Recipe: Japanese Curry

One of my favorite Japanese dishes. Unlike traditional Indian curry, the Japanese variety has a sweeter, almost caramel flavor.

Ingredients

I’ve always used the instant Japanese curry mixes in the past, but this time I wanted to try making it from scratch. I referenced several different online recipes to determine the spices and ratios used for the curry mixes. Many of them I was completely unfamiliar with, so it was fun smelling and tasting the individual spices to see how they impacted the curry mix.

Curry Spice Mix

• 1.5 tbsp turmeric
• 1.5 tbsp coriander seeds
• 3 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp cardamom
• 2 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tbsp whole cloves
• 4 sticks cinnamon
• Cayenne (to taste)

Or, just buy an instant pack of Japanese curry mix. Below are links to the popular brands that I’ve enjoyed. The “Hot” level of spiciness is actually quite mild for spice-lovers, so adding some extra cayenne pepper will help.

• S & B Golden Curry: Mild, Medium, Hot
• House Vermont Curry: Mild, Medium, Hot
• A bit sweeter from the apple and honey

Curry Stew

• Onion, Carrots, Celery, Potatoes, Green bell pepper
• Apple
• Honey
• Curry spice mix
• Butter
• Flour
• Salt
• Cocoa powder

Meat

• Pork lion or boneless chicken thigh
• Panko breading
• Whole egg

Instructions

Step 1: Curry Mix

1. Gather all the spices
2. Toast in a pan until smoky and fragrant
3. Finely blend in a food processor or coffee grinder until soft and powdery
4. Store in air-tight container

Step 2: Curry Stew

1. Finely chop up onions, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and apple
2. Chop up potatoes in larger chunks
3. Heat up oil in pot on Medium heat
4. Add the onions, and cook them until soft and brown
5. Add the carrots, celery, bell pepper, apple, and potatoes. Cook until everything is soft and mushy
• Add salt to help draw out moisture
6. Add the butter and flour
7. Add curry mix, cocoa powder, and honey
8. Add water to cover all ingredients
9. Turn heat to Low and let cook for about 30 minutes
• Stir the bottom of the pot to prevent burning
10. While waiting, start cooking some rice

Step 3: Meat

1. Setup two containers: one with beaten egg and one with panko breadcrumb
2. For all pieces of meat:
1. Dip the meat into the egg on both sides
2. Coat meat with breadcrumbs on both sides
3. Repeat previous steps for a thicker coating
4. Heat up oil in a pan on Medium heat
5. Lay the coated meat into the pan
3. If pan gets too smoky, add some more oil and turn down heat
4. After about 4 minutes, turn over and cook for 3 more minutes
5. On a paper towel-covered plate, place the cooked meat
6. Let the meat rest for about 10 minutes before cutting into strips

Step 4: Serving

1. Scoop half circle of rice on plate
2. Lay strips of meat over the rice
3. Scoop curry stew over the other half of the plate

Notes

In the 1800’s, British colonists introduced Indian spices to Japan, who adapted it to their palate. A popular brand of instant Japanese curry mix is “Vermont Curry” from Japanese manufacturer House Foods. I thought it was strange since I first saw this inside a Japanese restaurant in Vermont. Perhaps they made a mix for each state in America? That didn’t really make sense.

In my online research, I found the history: In the 1950’s, a Vermont doctor wrote a book about the great health benefits of honey and apple. The book got popular in Japan, so House Foods decided to add the combination to their curry mix and market it as a “healthy” brand.

Regardless of the supposed benefits, the apple and honey gives the characteristic sweetness that makes Japanese curry accessible to everyone; even those that don’t necessarily enjoy spicy foods.

A Tangent on Food History

Although the curry spices are of Indian origin, they’ve been adopted and beloved by in the Japanese people. Typical “American” dishes like pizza or hot dog originate from other countries, but they’ve evolved to suit regional palate.

Now it is quite interesting to see the contrast between the “original” and their “derivatives”. Like evolution, they’ve branched off into different species depending on its environment. People are quite opinionated when it comes to the regional varieties. There are arguments between “American vs Italian” pizzas. And then within American pizza , there’s a debate between “New York vs Chicago” pizza. Then within New York, there’s “Place A vs Place B”, and so on.

People take a lot of pride in their culture, especially the food they grow up eating. But for me, I like any food that’s good. That’s usually the main motivation for me to travel anywhere.