Japanese curry

[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.

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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 March 18, 2007 by BarbaraY (log)

[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.

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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.

[Hiroyuki]

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.

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You mean natamame?

It looks like this.

No sea vegetables in fukujinzuke.

[melonpan]

in the curry houses here in los angeles, a lot of curry gets served with typically 1-3 kinds of pickles.

1) typically red, very crunchy, not too salty, maybe slightly sweet pickle. dont know what this is made of. if im guessing right, then this is fukujinzuke.

2) typically white. sweet. vinegary, kind of like the red stuff. crunchy. maybe this is rakkyozuke?

3) made from raisins! sweet and soft.

the raisin pickle puzzles me. anyone have the proper name for this? any links to recipes for any of the three pickles? (in eng or japanese.)

thank you so much!

[Hiroyuki]

in the curry houses here in los angeles, a lot of curry gets served with typically 1-3 kinds of pickles.

1) typically red, very crunchy, not too salty, maybe slightly sweet pickle.  dont know what this is made of.  if im guessing right, then this is fukujinzuke.

2) typically white.  sweet.  vinegary, kind of like the red stuff.  crunchy.  maybe this is rakkyozuke?

3) made from raisins!  sweet and soft.

the raisin pickle puzzles me.  anyone have the proper name for this?  any links to recipes for any of the three pickles?  (in eng or japanese.)

thank you so much!

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As for 1) and 2), I think you are right. You can find photos of them here.

Top left: Fukujin zuke

Top right: Rakkyo

I think Helen has already posted a recipe for fukujin zuke somewhere in the Japan forum. As for a rakkyo recipe, why not PM her to get her recipe?

Finally, I'm not sure what you mean by raison pickle.

[sanrensho]

Has anyone else been making the Gatten-ryu Curry yet (from the Tameshite Gatten show)?

http://www.nhk.or.jp/gatten/archive/2007q1/20070131.html

I have to say, it makes for a wonderful Japanese curry, and is well worth the extra effort. In general, that was a very interesting show, including the tasting/judging part where they found that attempts to "doctor" commercial roux with the addition of too many umami components actually produced a less tasty result.

Edited August 18, 2007 by sanrensho (log)

[Hiroyuki]

Has anyone else been making the Gatten-ryu Curry yet (from the Tameshite Gatten show)?

http://www.nhk.or.jp/gatten/archive/2007q1/20070131.html

I have to say, it makes for a wonderful Japanese curry, and is well worth the extra effort. In general, that was a very interesting show, including the tasting/judging part where they found that attempts to "doctor" commercial roux with the addition of too many umami components actually produced a less tasty result.

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I watched the show, but I didn't bring myself to trying the recipe.

[sanrensho]

I watched the show, but I didn't bring myself to trying the recipe.

OK, I have to come clean. My wife made it, not me. But I thought it was delicious and worth the extra effort (on the part of my wife).

Edited August 18, 2007 by sanrensho (log)

[melonpan]

after more than a year searching i still have not discovered the name for the secret raisin pickle. i guess it was a curry house (house, the same brand that makes curry) specialty. but i havent seen the raisins in more than a year now. maybe its been two years. i loved that stuff!! a shame. i should have gotten a recipe or a name at least.

anyways curry is in the news in the nyt today:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/magazine...html?ref=dining

i have not yet made curry from scratch. i have got a few curry mooks for ideas though but its just too easy to melt those blocks.

i LOVE katsu curry rice but i also do not deep fry. so many "do not"s. i always hold myself back from my potential!

i have made a dramatic 180 degree change. i used to hate curry rice. now i make it once a month and adore it.

[melonpan]

hmm

i just looked at a page that hiroyuki posted a year ago and noticed the raisins ( http://www.sbcurry.com/recipe/spices.html )

it says

>>レーズンの甘酢っぱさが、カレーとよくあう。<<

oh. it seems that at least on this page it is simply raisins soaked in amazu...

what is this? is it simply sugar and vinegar? proportions anyone?

edited to add the link that hiroyuki posted...

Edited October 27, 2008 by melonpan (log)

[Hiroyuki]

hmm

i just looked at a page that hiroyuki posted a year ago and noticed the raisins ( http://www.sbcurry.com/recipe/spices.html )

it says

>>レーズンの甘酢っぱさが、カレーとよくあう。<<

oh.  it seems that at least on this page it is simply raisins soaked in amazu...

what is this?  is it simply sugar and vinegar?  proportions anyone?

edited to add the link that hiroyuki posted...

