Japanese Curry Rice • カレーライス

One of my family’s favorite meals is Japanese-style curry rice with chicken, onions, carrots and potatoes. It’s incredibly comforting on chilly days, but it’s also quite tasty any other day of the week. It’s a dish on regular rotation in my house — even during the summer months — and a no-fail meal when my kids are being particularly picky. My son even takes it to school for lunch in a thermos. We love our curry rice.

What makes Japanese curry different from others?

For starters, Japanese curry has a unique flavor. It’s usually less spicy and a bit sweeter than Indian or Thai curries. It is served with steamed white rice instead of naan or basmati rice and does not include coconut milk as an ingredient. Curry was introduced to Japan by the British so it derives its flavor from curry powder and more closely resembles a stew with a thicker consistency. The Japanese have made it all their own since then, and it is heartwarmingly delicious!

I normally shy away from instant items, but I use a boxed sauce mix to make curry rice. Enough people have complimented and asked for the recipe that I am happy to share it with you today. I prepare it a bit differently than the directions on the box, but the prep work is still quick and easy.

Here are step-by-step instructions to make Japanese-style curry rice at home.

Step 1:  Gather and prepare ingredients.

• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1″ cubes
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 2 medium potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 yellow onion, halved and sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 box of S&B Golden Curry sauce mix
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

The boxed sauce mix comes in varying degrees of spice. When it was just hubby and me, we opted for the “hot” black label, which still isn’t as spicy as some other curries we’ve had. Now I use the above pictured “mild” orange label for the kiddos.

Step 2:  Cook chicken with vegetables.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Next, add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes to render the juices from the chicken, then add carrots and potatoes and cook all together until the chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes more.

Step 3:  Simmer.

Add 3 cups of water to the stockpot and bring to a boil. Cover with lid, reduce heat and allow to simmer until the potatoes and carrots are tender, about 20-25 minutes.

Step 4:  Add curry sauce mix.

Remove the stockpot from heat. Bend and break the curry roux into blocks while the package is still closed. Open the package and drop the roux blocks into the stockpot. Mix until fully melted and combined. Let the curry stand for about 5 minutes before serving over steamed white rice.

Feel free to substitute stewed beef or pork for the meat and add additional vegetables. Leftovers, if you have any, freeze well. I’ve also made this dish ahead of time and used a slow cooker to serve it up hot at parties and get-togethers.

Be sure to check out my chicken katsu (deep-fried chicken cutlet) recipe, which is amazing in curry sauce, too. Enjoy!  — v.

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Japanese Curry Rice • カレーライス

March 6, 2016

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By: v.

Ingredients

• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 2 medium potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 yellow onion, halved and sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 box of S&B Golden Curry sauce mix
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 3 cups of water

Directions

• Step 1 Slice onions and carrots, cut potatoes into bite-size pieces, mince garlic, and cut chicken into 1-inch cubes.
• Step 2 In a stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes to render the chicken’s juices, then add carrots and potatoes. Continue to cook all together until chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes more.
• Step 3 Add water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 20-25 minutes.
• Step 4 Remove from heat. Bend and break curry roux into blocks while the package is closed. Open package and drop blocks into stockpot, mixing until fully melted and combined. Let rest for about 5 minutes before serving over steamed white rice.Enjoy!
• Step 5 Visit www.createdbyv.com/japanese-curry-rice for detailed instructions.