207 replies to this topic

[SheenaGreena]

curry roux sounds hard to make, because if you look at all the ingredients at the back of most curry boxes they throw a lot of random ingredients into them: like gouda cheese for example. All the ingredients sound like they would be gross but they manage to go together so well.

I like to use s&b curry and throw in the regular ingredients: potatos, onions, carrots, pork, beef, or chicken, and then eat it with really really sour/old radish kimchi. You have to eat curry with extremely old kimchi.

a few weeks ago though I made a vegetarian curry and put in: eggplants (got mushy of course, but still tasted fantastic), onions, garlic, potatos, carrots, celery, and okra.

[torakris]

John,
That sounds great! I think homemade curry powder is the way to go. I have never really thought about making a curry from scratch as for me curry is what I through together on really busy days...
I need to rethink it!


Yesterday at the supermarket they had a display of a new curry product from Nagatanien. Yaki Curry! You place hot rice into a gratin dish and pour on the pack of curry, sprinkle on the topping provided and then pop it into your toaster oven for 5 minutes.
They currently have two flavors:
ground meat and eggplant
chicken and tomato

both are prepared with a 2 cheese mix (cheddar and gorgonzola)??

[v. gautam]

Has anyone here faithfully followed the 'curry recipe' set out in Hiroko Shimbo's book? Would be curious to learn of their opinions.

She uses a combination of sweet-tart fruit to achieve body and flavor, in addition to spices and herbs, harking back to authentic English curry sauce that employs cooking apples [that break down in a particular way] and so to 'true' Japanese curry traditions. The sauce is cooked for about 2 hours! This is the preparation stage, before the shrimp etc. goes in.

Looks and smells absolutely delicious [even in print!] but 2 hours just to prepare the 'liquid roux' in this case? Yet, she is not one to fool around with her recipes! Perhaps the fruit, onions etc. need that long to break down and form a smooth sauce?

Would this recipe be a rare example of a truly authentic Japanese curry recipe from scratch, presented in English?


TIA,

gautam

P.S. made a major error, mistakenly writing Elizabeth Andoh (through force of habit, almost) for Hiroko Shimbo, that now has been corrected.

Edited by v. gautam, 25 October 2006 - 03:02 PM.

[v. gautam]

Here’s an interesting twist discovered by our friend EPISURE ( one of the moderators of the Indian cuisine section):

“The Yunessun Spa Resort in Japan's traditional hot spring town of Hakone has made a "curry bath," making traditional curry broth into a spicy spa treatment.
…..Vegetables floating in the bath are made of plastic. …….. (!!!!)

Spa officials say taking a dip in the curry bath is good for health as ingredients include red pepper and turmeric which both help improve the bathers' metabolism.”

http://www.zeenews.c...ssid=68&sid=LIF

[torakris]

Here’s an interesting twist discovered by our friend EPISURE ( one of the moderators of the Indian cuisine section):

“The Yunessun Spa Resort in Japan's traditional hot spring town of Hakone has made a "curry bath," making traditional curry broth into a spicy spa treatment.
…..Vegetables floating in the bath are made of plastic. …….. (!!!!)

Spa officials say taking a dip in the curry bath is good for health as ingredients include red pepper and turmeric which both help improve the bathers' metabolism.”

http://www.zeenews.c...ssid=68&sid=LIF

Unfortunately the curry bath was a limited time only and ended on 9/30. The current limited edition bath is a milk bath...
Yunessan is great! we had a wonderful trip there earlier this year and plan to go back again in December or January.
Here is a previous thread on the various baths at Yunessan

[ChryZ]

My Japanese Curry.



Pretty standard. S&B roux. I took my time though, browned the beef thoroughly in batches,
then braised it for 90 min in shiitake broth. My best take on the dish yet.

[Hiroyuki]

Pretty standard. S&B roux. I took my time though, browned the beef thoroughly in batches,
then braised it for 90 min in shiitake broth. My best take on the dish yet.

Yeah, it looks standard, with carrots, onions, potatoes, and meat, but those black sesame seeds look innovative. You don't like fukujin zuke, by the way?

[ChryZ]

Yeah, it looks standard, with carrots, onions, potatoes, and meat, but those black sesame seeds look innovative.   You don't like fukujin zuke, by the way?

Ehehe, I always try to "sneak" my beloved sesame into my dishes.

To be honest, I've never heard of fukujin zuke before. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, yet another item for the shopping list.

