Japanese curry

Japanese Curry (カ レ ー ラ イ ス -) Along with Ramen , Rice with Curry (Kare Raisu) is considered one of the national dishes in Japan .

Summary

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• 1 Story
• 2 varieties
  • 1 Local specialties
• 3 Elaboration
  • 1 Ingredients
  • 2 Things you will need
  • 3 Preparation
• 4 How to serve it
• 5 Curiosity
• 6 Gallery
• 7 Sources

History

Curry was introduced to Japan by the English during the Meiji era ( 1869 – 1913 ). According to one record, the first Japanese to eat curry was Kenjiro Yamakawa, at age 16, when he was a member of the Aizu Byakkotai warriors. Curry rice was served aboard the ship bound for the United States in 1871 . In 1872 , a curry recipe was published in “Guide to Western Cuisine” and Japan, being freed from 200 years of seclusion, tried to absorb Western culture as enthusiastically as possible. However, curry rice was an expensive dish and few people could afford it. The menu of a restaurant in Ginza in 1877It offered the curry rice for 8 sen, while a simple noodle dish cost 1 sen. In 1909, despite being an expensive dish, it gained so much popularity that around 1910 a variety of curry dishes (rice with curry, curry with wheat flour noodles) appeared on the menus of various restaurants. The Taishō Era ( 1912 – 1926 ) arrived and the recipe for Japanese curried rice was invented, which contained onions, carrots, and potatoes as ingredients.

The recipe was adopted by the Japanese Army for being so suitable for mass feeding, nutritious and easy to cook. Japanese Curry became popular and was available in supermarkets and restaurants in the late 1960s . There was even a place called The Yokohama Curry Museum ( Museum Curry Yokohama ) but unfortunately closed in March 2007. At the end of the decade of 1990 , a series of regional specialties with curry emerged, popularized as sauces sealed curry vacuum and foods like Kare Pan (Curry Bread), among many others.

Varieties

• Katsu karē (カ ツ カ レ ー):Rice curry served with a breaded pork fillet on top.
• Dorai karē (ド ラ イ カ レ ー):Curry-flavored fried rice, or curry rice with a drier curry mince sauce.
• Maze karē (混 ぜ カ レ ー):Rice curry, served with the sauce and rice served already mixed. Popularized by Osaka’s 自由 軒 (Jiyūken?) Curry restaurants.
• Karē don (カ レ ー 丼):Curry sauce, thickened and seasoned with mentsuyu or hondashi and served over a bowl of rice, to give the curry a Japanese flavor.
• Aigake (合 が け):Rice served with curry sauce and hayashi sauce (fried veal and onion, cooked with red wine and demi glace).
• Yaki karē (焼 き カ レ ー):Rice curry topped with a raw and baked egg. Originally from Kitakyushu.
• Ishiyaki karē (石 焼 き カ レ ー):Curry sauce with rice served in a hot stone bowl, similar to the dolsot bibimbap .
• Sūpu karē (ス ー プ カ レ ー) or curry soup:A watery curry sauce, similar to a broth, served with ingredients in pieces such as chicken drumstick and thick cut vegetables. Popular in Hokkaidō.

Local specialties

Various regional curry specialties emerged in the late 1990s , popularized as vacuum-packed curry sauces. They include:

• Sica deer curry (え ぞ 鹿 カ レ ー ezoshika karē):From Hokkaidō.
• Scallop Curry (ほ た て カ レ ota hotate karē):From Aomori.
• Verdel curry (サ バ カ レ ー saba karē):From Chiba.
• Apple curry (リ ン ゴ カ レ ー ringo karē):From Nagano.
• Cochinchina Chicken Curry from Nagoya (名古屋 コ ー チ ン チ キ ン カ レ ー Nagoya kōchin chikin karē):From Aichi.
• Matsusaka Beef Curry (松 阪 牛 カ レ ー Matsusaka gyū karē):De Mie.
• Oyster Curry (牡蠣 カ レ ー kaki karē):From Hiroshima.
• Pear Nashi Curry (梨 カ レ ー nashi karē):From Shimane.
• Bitter melon curry (ゴ ー ヤ ー カ レ ー gōyā karē):From Okinawa.

