Japanese Curry Rice (Kare Raisu)
Japan's mild, glossy home-style pork curry, thickened with a roux you toast yourself from butter, flour and curry powder.
Method
Cut the pork into 3 cm pieces and the onion into 2 cm wedges. Peel the potato, cut it into 3–4 cm chunks and keep them in cold water. Cut the carrot into 2 cm chunks, rolling it a quarter turn between cuts so each piece is a different angle.
Add in this stepPork shoulder (or beef stewing meat) 200 gOnion 200 gPotato 150 gCarrot 100 g
Heat the oil in a 20 cm pot over medium heat and fry the pork until the outside turns white, then add the onion and cook together for , until the onion edges look translucent and slightly soft.
Add in this stepCooking oil 1 tbsp
medium heatAdd the drained potato and the carrot, stir for 1 minute, then add the water and stock cube. Bring to a boil over high heat, about , and skim off the grey foam. Turn down to medium-low heat, set the lid slightly ajar and simmer for , until a chopstick slides easily into the potato.
Add in this stepWater 550 mlStock cube (chicken or beef) 1
high heat→medium-low heatWhile it simmers, melt the butter in a small 18 cm frying pan over low heat, add the flour and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for , until it turns light brown like milky tea and smells nutty. Add the garlic, ginger and curry powder, stir 30 seconds more and take it off the heat. This is your curry roux.
Add in this stepButter (unsalted if possible) 30 gAll-purpose flour 30 gMinced garlic 1 tspGrated fresh ginger 1 tspCurry powder 1½ tbsp
low heatWith the heat off, ladle some of the hot broth into the roux pan and stir until smooth with no lumps, then pour it back into the pot. Add the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and honey, turn the heat back on to medium-low heat and simmer for , scraping the bottom as you stir. It is done when it is thick enough that you briefly see the bottom of the pot as the spoon passes.
Add in this stepKetchup 1 tbspWorcestershire sauce 1 tspSoy sauce 1 tspHoney 1 tsp
heat off→medium-low heatTaste and season with salt. Let it stand off the heat for 5 minutes; it thickens further. Serve with rice on one side of the plate and the curry spooned alongside.
Add in this stepSalt to tasteHot cooked short-grain rice 400 g
Cook's tip
Turning the heat off before adding the roux stops it from seizing into lumps. Short on time? Use a store-bought Japanese curry roux block instead and skip step 4 (follow the packet amount). Curry is even better the next day, but cool it quickly, refrigerate and eat within 2 days, as the potatoes spoil faster than the sauce.
Cooking it at camp
A classic Japanese campsite meal. Toast the roux at home, let it cool, wrap it in cling film and keep it in the cooler; on site you need only one pot and one burner. Thin camping pots scorch easily, so once the roux is in, keep the flame as low as it goes and keep stirring.