Home-style Japanese Chicken Curry

Curry has been a staple in the Keller family for many decades and since I'm in Osaka, Japan, it seems only fitting that I post the recipe. It is important to note that curry is a base and it becomes whatever you want it to become...

This classic recipe uses chicken, but you can sub chicken for:

Hamburger Steak

(Ground beef is the only similarity between it and the American hamburger. Japanese hamburger steaks usually contain a mix of ginger, garlic, breadcrumbs/panko, onions, egg, and several spices to taste)

Chicken Katsu

(A flattened panko crusted chicken breast or thigh fried to perfection- think of a Japanese version of schnitzel)

Pork Cutlet

(A tender piece of pork that's been panko crusted and fried)

BUT, if you don't want to get fancy and start hunting for a complimentary recipe for chicken katsu, you can simply choose your desired meat (fish, pork, tofu, chicken) chop it into bit sized cubes (about 1.5" square) and brown it in place of the chicken.

As for the vegetables, traditionally, onions, carrots, and potatoes are some of the key ingredients needed for traditional preparation. However, it is not uncommon to make a vegetable curry, adding ingredients like broccoli, kabocha squash, asparagus, mushrooms, bell peppers, eggplant. Just realize that any vegetables you add have the ability to alter the flavor drastically, for better or worse.

______________________________________________________________________________

Curry is a stew that needs a vessel...

What do I mean by that? Glad you asked. Like most curry you find throughout the world, it requires some sort of starch to be eaten with, unless you're a mad man like me who eats it like soup if there's none available.

To name a few:

Rice

Certainly the most traditional of choices, rice can be found in every Asian nation and every other country around the world. You can use whatever rice you prefer, but traditionally a short grain rice tends to do better, think sushi rice. What your looking for is a rice that becomes tender, not mushy/ tacky, and though it does come down to preparation, the type of rice you use does come into play. In the states, I use what is most available to me, Botan is my go-to and you can find it at your local Walmart for just over $1 per lbs, if you get the larger bag (a stellar deal). You can also use long grains such as Jasmine or Basmatti if that's what you have on hand.. BUT PLEASE

DON'T USE PARBOILED OR INSTANT!!!! Good rice can make or break any dish, so use the right carbohydrate, make sure to rinse your rice to remove excess starch and make sure your water to rice ratio is adequate for an aldente product. No one want a sad soggy bowl of disappointment.

Pasta

Pasta works, believe it or not. Egg noodles, spaghetti, bow-tie, penne... its a starch, and though it doesn't absorb flavors as well as rice, it ads a fun texture to the dish.

Brown Rice

Yeah, I just said rice a second ago, but brown rice should be in it's own league. It's the heartier, healthier grain, and I use it when making just about any rice dish anymore because of it. Where it falls short is in the taste department. When you eat it, you KNOW it's a grain. It has a hard time absorbing flavor but imparts flavor easily. It also takes a long time to prepare and is temperamental when it comes to getting that perfect texture. So, its great as a healthy alternative to white rice, but its a lot harder to control.

Egg

I know what your going to say... "But that's not a starch!" Very good, you win. But where we both win is in the leftover container. If you make this curry right, you'll more than likely have leftovers, and nothing tastes better the second day than this dish. Both the potatoes and carrots have time to "Stew" becoming uniform in texture and richer in taste. Throw some in a bowl, warm it up, plop an over-easy egg over the top and you’ve got yourself a filling breakfast. If you want to get fancy, scramble some eggs and make the curry your omelette filling (my Dad’s go-to). Or go even fancier and make Omurice and use curry as the sauce base.

Like I said, curry is whatever you want it to be-

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Simple, Healthy, Fancy, Hearty.

Fresh, Rich, Complex…

But enough talk, lets get you on your journey with the basics of how to make a traditional, home-style Japanese chicken curry.

______________________________________________________________________________

Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients:

3 normal sized carrots pealed and cut into chucks (the largest being about 1”-2”)

3 white potatoes (or 4 yellow potatoes) pealed cut into chucks, close in size to your larger carrot pieces.

3 tsp salt

Enough oil to coat your stew pot

Garlic (half a bulb)

1/2 to 1 large onion

3-4 Chicken thighs or 2 chicken breasts cut into 1”- 2” pieces

Water (around 4 cups to start could go to 6 cups)

1 box of House Foods Vermont Curry (This is the way)

***You can use a different box curry, but Vermont Curry is far superior in taste and quality***

Step 1:

In a pot, large enough to house your potatoes and carrots, fill with water and bring to a boil. Once you water has boiled, add your salt, chopped carrots and potatoes. NOTE: We are not cooking them to completion, only getting them started to release their own strong natural starches and aromas! Remove from heat and drain when larger pieces are almost pierceable with a fork

Step 2:

As soon as your vegetables have been drained, place your stew pot with oil (enough to coat the bottom of your pan) on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add your onions and garlic stirring them frequently until they start to brown.

Step 3:

Add your chicken to the pan, and toss with onions and garlic until outside is browned and cooked (the inside will cook once everything is simmering together). Add your boiled potatoes and carrots, and lightly turn them with your chicken mixture for a minute or so. (What we don’t want, is for the potatoes to start falling apart, if this happens, you’ll end up with a curry that slightly gritty).

Step 4:

Add your 4 cups of water to the stew pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, begin adding your curry cubes a half tray at a time (or about 3 cubes, there are usually 2 connected trays per box). Once each ½ tray has been dissolved and incorporated, add the next tray until you’ve reached your desired thickness (You’re looking for a gravy type consistency, not soup). If you find that it’s too thick, keep adding water a ½ cup at a time, up to 6 cups. Better that it’s too thick than too runny. If too thin, continue adding curry cubes. (I typically use the whole box).

Step 5:

Let simmer once the curry has thickened. When the potatoes and carrots are tender and chicken is cooked through, remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes.

SERVE atop rice (or selected starch) and Garnish with thinly sliced green onions, pickled diakon radish, and/or minced white onion if desired.

ENJOY!

Thank you for letting me share this famous Keller family dish with you. I hope it warms your heart as much as it has warmed mine over the years.

Article by: Steven Keller