The recipe for Japanese Curry Rice comes from Marc Matsumoto of norecipes.com. He says: “ I make almost everything I post without a recipe. I think cooking is most fun and innovative when you just wing it. I do recognize that not everyone is as adventurous as me, so I post the ingredients and method to give you a starting point.”
So in that spirit, substitute okra for the carrots, thinly sliced green beans for the peas, use applesauce instead of the fresh apple, or make any other substitutions that appeal to you.. You could skip the protein and still have a lovely meal.
Ingredients:
For the curry 2 teaspoon oil 2 large onions sliced thin 2 pounds chicken thighs cleaned and cut into chunks (you could also use beef, shrimp, or tofu) 2 carrots cut into chunks 4 cups water 2 large Yukon gold potatoes cut into large chunks 1 small apple peeled cored and pureed 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon garam masala 1/2 cup peas For the roux 3 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup flour 2 tablespoons garam masala (or curry powder) 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add less if you want it mild or more if you want it spicy) Fresh ground black pepper 1 tablespoons ketchup (or tomato paste) 1 tablespoons tonkatsu sauce (or Worcestershire sauce)
Preparation:
Serves 4
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium low heat and add the onions. Sauté the onions until they are golden brown and caramelized (about 30 minutes). Turn up the heat to high, add the chicken or other protein, and brown.
Add the carrots and the water, then bring to a boil. Skim off any foam or oil that accumulates at the surface then lower heat to medium and add the potatoes, puréed apple, salt and garam masala. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until you can pass a fork through the carrots and potatoes and the meat is tender.
While the meat and veggies are cooking, make the roux. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium low heat. Add the flour and garam masala, stirring until you have a thick paste. Add the cayenne pepper and some fresh ground black pepper and incorporate into the roux. Add the ketchup and tonkatsu sauce and combine. Continue to cook until the paste starts crumbling. Remove from heat and set aside until the meat and veggies are ready.
To make the curry, just ladle about 2 cups of liquid from the meat and vegetables into the roux then whisk until smooth. Pour this mixture back into the other pot and gently stir until thickened. Add the peas and heat through. Serve over rice.