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Sorry, 甘酢っぱさ simply means sweetness and sourness, not amazu (sweet vinegar).

So, >>レーズンの甘酢っぱさが、カレーとよくあう。<<

is simply

The sweetness and sourness of raisins go well with curry.

I will do some googling on raisin pickle when I have more time.

[melonpan]

The sweetness and sourness of raisins go well with curry.

I will do some googling on raisin pickle when I have more time.

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thank you. but if you do not find it, dont worry. i think it must be just a weird thing that i chanced upon. doesnt seem to be standard

[torakris]

anyways curry is in the news in the nyt today:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/magazine...html?ref=dining

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Very interesting article, I had a problem with this this part though:

It is remarkably easy to make. It is harder to explain.

I am curious as to what the author is normally cooking if katsu curry (especially the way it is described in the article) is remarkably easy to make!

I would consider it easy if you have leftover curry and a store bought katsu but making it from scratch with ingredients like onions and garlic, mangoes, apples, carrots and chicken stock, ground pork, and curry powder, simmering for 5 hours and deep frying double dipped cutlets???

[Hiroyuki]

I did some googling, but I only found some mentions of "raisins steeped in red wine" and "raisins" steeped in rum".

That photo in the linked article... It looks so stupid to me, if I may say so.

Katsu curry images

[v. gautam]

A complete katsu curry ignoramus, nonetheless I found these styles of serving the most appealing, in descending order:

futennochun.cocolog-nifty.com/.../25/frit002.jpg

f.hatena.ne.jp の他の情報

blog-imgs-16.fc2.com

In all, the cutlet is separated from the gravy either totally or in part, allowing one to douse each mouthful with as much or as little of the spicy fraction, and also control the crispness of the cutlet. So you get three-way control, and also can stop to savor just the rice and cutlet plain, or the rice plain, according to your fancy. Every mouthful carrying curry liquid would tire out my tastebuds, both the heaviness and the 'spice load' of the gravy contributing to this.

What are your favorite ways of having the katsu curry presented to you?

[torakris]

A complete katsu curry ignoramus, nonetheless I found these styles of serving the most appealing, in descending order:

futennochun.cocolog-nifty.com/.../25/frit002.jpg

f.hatena.ne.jp の他の情報

blog-imgs-16.fc2.com

In all, the cutlet is separated from the gravy either totally or in part, allowing one to douse each mouthful with as much or as little of the spicy fraction, and also control the crispness of the cutlet. So you get three-way control, and also can stop to savor just the rice and cutlet plain, or the rice plain, according to your fancy. Every mouthful carrying curry liquid would tire out my tastebuds, both the heaviness and the 'spice load' of the gravy contributing to this.

What are your favorite ways of having the katsu curry presented to you?

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I agree with you completely! If given the choice I would prefer them on separate sides of the dish otherwise a bit of curry covering only a part would be ok. I don't like when the the katsu is drowning in the curry.

My preference is also for a curry containing no or very little meat. I don't care t\for the recipe as written in the article, I often use ground meat in curry but find it odd in combination with katsu. I can't recall ever seeing that kind of curry being used in katsu curry.

[Hiroyuki]

First of all, I'd like to say that I am not a big fan of katsu curry. I don't think I can digest that amount of fat (oil in the katsu and lard in the curry) without feeling ill.

I must admit, however, that I used to indulge in it for lunch in my early 30s after I skied in the morning.

What are your favorite ways of having the katsu curry presented to you?

I've never thought of such a question, but I think I like this style: katsu partially covered with curry.

[v. gautam]

Kris,

I don't know how practical this is for a busy mom or economical re: availability of material in your locality, ut from what i gather from these threads, boned chicken or pork seems to be the preferred cut for most families. Which leads me to ask: are there markets where good sales of chicken backs, necks, thigh bones, drumsticks, pork neck bones, shoulder etc. may be found? Real cheap I mean, as in 20 cents/lb? I.E. Worth the trouble! These have a double purpose, making tare for grilled meats, and base for curry.

If you cook some onions and then gently cook these parts with that plus some Madras curry powder [and I can send you several recipes you can make from scratch, if you choose, with or without celery seed giving the Western or Japanese effect] you would have a big batch of base. plus, if people are not too finicky, and love to chew bones, they can make many good meals out of "them bones" as well. Lotsa meat there. Chopsticks must prevent economical gleaning of fowl carcasses!! All those heavy pork shoulder bones have rich brown and white marrow that infinitely enrich a base. If you have a pressure cooker, no sweat at all.

