Japanese Curry (カレー)

It's another cold and gloomy day here in San Francisco. With more anticipated rain, I figured it'd be pretty nice to have a stock pile of food just so I don't have to travel and grocery shop when it starts pouring. One of my favorites to make and stockpile is curry! Specifically, I love the flavor of the Japanese curry... you know... the one that comes in a brick roux. I know, I know... processed... but on the real

I'm a starving student! As much as I would love to spend time making a from-scratch curry roux, I simply don't have that kind of time to take that extra step! So don't feel guilty at all for using the packaged stuff. It's kind of like a guilty pleasure :).

Japanese curry is honestly such a simple, but hearty dish. I love keeping my ingredients simple: a few vegetables, a few potatoes, and a protein. Some people like to go crazy and like to add things like raisins... be my guest, but to me, simplicity is key and it really brings out the flavors of the few ingredients you decide to chuck in.

Hit the "read more" for the ingredients and instructions!




Ingredients:

1 garlic clove
1 yellow onion
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 carrots (medium size)
3 gold potatoes (medium)
4 chicken thighs
5 cups of water
(all unintentional... it really just came out that way. )
salt+pepper

and last...

curry roux :). You can use any brand, but the one I am using today is the Golden Curry brand. Specifically, I'm using the medium spice.

Simple right? Feel free to add whatever you like and use whatever protein you like!

Directions


Prep work:






I like to keep everything in big chunks since it will be cooking for quite some time. If you cut the vegetables too small, they will melt down. For this, I only want the onions to melt down so the sauce will be sweetened by the onions.

 The chicken can be cut in either slices, slivers, or chunks. Again, it's all up to you! At this point, you can season the chicken with a bit of salt and pepper.

You want to treat the curry as a stew. I like using a sauce pot, but any pot will suffice.

1. heat the oil in the pot over medium-high heat.
2. as the oil heats up in the pot, put the minced garlic
3. brown the garlic for a few minutes, then add in the chicken.

4. after browning the chicken for ~5-7 minutes, add in all the vegetables and potatoes. Keep stirring so it doesn't burn on the bottom. After about another 4 minutes of stir-frying, add in another pinch of two of salt to sweat out the carrots and onions. 

5. Add the water into the mixture and bring it to boil on high.  

6. When it starts to boil, you will notice impurities will start to foam up. It's optional to remove it, but it gives the sauce a more pure taste. 

7. When it boils, reduce the heat to a slow medium and put the lid on. Set a timer for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally so it doesn't burn on the bottom. 

Note: If you want a deeper taste in your curry, you can simmer it longer (about 1 hr 15 minutes). No more than 1hr 30 mins. The vegetables would really melt all the way down. 

8. After your timer has rung, add the roux evenly.

 9. Keep stirring until the roux has completely melted. At this point, you'll see that the onions have already melted all the way through, the potatoes aren't as sharp, and the carrots are soft.

10. NOW SCOOP THAT BITCH WITH RICE AND GIT SICK WIT IT.