The number of varieties continues to grow, starting with typical ingredients from certain regions.

Elaboration

It can be prepared in different ways, but in general, it is prepared by mixing a curry roux with a base of meat, vegetables and seasoned liquid. Everything is then cooked over low heat and served with a side of rice. Ingredients

Ingredients

Curry roux

• 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of butter
• 7 tablespoons (105 ml) of flour
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) curry powder
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of garam masala

Curry base

• 1 pound (450 g) diced beef, pork, or chicken
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of ketchup
• 3 cups (750 ml) of water
• 1 large onion, peeled and cut into roughly large pieces
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 small apple, peeled and grated
• 1 large potato, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 1 cup (250 ml) fresh or frozen edamame, without the peels

Side dishes and accompaniments

• Steamed rice
• Fukujinzuke
• Rakkyou

Things you will need

• Plate
• Sharp kitchen knife
• 5 liter (5 quart) soup pot
• Heat resistant spatulas or mixing spoons
• Small frying pan
• Ladle or serving spoon
• Individual dishes to serve
• Plastic freezer bags (for storage only)

Preparation

Part 1 of 3: Preparing the Base

1. Season the meat. Sprinkle the meat with 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) of salt and 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) of ground black pepper, or season to taste. Reserve it.
2. Heat the oil. Pour the cooking oil into a large heavy saucepan and heat over medium heat over the stove. Give it a minute or two to warm up properly.
3. Add the onion. Place the chopped onion in the hot oil and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently or until smooth and translucent. Temporarily remove it from the pot and place it on a nearby plate.
4. Add the meat. Add the meat to the pot. Let the pieces cook on the side for 1 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown on that side. Then continue cooking for another 5 to 7 minutes or until all sides are golden brown.
5. Add most of the remaining base ingredients. Return the onions to the pot. You should also add the ketchup, water, carrots and grated apple. Mix them well.
6. Simmer for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low or low, until liquid is just simmering. Cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Stir the mixture occasionally to prevent anything from sticking or burning.

Part 2 of 3: Prepare the Roux

1. Melt the butter in a separate skillet. Put the butter in a small skillet. Heat over medium heat on the stove, stirring occasionally, until the butter has completely melted.
2. Add the flour. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter. Stir quickly and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes or until the roux turns a dark golden color.
3. Add the spices. Sprinkle the curry powder and the garam masala on the roux. Stir the ingredients with the roux on the fire for 30 seconds. Remove it from the heat as soon as the roux is seasoned.
4. Add liquid with a ladle. Remove about 1/2 to 1 cup (125 to 250 ml) of the liquid from the base of the curry. Stir this liquid quickly into the roux until a paste forms.

Part 3 of 3: Finishing the Curry

1. Pour the roux over the base. Stir well to mix the roux paste with the liquid in the stock pot.
2. Add the potato and simmer. Add the peeled and chopped potato to the pot and stir to distribute it evenly. Continue cooking the curry over low heat for 1 hour, or until the meat and potatoes are tender and the curry liquid is very thick.
3. Mix the edamame. If you decide to use edamame, mix it during the last 5 minutes of the cooking process.
4. Serve it. Pour the curry with a ladle into individual dishes. Serve with a side of steamed white or brown rice. If desired, garnish with fukujinzuke or chopped rakkyou.

How to serve it

• Traditionally, Japanese curry is served in two ways: You can put the curry in a gravy boat and serve it with a separate plate of rice, or you can put the rice on the plate and cover half with the curry. You can keep the curry that freezes over, but it should be prepared without potatoes in that case.

Curiosity

• There is an animated short film made by Studio Ghibli(Ghiblies: Episode 2), where we can see some members of the Ghibli Studios staff eat their extra spicy curry lunch in order for their order to be free.