0 Mmmm... Japanese Curry...

Years ago my friends Shuo and Miyako introduced me to Japanese curry. Wow! I had never had it before, I like it much better than Indian curry or Chinese curry. It's hard to describe the taste, but it's a little sweet, salty and hot, all at the same time, it's thicker than other curries, kind of like a stew. My friends use a mix and a lot of the time I do too but I did learn how to make it from scratch, it's got a lot of ingredients but it's not too hard to make – you can add more vegetables, like eggplant, to the recipe too.  A lot of people also add peas to their recipe - with a dish like this that's already got potatoes and is usually served with rice, I wouldn't use peas but it's up to you.

I don't know anything about the Japanese “food industry” vs the American “food industry”, I would assume (perhaps falsely) that like much of Europe, their food is more natural and healthier than ours – even though it's processed food. Most of the world actually eats healthier foods than we do in the United States – mainly because the food industry here has a lot of lobbyists in Washington and most other countries don't allow companies to tell the government what to do. I do know that they use a lot of MSG in Japan, but I don't think they are heavy users of corn byproducts, pesticides, overuse of antibiotics and growth hormones.

Japanese Curry

Roux
3 Tbl butter
¼ c flour
2 Tbl curry powder
1 Tbl turmeric
2 tsp cumin
1 Tbl ginger
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbl soy sauce
1 Tbl worcester sauce

Curry
2 Tbl olive oil
1 Tbl bonito flakes
1 apple, pureed
1-1 1/2 Lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed*
2 carrots, sliced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 lg onion, chopped
2 potatoes, cubed**
6 cups water
1 Tbl potato or cornstarch (I prefer potato starch)

Melt the butter over medium-low heat, add the flour and curry powder, stirring until it's a thick paste. Add the other spices, and incorporate into the roux. Add the soy and worcester sauces, cook until the paste starts to crumble. Set aside.

In a large pot, heat oil over a medium-low flame, saute onions for a few minutes until tender, add chicken, turn up the heat and brown. Add the carrots, pepper, potatoes and water, bring to a boil. Add the salt, bonito flakes and pureed apple. Cook until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes.

Add the cornstarch to the roux pot, ladle 2 cups of the hot liquid into the pot with the roux, whisk together until it's smooth. Pour back into the curry pot, stir until thickened. Serve hot over rice. Serves 6.

*You can substitute other meats, but I like the chicken. You can also substitute tofu for the chicken if you're vegetarian and drop the bonito flakes. Or you can just make it without any meat.

**You can substitute yams for regular potatoes for a different flavor and they have a lower glycemic index.

If you want to try the premixed version you can find it in the Asian food aisle at the supermarket – buy either S&B or House brand. I prefer S&B...

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