The game was to cook a honest kare raisu (Japanese curry-rice).
The conclusion is that doesn’t take you more time that using a premix.
The average Japanese housewife buys some kare-ru (curry roux) like that :
It melts like chocolate, you add meat and/or veggies. That’s all. I used them. That was, OK, too salty, much too salty, but well, I added lots of potatoes. Then look at the ingredients of the Java Kare I was buying.
Ingredients :
1.alimentary fat (from beef and palm oil)
2.flour
3.sugar
4.salt
5. starch
So these are the 5 main ingredients. I know a roux is flour and fat, but who would use those types of fat and add sugar to theirs ?
Then : curry powder, non-fat soy, roast onion powder, garlic powder, flavoring, grape sugar…
And a dozen more like that.
Other brands are not very different. The conclusion is you only need the spice mix. You could even design your own blend. But let’s say we want a typical “kare raisu” taste.
So I bought a spice mix :
Step 1 : in the rice cooker, put a big piece of chicken with the skin, carrot, potato, onion, garlic, ginger (+any leftovers of veggies), and 2 tbs of spices, cover with water, cook like rice porridge (90 min to 2 hours).
Step 2 : empty the cooker, refill with rice and cook.
Step 3 : paste the potato, discard the chicken skin and cut the meat in cubes, add a 1 tbs of miso, 2 more tbs of spices, a small pasted banana. Simmer without a lid till rice is cooked. The level of liquid should reduce.
Step 4 : add the “quickly cooked” vegetables (here Korean chili peppers and broccoli stalks), reheat a few minutes while you prepare the table
You get that thick muddy curry. Adjust texture at your taste, add water to adjust texture. The small banana doesn’t give much taste. Well if you hate bananas maybe you will feel it. You can use another fruit, or onion jam.
Garam masala spice mix, tsukemono, raisins and plum chutney (home-made).
Mouth refresher : mango.
(1.5 servings of rice)
Cal 397.5 F5.0g C84.8g P17.3g
GOURMANDE in OSAKA 
I think the operation has gone well! 😛 😀
I love Japanese curry with rice so much… especially with deep fried chicken slices over the top. Your operation is such a success!
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My Japanese mother (born in Kobe, grew up in Osaka by the Yodogawa) never used the curry roux. She’d use the S&B curry powder and browned her own flour in a skillet. The only fat came from whatever meat was being used. She would make it like typical kare-raisu which always reminded me of a Western meat stew seasoned with curry. My favorite was with lamb. She would sometimes omit the potatoes and use other vegs such as eggplant, green beans, okra, and even some cabbage. Since we liked our food on the spicy side, she would add white or black pepper and red chili flakes. She sometimes even sprinkled toasted sesame seeds on the top when serving. That was a nice touch. My father would add Tabasco to his which I tried and liked at age 10. I always had a spicy palate:) I just made a small batch of beef curry with red and green peppers, no potato. I even made my own curry powder for it from scratch, extra spicy. I used dry Thai chilis for the heat! Since I have to be gluten-free, I used browned rice flour to thicken . Kare-raisu is definitely comfort food for me. I remember a lot of chilly damp nights when a serving of it would warm you to the depths of your soul! Thanks, Mom! IMO of Kazuko Niwa, 1934-2000.
That sounds like great memories. Your Mum probably lived in my neighbourhood. And the lamb curry must be so delicious ! Thanks for posting your story.
Hi, My. I still have 2 uncles, their wives and 5 cousins in Osaka. Akihide’s in Tsurumi-ku and Yasuo’s in Miyakojima-ku. I think it’s wonderful that you’re in Osaka. When I went to visit them a long time ago, they showed me where the house they and my mother grew up in used to be. It was right on the Yodogawa in Miyakojima-ku.
I find myself going back to my roots more and more, especially when it comes to food. Having to be gluten-free is easy for me. If I eat a more traditional Japanese diet, I will be fine and I do feel much better. I especially love all types of sea vegetables, seafood, fresh veggies, and of course…RICE! and green tea. Thanks for your posts!
Chieko
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