Japanese curry
A mild, thick and gently sweet curry of chicken, carrot and potato, thickened with a homemade butter and flour roux spiced with curry powder.
Method
- 1
Heat the oil in the pot over medium-high heat and brown the chicken lightly on all sides.
- 2
Add the onions, turn the heat down to medium and cook, stirring often, until soft and lightly golden.
- 3
Add the carrots and potatoes and stir to coat them in the fat.
- 4
Pour in the stock, add the grated apple and bring to the boil, skimming off any foam.
- 5
Lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, until the potatoes and carrots are just tender when pierced with a knife.
- 6
Meanwhile, melt the butter in the small frying pan over medium-low heat and stir in the flour.
- 7
Cook the roux, stirring all the time, until it smells nutty and turns the colour of milky tea.
- 8
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the curry powder and garam masala to make a thick, fragrant paste.
- 9
Whisk a ladleful of the hot stock into the roux until smooth, then stir the mixture back into the pot.
- 10
Stir in the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and honey.
- 11
Simmer gently, stirring often so it does not catch on the bottom, until the sauce is thick and glossy enough to coat a spoon.
- 12
Taste, add salt if needed and serve over short-grain rice.
Notes
- The curry tastes even better the next day. Loosen it with a splash of water when reheating, as it thickens in the fridge.
- For more heat, add a pinch of cayenne along with the curry powder.
- Beef chuck or pork shoulder work well too. Simmer the meat in the stock for an hour before adding the vegetables.
Equipment
Large heavy pot, Small frying pan, Wooden spoon, Whisk, Grater