Japanese Curry Beef

Tired of the same old beef stew recipe? Then change it up by making Japanese curry beef instead. It’s basically a beef stew with a curry kick. I stuck with the medium hot S&B Golden Curry brand. If I had brought home the “hot” level one, my son would have protested. Japanese curry roux is not all that spicy compared to the Indian curry powders I have used in my chicken curry.  For my vegetarian friends like Sue T., skip the beef and just add more potatoes, carrots and onions to make a hearty vegetable curry. Serve with a side of rice and your tummy will be thanking you.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound beef (cut for stew)
• 2 white or yellow onions
• 2 carrots
• 3 large Yukon Gold potatoes
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 box curry roux (4 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon apricot jam
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon lite soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon curry powder (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut vegetables into bite size pieces. (About the same size as your beef stew meat.)
2. Heat oil and brown meat in a Dutch Oven or large lidded pot over high heat. Take meat out when the sides of the beef are seared, but not cooked through.
3. In the same pot, lower heat to medium high and fry the onions for 5 minutes. Add carrots and potatoes, then the beef.
4. Add water to the pot. After the water boils, skim the fat and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 45-50 minutes until the meat becomes tender.
5. Now add the curry roux blocks into the pot. Stir well so the pieces of the roux dissolves.
6. Once the roux has dissolved, stir in apricot jam, ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire  sauce and optional curry powder.
7. Let simmer for 15 minutes.
8. Serve with a side of rice.

This recipe makes 4 to 6 servings.

 

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Spiced Lentil Soup With Bacon

I made this soup on a rainy and windy day. And boy, can I tell you that it hit the spot! Nothing like a hot bowl of soup with just a little kick of curry to warm your tummy. For my vegetarian friends, use vegetable broth and skip the bacon and add 1 cup of chopped kale or collard greens instead.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3-4 slices of thick cut bacon, cut into thin slices or cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 can (14.5 ounce) diced tomatoes
• 1 cup brown or green lentils
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• chopped fresh parsley or celery leaves for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Fry the bacon in a large pot over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp.  About 4-5 minutes. Drain the fat.
2. Add the olive oil, onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent. About 5 minutes.
3. Add the carrots, garlic, curry powder and thyme, stirring constantly and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant.
4. Add in the diced tomatoes and cook for a few minutes, stirring often.
5. Pour in the lentils and the chicken stock. Season generously with fresh ground black pepper.
6. Raise heat and bring to a boil.
7. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45-50 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
8. Transfer 2 cups of soup to a blender. Protect your hand from the steam with a kitchen towel placed over lid and purée the soup until smooth.
9. Pour the puréed soup back into the pot. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes more.
10. If you are making this vegetarian style, now is the time to add 1 cup chopped kale or collard greens and cook for 5 minutes more or until your greens are tender.
11. Serve with chopped parsley or celery leaves.

Curry Chicken

This curry chicken recipe is one of the first recipes I created. It is very simple to make, uses a few ingredients and can be cooked in one pot. How easy is that? Who would have thought after all these years I would still be making it? Oh and you may want to light some scented candles after making this if you don’t want your house smelling like curry for the next few days. This recipe makes 6-8 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons yellow curry powder (your choice of mild or spicy hot)
• 1 large carrot, cut into quarter or half-moon pieces
• 2-3 stalks of celery, diced
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 4-5 red potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup cold water

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot, add vegetable oil. Set temperature to medium high.
2. As oil begins to ripple, add chicken pieces and stir.
3. Add curry powder to chicken and mix to coat all pieces.
4. Next add carrot and celery pieces and combine with chicken.
5. Add chicken stock. When stock comes to a boil, turn heat down to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
6. After 30 minutes, turn heat back up to medium high and add potatoes and stir.
7. Meanwhile make a slurry by mixing cornstarch and water.
8. When the stock in the pot starts boiling add the cornstarch and water slurry and stir well. This slurry will thicken the stock and will have the consistency of gravy.
9. Turn the heat back down to medium low and continue to cook another 20 minutes or until potatoes are done.
10. Serve with jasmine rice.