Homemade Japanese curry
Our version of Japanese curry: simmered meat and vegetables, a homemade roux with Madagascar curry, turmeric and ginger, served over white rice.
- Prep 20 min
- Cooking 40 min
- Total 60 min
- Serves 4 servings
- Difficulty Medium
Japanese curry, or kare raisu, is an everyday dish in Japan: rice coated in a thick curry-based sauce, quite different from the Indian curry it takes its name from. According to the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia, curry arrived in Japan during the Meiji era, brought by British officers, before being adopted by the Japanese navy and then spreading across the whole country. Here is our version, with a homemade roux seasoned with Madagascar curry powder, turmeric and ginger, which our family grows and prepares in Vangaindrano, in south-eastern Madagascar.
The meat and vegetables first simmer in a simple broth, then a roux flavoured with spices binds and seasons the sauce.
Preparation
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Peel the onions and cut them into strips, and cut the potatoes and carrots into large pieces.
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In a pot, heat the oil and brown the meat on all sides. Set it aside.
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In the same pot, fry the onions for 5 minutes over medium heat, until translucent.
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Put the meat back in the pot, add the carrots and potatoes, cover with water or stock and season lightly with salt. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
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Meanwhile, make the roux: in a small saucepan, melt the butter, add the flour and mix for 2 minutes over low heat. Add the curry powder, turmeric and ginger, and mix for a further 1 minute to coat them well in the fat.
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Take a ladleful of hot liquid from the pot and pour it gradually into the roux while whisking, until you get a smooth, fluid paste.
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Pour this spiced roux into the pot, mix well and let it thicken over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop it catching on the bottom.
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Adjust the seasoning and serve the curry spooned over hot white rice.
The little extra that changes everything
Making the roux separately, then loosening it with a little hot stock before pouring it back into the pot, avoids lumps and gives a really smooth sauce. Frying the spices briefly in the butter before adding the liquid also wakes up their aroma, a step covered in frying spices in oil. Our products for this recipe: Madagascar curry powder, Madagascar turmeric, Madagascar ginger
