Japanese Curry

Curry has a thousand different variations. Many countries and cultures have their own take on it, from India’s original spiced curries to the coconut-based Thai dishes. In Japan, curry is a popular weeknight dinner, a thick stew sweetened with apples. Most people cook it using a curry roux, which is a packaged block of the reduced sauce. However, the same dish can be made from scratch and boasts an incredible flavor.

On the Ingredients

Curry powder, it may surprise you to learn, is not an Indian invention, but a British one. When the British Empire ruled over India, curry dishes were in vogue back home. Indian curries are made with a variety of spice blends and vary depending on the dish and the region that they are from. When the British wanted to cook themselves curries at home, they were often at a loss for how to do it right. Legend has it that a botched attempt at curry brought us Worcestershire sauce. Finally, a mix of spices became available to the British public commercially. That spice is still used widely in the West today. Though it might be a western take on India’s authentic mixes, it’s still very tasty.
Worcestershire sauce is a British fermented condiment. It was invented in the 1800s by two pharmacists, supposedly trying to recreate a sauce from India. It has since become a very common ingredient in British cuisine as well as others, especially paired with meat. The sauce, which, by the way, is pronounced wooster-sheer, is made with a combination of vinegar, molasses, sugar, tamarind, anchovies, shallots, garlic, and spices. The flavor is quite unique and delicious, slightly fruity, tangy, and sweet.
Japanese sweet potatoes (sometimes incorrectly called yams) are a variety of sweet potatoes with purple skin and cream-colored insides. They’re starchier than orange sweet potatoes and have a nutty flavor with hints of honey. In Japan, they are usually enjoyed as yaki imo (baked), and in the past, yaki imo men used to sell them from traveling carts, much like ice cream trucks. They are also enjoyed as daigaku imo, candied with a hard caramel coating and sesame seeds.

Recipe Notes and Substitutions

You can make Japanese curry with chicken, beef, pork, or vegetarian (use extra vegetables).

Japanese Curry

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hour

Total time

hour

minutes

Ingredients

3 sweet apples (chopped)
1 lb skinless chicken thighs (bite-sized)
salt & pepper
1 tbsp safflower oil
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 inch fresh ginger (minced)
2 yellow onions (chopped)
5 tbsp curry powder
2 tbsp cocoa powder (unsweetened)
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
4 cups chicken stock
3 carrots (peeled & chopped)
2 tbsp potato starch (or cornstarch)
1 Japanese yam (peeled and chopped)
1 yellow potato (peeled and chopped)
2 cups frozen green peas
Serve with hot short-grain rice

Directions

Make an apple sauce by cooking the apples in a pot with a minimal amount of water. When the apples are cooked, mash them and set them aside.
In a large stew pot, add the oil and cook the chicken until browned. Scoop out the chicken and set it aside.
With the oil left in the pot, sautee the garlic and ginger for a minute, stirring to prevent burning. Add the onions and a 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Cook until the onions are translucent.
Put the chicken back into the pot, season with salt and pepper. Add the curry powder, cocoa, tomato paste, bay leaf, and Worcestershire. Stir well.
Pour in the remaining chicken stock and add the carrots, yam, and apple sauce. Bring to a boil. Make a slurry with the potato starch. Add to the stew and stir in.
Then turn to medium-low, letting it simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the carrots and yam are tender.
Add the frozen peas and let them heat up for a few minutes.
In a large soup bowl or pasta dish, put around a cup of hot short-grain rice to one side. Ladle a generous portion of the curry on the other side of the bowl. Enjoy!