[SheenaGreena]

if you are sitting in a curry bath containing turmeric, do you come out bright yellow? When I cook with turmeric it stains my hands for days

[jackal10]

A student has given me some "kinkei curry" powder, made by Meiji http://www.meiji.co.jp/en/


Apparently sent to him by his mother: "She thinks I cook".

Instructions are
300g meat
400g onion
200g carrot
300g potato
2 spoons oil

Fry off in the oil.
Add 180g curry powder (one packet), 1 L water, simmer 20 mins.

Kinky curry sounds..err..interesting
Just tried it. Seems to have a lot of brown sugar in it and thickener, probably starch based, salt, chili, but the main taste, to me, is that of instant coffee.

IS this representative of Japanese curry? Can anyone tell me more about this one?

[Hiroyuki]

IS this representative of Japanese curry? Can anyone tell me more about this one?

No, it isn't. The representative Japanese curry is curry roux in solid form.
Kinkei curry! What a nostalgic word for those Japanese like me who were born in the 30s of Showa! I didn't know it still existed.

[Hiroyuki]

Oriental curry (in powder form) is another curry roux product that makes me nostalgic.

[helenjp]

Hiroyuki is right, most Japanese people use a solid roux to thicken and flavor curry. It's primitive stuff - brown onions and meat, add carrots and potatoes, simmer, thicken with roux, dollop onto rice. Done!

The type you have is probably designed to taste "nostalgic", so yes, it will be very sweet. If you recall the "curries" of Edwardian cookbooks, I think you'll know what kind of territory you are in!

Japanese curry is not gourmet food - it's always been a comfortable and cheap dish. While it was once a family treat because it contained chunks of meat, the emphasis was always on "family" treat, with plenty of onion and not too much meat.

[Hiroyuki]

Hiroyuki is right, most Japanese people use a solid roux to thicken and flavor curry. It's primitive stuff - brown onions and meat, add carrots and potatoes, simmer, thicken with roux, dollop onto rice. Done!

The type you have is probably designed to taste "nostalgic", so yes, it will be very sweet. If you recall the "curries" of Edwardian cookbooks, I think you'll know what kind of territory you are in!

Japanese curry is not gourmet food - it's always been a comfortable and cheap dish. While it was once a family treat  because it contained chunks of meat, the emphasis was always on "family" treat, with plenty of onion and not too much meat.

Japanese curry is a "what-shall-I-do?-I-just-can't-think-of-anything-to-make-for-supper" dish. For my family, this occurs at least once a month.

[jackal10]

Thanks! What does "Kinkei" actually mean?
Is it flavoured with coffee or what spices are used?

Thanks

[Hiroyuki]

Thanks! What does "Kinkei" actually mean?
Is it flavoured with coffee or what spices are used?

Thanks

Of course, it's not kinky. It's 金鶏, meaning golden fowl!
You know Wako in Ginza? It's not wacko. It's 和光, wa = sum, harmony, ko = light!

[Norio]

Anyone interested in the Yokohama Curry Museum should check it out soon. It will be shutting down on 31 March 2007. Luckily, I was able to visit the museum on my trip to Japan last month. I tried as many kinds of curries as I could, since I knew I wouldn't get another chance.

Here's a Kurobuta Katsu Curry (with a Pepsi!) from one of the restaurants in the museum, Semba Karii. The curry gets its black color from squid ink. I didn't notice much squid flavor though.


Next we have the Beef Curry from the Yokohama French Curry shop. It was rich and tasty, but not very spicy.


Curry Pan from King Delhi. I've never been a fan of Curry Pan, but I've never had one fresh-from-the-fryer until this one. It was outstanding.


Okinawa Kakuni Curry from Ryukyu Karii. This had a nice sweetness to it, with a hint of some kind of liquor.


Anyone interested in going should take at least one other curry lover to share dishes, and try as many different curries as possible. I would have tried more dishes, but I was eating alone. I think all the restaurants offer a "tameshi" (sample) size, smaller and a little cheaper than the usual serving size.

[Pan]

Why's the museum closing?

[Norio]

Why's the museum closing?

Apparently, because it has "achieved its goal of spreading the culture of curry and vitalizing the local economy."

[torakris]

Norio,
Thanks for the report! I am really sad to hear it will be closing, I had no idea.
I guess I have to actually get there now.

They served Pepsi!?! I should protest their closing on that fact alone. It is next to possible to find Pepsi in food establishments here and I don't understand how anyone can touch Coke.... but that is a whole different thread.

[dabestspooner]

I like the pak mori the best out of all the places at the curry museum. It's sad to see it go.

