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Japanese Curry by Junko Gemmill
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Japanese Curry

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 cups Japanese white rice

For the vegetables:

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 large onions e.g. vidalia or sweet onions, cut into 1/2-inch slices
  • 2 large carrots chopped into 1/4-inch thick rounds
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 7 ounces shiitake mushrooms stems removed and caps cut into 1/2-inch slices
  • 4 ounces trumpet royale mushrooms quartered the long-way
  • 3.5 ounces beech mushrooms (or bunashimeji or bunapi champignons), bottom roots removed
  • 1 tablespoon "S&B" curry powder

For the chicken

  • 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts about 6 pieces, organic preferred
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons "S&B" curry powder

For the curry stew

  • 1200 ml water filtered water preferred
  • 1 box Japanese curry roux
  • 15 ounces whole kernel sweet corn or 3 fresh corn

Instructions

Start the steamed rice

  • Rinse the rice with water in the bowl of the rice cooker and drain. Repeat several times.
  • Add the appropriate amount of water to the bowl of rinsed rice. Put the bowl in the rice cooker, set to regular white rice setting and start the rice cooker.

Cook the vegetables

  • Heat a dutch oven or large pot with a lid over medium-low heat. Add the vegetable oil.
  • Once the oil is hot, add the sliced onions and sauté them stirring occasionally until they soften slightly, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the chopped carrots and sauté them stirring occasionally until the carrots soften slightly, about 3 minutes.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of the minced garlic and sauté for another minute.
  • Add the shiitake mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the royal trumpet mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beech mushrooms, separating them out into small chunks. Turn down the heat to low and continue sautéeing until all the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
  • Turn off the heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the curry powder and stir to coat all of the vegetables. Set the whole pot aside.

Cook the chicken

  • Rinse the chicken with cold water and pat them dry with paper towels. Dice the chicken into bite size pieces.
  • Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil.
  • Add the chicken pieces and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic. Cook just until the chicken pieces turn white on the outside, i.e. no longer pink. Don't overcook as they will dry out.
  • Turn off the heat and add 2 tablespoons of curry powder to the chicken. Stir to coat all of the chicken pieces evenly.

Make the curry stew

  • Transfer the curried chicken to the pot of curried vegetables and mix.
  • Add 1200 ml of water to the pot of vegetables and chicken, cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. This will take about 20 minutes.
  • Use a strainer to scoop out the scum that floats up to the surface. Try not to discard too much liquid.
  • Turn off the heat and stir in the Japanese curry roux, piece by piece ensuring that they dissolve completely.
  • Add the corn to the pot.
  • Turn the heat back on to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, covered. Stir frequently to ensure that the bottom doesn't burn.
  • Serve warm, on top of steamed white Japanese rice.

To keep

  • To keep leftover curry, transfer to an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.