← Nouns Cooking · Japanese

Ingredients

• 450 g pork or beef mince
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 4 Shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 small aubergine, diced 1 cm (optional)
• 2 cloves Garlic, grated
• 1 tsp Ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 tsp Japanese or mild curry powder
• 240 ml chicken or vegetable stock
• 120 ml Water
• 2 pieces Japanese curry roux cubes (about 40 g)
• 1 tbsp Ketchup
• 1 tbsp tonkatsu or Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 4 bowls of hot cooked Japanese short-grain rice
• 4 eggs, fried sunny side up (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or shallow pot over medium heat. Cook the onion for 8–10 min, stirring often, until soft and golden.
2. Add the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, then the carrot, celery, mushrooms and aubergine. Cook for 3 min until they start to soften.
3. Turn the heat up a little, add the mince and break it into small crumbs. Fry for about 5 min until no pink remains and the juices have mostly cooked off.
4. Sprinkle in the curry powder and stir for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the stock and water and simmer for 10 min.
5. Turn off the heat and stir in the roux pieces until fully melted (roux can turn lumpy in boiling liquid). Turn the heat back to low.
6. Stir in the ketchup, tonkatsu sauce and butter and simmer for 3–5 min, stirring, until thick and glossy rather than soupy. Add a splash of water if it gets too stiff.
7. Mound rice on plates, spoon the curry alongside and top each with a fried egg.

Tips

• Curry roux contains wheat and often milk; check the packet if you cook for allergies.
• Leftovers make brilliant curry toast or a filling for curry bread.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Just One Cookbook Japanese Cooking 101