[Hiroyuki]

Last Mondy, the famous TV show, Gacchiri Monday!!, featured CoCo Ichibanya, often abbreviated CoCo Ichi, and I learned that their curry is simmered for ten hours and is then frozen for about one week before being delivered to their restaurants. The founders, which are a married couple, say that freezing makes the curry taste better.
I will try that freezing technique the next time I make curry and report back.

[ele_swkc]

Last Mondy, the famous TV show, Gacchiri Monday!!, featured CoCo Ichibanya, often abbreviated CoCo Ichi, and I learned that their curry is simmered for ten hours and is then frozen for about one week before being delivered to their restaurants.  The founders, which are a married couple, say that freezing makes the curry taste better.
I will try that freezing technique the next time I make curry and report back.

I am a huge fan of CoCo Ichi, but haven't had any since I left Japan in 2001. I've been trying to season S&B roux curry just right to emulate what I remember CoCo's tasting like, but have never been able to get it just right. I have noticed that if I make a big batch of S&B curry and refrigerate the leftovers for another day, the flavor is a lot more pronounced. I'm going to try this freezing technique as well!

[torakris]

I have to admit to have never eating Coco Ichi curry...
Just one word of note to those who are about to toss their curry into the freezer, do it before you add potatoes and carrots. I have learned from experience that these do not freeze well in curry, the carrots fare a little better than the potatoes though..

[Hiroyuki]

I have to admit to have never eating Coco Ichi curry...
Just one word of note to those who are about to toss their curry into the freezer, do it before you add potatoes and carrots. I have learned from experience that these do not freeze well in curry, the carrots fare a little better than the potatoes though..

Me, either. Coco Ichi wasn't very popular when I lived in Tokyo, if I remember correctly. ("Curry no Osama" was very popular when I was a university student.)

I made curry last Tuesday, and I deliberately didn't include potatoes in it for the reason you stated. We ate one half on that day, and I put the other half in the freezer. We will have it next Tuesday and see how it will taste.

[Hiroyuki]

Last Mondy, the famous TV show, Gacchiri Monday!!, featured CoCo Ichibanya, often abbreviated CoCo Ichi, and I learned that their curry is simmered for ten hours and is then frozen for about one week before being delivered to their restaurants.  The founders, which are a married couple, say that freezing makes the curry taste better.
I will try that freezing technique the next time I make curry and report back.

OK, we had the leftover curry for supper last night. When thawed at room temp, the curry separated into a pulpy portion and a liquid portion, and I had to mix them together. My children said it was tasty, but not me. I don't think I will try this freezing technique again.

What I find interesting is the difference in texture. The curry felt much lighter than it was one week ago, and it wasn't as greasy as it was. I thought, "Where has all the lard gone?"

[BarbaraY]

I made Japanese curry for our dinner on Friday using S&B curry mixe. I added onion, carrot, red bell pepper, sugar snap peas, and leftover roast pork. It was delicious and we ate every bite.
After seeing Chryz's with the black sesame, I decided to try it, too.

Edited by BarbaraY, 18 March 2007 - 04:31 PM.

[prasantrin]

I was starving after going to the gym on Wednesday, so I dropped by CocoIchiban. I had the beef and vegetable curry, with a side onsen tamago.



It was much tastier and more filling than the curry served at most family-style chain restaurants in Japan. I could actually see chunks of beef in my curry. The curry itself was Y780 (beef curry is Y580, vegetables an additional Y200), and the onsen tamago (served in a separate bowl, but I dumped mine on top of the curry) was an additional Y70. I'd go back, but I'm not sure it was all that different from my favourite S&B curry roux.

[Hiroyuki]

but I'm not sure it was all that different from my favourite S&B curry roux.

Good point! That's the whole point of Coco ichi.

今から30数年前、お二人は勤務先の不動産屋会社で知り合い、昭和47年に結婚。その2年後、二人は会社を辞めて、名古屋で喫茶店を開きます。その店で出し始めたのが、奥様お手製のカレーライス。市販のルーで作ったごく平凡なカレーライス。しかし、家庭の味がウケたのか、カレーライスを目当てに来るお客さんが急増！
ちょうどその頃、名古屋で流行っていた喫茶店の出前サービス。この車をフル稼働して出前しなければならないほどの人気ぶり。

from here.
The founders started their business with ordinary curry rice made with store-bought roux, and that's why their coffee house became so popular.

[_john]

I have a question about fukujinzuke. What are those strange shaped vegetables that are in fukujinzuke? They look like they could be some kind of sea vegetables but I didn't see them listed on the ingredients.