That sort of base will be rich and gelatinous and can be frozen in small portions for several months. Later addition of curry roux will refresh it, and make for quick dinners. Even with omelets may be cooked in it, or fish cake tempura, plus the usual, or a combination. One can choose to live dangerously and shock Japan!

gautam

[prasantrin]

Kris,

I don't know how practical this is for a busy mom or economical re: availability of material in your locality, ut from what i gather from these threads, boned chicken or pork seems to be the preferred cut for most families. Which leads me to ask: are there markets where good sales of chicken backs, necks, thigh bones, drumsticks, pork neck bones, shoulder etc. may be found? Real cheap I mean, as in 20 cents/lb?  I.E. Worth the trouble!  These have a double purpose, making tare for grilled meats, and base for curry.

Kris' area seems to have better deals than mine, but it my area, chicken carcasses (very tiny ones) are 20 yen per 100grams! Or maybe 40 yen... Not really expensive, but definitely more expensive than in Canada or the US. I've never even seen chicken backs for sale.

Pork and beef bones are more difficult to find unless I go to a butcher rather than a grocery store, so I'm not sure how much those would cost.

If you cook some onions and then gently cook these parts with that plus some Madras curry powder [and I can send you several recipes you can make from scratch, if you choose, with or without celery seed giving the Western or Japanese effect] you would have a big batch of base. plus, if people are not too finicky, and love to chew bones, they can make many good meals out of "them bones" as well. Lotsa meat there. Chopsticks must prevent economical gleaning of fowl carcasses!! All those heavy pork shoulder bones have rich brown and white marrow that infinitely enrich a base. If you have a pressure cooker, no sweat at all.

That sort of base will be rich and gelatinous and can be frozen in small portions for several months. Later addition of curry roux will refresh it, and make for quick dinners. Even with omelets may be cooked in it, or fish cake tempura, plus the usual, or a combination. One can choose to live dangerously and shock Japan!

gautam

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I'm making that for my mother when she comes! She loves gnawing on bones. Approximately how much curry powder would you use and what size batch of bones? For example, if I have one pound of bones, would I use about 1 tablespoon of curry powder?

[v. gautam]

Dear P,

Since you would be adding more curry roux latter on [ i assume this to be your intent?] and you said S&B is your favorite, why don't you start with a lower amount, say 1.5 teaspoon, to 2 teaspoon max? 1 lb is not much, for chicken broiler carcasses, which are just 42 day old chicken after all. So do one batch as a trial run with the low quantity, and see how the finished base feels to your palate. Then you can get a handle on raising the bar up or down. Some flavor might fade with freezing, but SB is good stuff. People have different tolerances for the taste of curry powder, as you will agree!!

I wonder what happens to pig ears, pig trotters, fresh hocks, neck bones, ox tail: these are prime curry material, especially if you have a slow cooker [crockpot type] or pressure cooker.Pork tongue, hearts, kidneys: i wonder where they all go in Japan? Surely something MUST be a bargain somewhere in expensive Japan? Wealthy or "smart" people are not eating such things; so who is? Pop them in when you are making your broth. I am sure a Filipina will enjoy these treasures, and they will make a super grand curry.

Pressure cook them with a few onions and peppercorns first in water , because that appliance destroys spice flavors like crazy. Then saute with a little more onions, garlic if you care for it, and curry powder, adding the drained meats, fry a bit, then the broth. Fry [pan] your potatoes lightly before adding them and taste the difference THAT makes. Reserve extra base for your cutlet curry.

When you are using more robust meats like heart and kidneys, including beef kidneys, all of which mellow with longer cooking in the company of other meat and bone, you might up the curry power dosage a tiny bit, but still err on the side of less rather than too much. This is merely your preliminary base, a flavored broth enriched in meaty jellies.

Edited November 12, 2008 by v. gautam (log)

[melonpan]

went to the big city and bought curry at the cool big city super h mart. its 2.5 hours away by car so we stock up.

bought enough for one year (half a block about once a month which is good for about 2 dinners, maybe a lunch).

i admire glico for pushing the boundaries of curry blocks. strive harder for a better world!!!

all three glico ones are new for us. the s&b is new to me only in that its “extra hot”. java and vermont are our old standards.

i would have bought hot for all of them, but there wasnt a selection for all varieties.

our library for 2011

[nakji]

I've never seen the Java box - does it involve coconut milk in some way?

Vermont is an old favourite of mine.