Japanese curry

[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 October 25, 2006 by v. gautam (log)

[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.com/znnew/articles.asp?...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.com/znnew/articles.asp?...ssid=68&sid=LIF

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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.

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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?

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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?

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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.

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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

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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?

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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.

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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..

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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.