curry dish distinctively of their own.


Ingredients

How much curry you can make depends on which brand of curry roux blocks you buy. Usually, on the front of the box you will see something like ‘8 皿分’, meaning eight blocks.

The white package on the bottom left is a box of curry roux blocks for kids. It is not spicy and my kids love it! The recipe is the same as the adults’ recipe. Just replace the roux with kids’ ones.

• 1 box of curry roux blocks

• 300 to 400g meat*

• 2 to 3 onions

• 2 to 3 potatoes

• 1 carrot

• 2 tablespoons vegetables oil or butter

• 900 to 1400 ml water**

Tomato version:

• 1 canned tomato – to replace the equivalent amount of water in the regular version.

*Pork, chicken or beef which ever you prefer. To make life easier, if you want to, you can find カレーシチュー用 (for curry and stew) written on some labels of meat at a Japanese supermarket, meaning the meat is already cut into convenient cubes.

**How much water you need to use is different by brand. But what you need to look for is the Japanese letter 水, meaning ‘water’.

Directions

Cook on medium heat until all veggies are soft before mixing in the curry roux blocks. Adding cooking time brings out more of the flavor.

1. Heat the vegetable oil over a medium-high heat in a saucepan and cook the meat and vegetables.

2. Add water into the saucepan – if you are cooking the tomato version, subtract the equivalent amount of water you will be using in canned tomatoes. (i.e. if your tomatoes are 400g and you are supposed to add 1200ml of water, then add only 800ml of water at this stage)

3. Once it’s boiled, ladle out the harshness on the soup’s surface. Then cook for about 20 minutes at a medium-high heat until all the vegetables become soft.

4. Turn off the cooker. Then add all the curry roux blocks and mix well with the ladle.

5. Turn on the cooker again and add the canned tomatoes. Cook the curry sauce for another 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce gets thick.

Tips:

– At direction 3, cook for longer than 20 minutes if you have time. Cooking the vegetables and meat longer at this stage brings out more of their flavor.

– If you have spices at home, such as garam masala or nutmeg, add them to the curry sauce. It will add a more sophisticated flavor.

– You will notice there are two separate packages of roux blocks inside the curry box. You do need to use both, but why not cook everything and freeze some of your cooked curry as back up for a weekday emergency lunch or dinner.

If you want to learn more about cooking Japanese food, don’t forget to check out my regular cooking classes! Website: andys-workshop.com/cookery.html Facebook: facebook.com/cooking.with.nao Tel: 098-955-5311 Address: 862-1 Namihira, Yomitan village, Okinawa 904-0322 Class times: Let’s Roll! – Sushi and Home Cooking: both classes take 2.5 hours Class starts: 10:00 and 13:30. Closed on Sundays, Bookings and inquiries: 10:00 to 20:00

00:35 30 Mar , 2024