Japanese beef curry

This is the first meal I ever cooked for my mum when I was young. I remember scraping all the curry from the pot as the taste was simply that good and I didn’t want to waste any of it. Japanese curry is less heavy than Indian and less creamy than Thai — it is unique, but once you try it you will be hooked. You could use chicken, pork, beef, a seafood mix or vegetables for a vegetarian option. This curry tastes even better served the day after cooking.

Ingredients

100 g	Butter
75 g	Flour
2 tsp	Garam masala
2 tsp	Ground chilli
2 tsp	Ground cumin
1 tsp	Ground turmeric
1 tsp	Salt
4 Tbsp	Oil
165 g	Onions, cut into large cubes
470 g	Beef, cut into cubes (Main)
275 g	Potatoes, cut into large cubes
110 g	Carrots, cut into cubes

Seasoning

2 Tbsp	Worcestershire sauce, I used a Japanese one
1 Tbsp	Soy sauce
1 Tbsp	Tomato ketchup
1 tsp	Sweet soy sauce
1 tsp	Honey
¾ tsp	Salt

Directions

1. To make a roux, melt butter in a small pot on low heat. Once the butter is melted, add flour and mix well and cook for 3-5 minutes until bubbles start to appear on the surface. Add garam masala, chilli, cumin, turmeric and salt and cook, stirring, on low heat for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Heat up a medium pot and add 2 Tbsp oil. Add chopped onion and saute for couple of minutes oruntil translucent. Set aside on a plate.
3. Put the same pot back on the heat and add another 2 Tbsp oil. Cook beef for couple of minutes or until brown, add carrots, potato and onion back to the pot and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add 1 litre of water to the pot (this should be enough to cover the vegetables and meat), bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for 15 minutes or longer if you have time. Remove scum as you cook.
5. Add 6 Tbsp (110g) of the roux into the pot and stir to dissolve, thickening the curry.
6. Add the seasoning ingredients and bring backto the boil. Serve with steamed rice.

Pantry notes

• The roux makes about 185g so any leftover can be frozen for later use.
• Ready-made curry roux is available in packets in supermarkets but it is quite a simple process to make it yourself.
• If you are using ready-made curry roux, you won't need as much of the seasoning ingredients as it's been added to the roux. Taste your curry before you add any of the seasoning ingredients.

Tip

Check out Ray McVinnie's video on'How to cook the perfect white rice'.