this is the longest recipe in my collection. i wouldn't reccomend attempting this w/o a lot of time and materials. i've never made it, however it sounds quite delicious and less spicy than other types of curry.
a heavy, thick-walled pot is reccomended for this recipe.
a heavy, thick-walled pot is reccomended for this recipe.
Japanese Style Beef Curry
about 1 lb (450-500g) stewing beef cubes (chuck works well for this; should be a cut with a bit of fat and not too sinewy)
6 large onions (about 6 cups sliced)
3 cloves garlic
1 piece of fresh ginger (about the size of an adult thumb)
2 cups crushed tomatoes (400g / 1 small can)
1 beef/vegetable stock cube
1 bay leaf
1 star anise
2-3 tbsp garam masala
3-4 large carrots
1 medium eating-type apple
3-4 medium potatoes
oil/butter
1 cup frozen green peas (optional)
salt & pepper
for the curry roux:
3 tbsp butter, ghee, clarified butter, oil, or a mix
4 tbsp white flour
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp curry powder (more to taste)
If meat is in 1 big chunk, cut into cubes about 2cm/1" square. Pat dry with paper towels, and brown in a little oil on all sides in a frying pan. Set aside.
Slice the onions thinly. Grate the ginger and either grate or finely chop the garlic. Peel and cut the carrots into chunks.
Heat your heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and heat up some butter, ghee, or oil. Add onions and a pinch of salt, and lower heat to medium-low. Let the onions simmer long and slow, till mass is reduced and is light caramel brown in colour.
Once onions have reached this stage, add ginger and garlic and cook a few more minutes. Add canned tomato and 6 cups water, the browned beef, the stock cube, the bay leaf and the star anise.
Peel and grate the apple and put in. Bring up to a boil, then lower heat and simmer at least 1 hour. (More if meat is tough.)
About 30 minutes into the cooking process, dry-roast about a tablespoon of garam masaka powder in a small frying pan till it starts to get quite fragrant, and add to the stew pot. Add the carrots.
While meat and veggies are cooking, prepare the curry roux. In a small frying pan, melt the butter/ghee/clarified butter and heat till any foaming subsides. Add the flour, and cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, till it becomes light brown in colour. Take the pan off the heat, and add the curry powder (the more the hotter). Stir till the whole kitchen and beyond smells like curry. Set Aside.
When the meat is about as tender as you want, peel the potatoes, cut them into chunks and add to the curry. Continue simmering till the potatoes are tender.
Take the pot off the head and fish out the bay leaf and star anise. Stir in the roux carefully till it's completely melted into the stew and the liquid is thick and very brown. Return to the heat and simmer a few more minutes. At this stage you can dry roast another tablespoon or so of garam masala and add it to the curry. At the last minute, add the green peas (if you want) and stir (they should cook almost instantly). Serve immediately over rice.
(There are two ways to serve curry in the Yohshoku Restaraunt way: one is to put the curry in a sauceboat and serve the rice seperately. The other is to put the rice on the plate, and cover half with curry. You can, of course, just pour the curry over the mound of rice.
Usual garnishes are fukijin zuke, a sweet mixture of mystery pickled vegetables, and rokkyou, which are small pickled shallots. Other garnishes can include chutney and grated cheese.)
6-8 servings
6 large onions (about 6 cups sliced)
3 cloves garlic
1 piece of fresh ginger (about the size of an adult thumb)
2 cups crushed tomatoes (400g / 1 small can)
1 beef/vegetable stock cube
1 bay leaf
1 star anise
2-3 tbsp garam masala
3-4 large carrots
1 medium eating-type apple
3-4 medium potatoes
oil/butter
1 cup frozen green peas (optional)
salt & pepper
for the curry roux:
3 tbsp butter, ghee, clarified butter, oil, or a mix
4 tbsp white flour
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp curry powder (more to taste)
If meat is in 1 big chunk, cut into cubes about 2cm/1" square. Pat dry with paper towels, and brown in a little oil on all sides in a frying pan. Set aside.
Slice the onions thinly. Grate the ginger and either grate or finely chop the garlic. Peel and cut the carrots into chunks.
Heat your heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and heat up some butter, ghee, or oil. Add onions and a pinch of salt, and lower heat to medium-low. Let the onions simmer long and slow, till mass is reduced and is light caramel brown in colour.
Once onions have reached this stage, add ginger and garlic and cook a few more minutes. Add canned tomato and 6 cups water, the browned beef, the stock cube, the bay leaf and the star anise.
Peel and grate the apple and put in. Bring up to a boil, then lower heat and simmer at least 1 hour. (More if meat is tough.)
About 30 minutes into the cooking process, dry-roast about a tablespoon of garam masaka powder in a small frying pan till it starts to get quite fragrant, and add to the stew pot. Add the carrots.
While meat and veggies are cooking, prepare the curry roux. In a small frying pan, melt the butter/ghee/clarified butter and heat till any foaming subsides. Add the flour, and cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, till it becomes light brown in colour. Take the pan off the heat, and add the curry powder (the more the hotter). Stir till the whole kitchen and beyond smells like curry. Set Aside.
When the meat is about as tender as you want, peel the potatoes, cut them into chunks and add to the curry. Continue simmering till the potatoes are tender.
Take the pot off the head and fish out the bay leaf and star anise. Stir in the roux carefully till it's completely melted into the stew and the liquid is thick and very brown. Return to the heat and simmer a few more minutes. At this stage you can dry roast another tablespoon or so of garam masala and add it to the curry. At the last minute, add the green peas (if you want) and stir (they should cook almost instantly). Serve immediately over rice.
(There are two ways to serve curry in the Yohshoku Restaraunt way: one is to put the curry in a sauceboat and serve the rice seperately. The other is to put the rice on the plate, and cover half with curry. You can, of course, just pour the curry over the mound of rice.
Usual garnishes are fukijin zuke, a sweet mixture of mystery pickled vegetables, and rokkyou, which are small pickled shallots. Other garnishes can include chutney and grated cheese.)
6-8 servings
