Try this Japanese Chicken Curry recipe, or contribute your own.
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup flour
- fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup peas
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 large onions sliced thin
- 2 pounds chicken thighs cleaned and cut into chunks
- 2 carrots cut into chunks
- 2 large potatoes cut into large chunks
- 1 small apple peeled cored and pureed (i use a box grater)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (use less if you use regular salt)
- 2 tablespoons garam masala (or curry powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add less if you want it mild or mo
- 1 tablespoon ketchup (or tomato paste)
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce or tonkatsu sauce
- Carbohydrate 8.02819372861126 g
- Cholesterol 15.2515625065405 mg
- Fat 6.93853558291457 g
- Fiber 0.625985031171489 g
- Protein 0.722134054509144 g
- Saturated Fat 3.73633788337296 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (336g)
- Sodium 48.1014444672939 mg
- Sugar 7.40220869743977 g
- Trans Fat 0.429881936582197 g
- Calories 95 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium low heat and add the onions.
- Sauté the onions with a pinch of salt until they are golden brown and caramelized. It will take about 30 minutes of occasional stirring. Remove the onions to a bowl and set aside.
- Turn up the heat to high, add the chicken and stiry-fry until lightly browned on all sides.
- Return the onions to the pan and add the carrots and the water, then bring to a boil. Skim off any foam or oil that accumulates at the surface then lower heat to medium.
- Add the potatoes, puréed apple, salt, and garam masala and simmer for about 30 minutes or until you can pass a fork through the carrots and potatoes and the meat is tender.
- While the curry is cooking, in a small skillet melt the butter over medium low heat.
- When the butter bubbles, add the flour and garam masala, stirring until you have a thick paste. Add the cayenne pepper and some fresh ground black pepper and incorporate into the roux. Add the ketchup and Worcestershire (or tonkatsu) sauce and combine.
- Continue to cook until the paste starts crumbling. Remove from heat and set aside until the meat and veggies are ready.
- When the vegetables are tender, ladle about 2 cups of liquid into the roux then whisk until it's smooth. Pour this mixture back into the other pot and gently stir until thickened.
- Add the peas and heat through.
- Serve over rice
Deep mahogany and glossy, a properly simmered Japanese curry coats the back of a spoon with a rich weight derived from both pureed aromatics and a toasted flour-and-butter base. Unlike fast-churned stews, this preparation relies on patience at the stove, transforming standard root vegetables and chicken thighs into a deeply savory dish through methodical stage-cooking.
- Caramelize the onions slowly over medium-low heat for a full 30 minutes until they turn a deep golden brown, because rushing this step strips the sauce of its primary foundation of natural sweetness.
- Test the doneness of potatoes and carrots without a thermometer by pressing a fork tines straight into the thickest chunks; zero resistance means they are ready to receive the thickener.
- Whisk hot cooking liquid into the separate butter-flour roux 2 cups at a time to prevent lump formation before pouring the smooth paste back into the main pot.
- Stir in frozen peas only at the very end of the cooking process to preserve their bright green color and prevent them from turning gray and mushy.
Mastering the roux-building stage dictates whether the final sauce clings to rice or separates into an oily broth. Careful attention to root vegetable tenderness ensures the textures harmonize without dissolving into mush.
