A sweet and spicy Japanese-style curry dish.
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 piece ginger minced
- 3 yellow onions coarsely chopped
- 4 cubes curry mix (s&b brand i prefer the hot variety)
- 1 mango sliced
- 2 tablespoons hot mango chutney
- 2 apples sliced
- 3 carrots chopped
- 0.5 cup tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire
- 3 potatoes skinned and cubed (optional)
- 1 pound beef (i prefer a tender fatty cut), finely sliced
- Carbohydrate 48.3181383300007 g
- Cholesterol 60.0726666666667 mg
- Fat 17.6554083333333 g
- Fiber 7.73760011438529 g
- Protein 20.096385 g
- Saturated Fat 7.85788033333333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (588g)
- Sodium 431.873666666667 mg
- Sugar 40.5805382156154 g
- Trans Fat 2.114017 g
- Calories 423 calories
Step-by-step
- Melt butter in a skillet and add onions, garlic, and ginger. Saute until onions are tender and golden.
- In a large saucepan or pot, melt the curry mix into a paste over low heat. Add onion mixture. In a food processor, puree the mango, apples, carrots, mango chutney, and tomato puree, and add to the pot and stir. Add 3.5 cups of the chicken broth, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire, and sugar. Cook over medium heat for approximately 3 hours, stirringly often to prevent burning on bottom of pot. If mixture reduces too much, add additional chicken stock. Add cayenne pepper to taste.
- Potatoes make a nice addition to this dish, but are not necessary. If desired, add the cubed potatoes after the first hour of cooking - they will be fully cooked in the broth over the next two hours.
- In a wok or skillet, quickly seer the sliced beef and add to the curry mixture with about 30 minutes remaining in cook time. (Chicken/Pork/Shrimp can also be substituted)
- Serve with Japanese sticky rice and for a full meal add a slab of sliced Tonkatsu (Japanese-style fried pork cutlet). Be careful not to add too much chicken stock as a thicker, more hearty curry is best. Just a warning - your home will smell like curry/garlic for about two days...but it's so worth it.
Adapting Proteins and Ingredients
Swapping the specified sliced beef for firm tofu or seafood alters the cooking timeline entirely because proteins like shrimp require mere minutes of simmering rather than a half-hour rest in the broth. When utilizing alternative proteins, adjust your addition window so delicate ingredients do not overcook. Incorporating grated apple and fresh mango provides natural pectin and acidity, balancing the dense commercial curry roux blocks without artificial sweeteners.
Equipment Essentials and Workarounds
A heavy-bottomed Dutch oven replaces standard saucepans effectively by distributing heat evenly across the base during the prolonged three-hour simmer, significantly reducing the risk of scorching the puréed fruit and vegetable foundation. Without a food processor to blend the carrots, apples, mango, and tomatoes into a smooth paste, use a box grater for the produce and whisk vigorously to incorporate the tomato puree. Controlling the heat on medium-low ensures the mixture bubbles gently at approximately 190 degrees Fahrenheit without violently sticking to the metal surface.
The Decisive Technique for Success
Stirring the pot frequently defines the boundary between a velvety, balanced sauce and a scorched failure because the high sugar content from the fruit and added sugar caramelizes rapidly against the hot bottom. Searing the meat separately in a hot wok before integration locks in surface proteins while preventing the rendering fat from making the base overly greasy. Monitoring the liquid level by reserving the remaining 1.5 cups of chicken broth allows precise control over the final viscosity, ensuring the sauce clings properly to sticky rice rather than pooling on the plate.
