We initially bought this Oaktown Spice curry powder from Umami Mart for potato salad, but had some chicken thighs on hand one night and decided to make Japanese curry from scratch instead of with the usual roux cubes.
While this recipe is pretty simple, it has a ton of flavor because we brown ingredients in a few different places. The chicken gets browned in hot oil, then the onions after that, in the fat left behind. Additionally the roux cooks until slightly golden and then the curry powder gets toasted along with it. Brown food just tastes better, so don’t be afraid to get color on everything. We’re borrowing a bit from the French playbook here that builds layers of flavor on top of each other.
Add some pickled ginger or mushrooms (covered in a future recipe) on top for a hit of brightness. Adjust spice with some Togarashi as needed. This would also be a good meal for using additional veggies you have on hand, adding them a little later in the cooking process so they don’t overcook.
Ingredients:
1 lb boneless chicken thigh
1 onion, diced
1 sweet potato, diced (you can sub 2 medium waxy potatoes if desired)
3 carrots, diced
1 quart chicken broth
4 tbsp butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 cup flour
3 Tbsp Japanese curry powder (either from a local spice shop, or S&B in a pinch)
Basic seasonings such as salt, pepper, soy, and fish sauce.
Optional: additional veggies such as peas, broccoli, etc.
Method:
Season chicken with salt and pepper.
In a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot heat vegetable oil over high heat until shimmering and add chicken thighs. Allow to cook until browned, 3-5 minutes per side. Remove thighs and place on a plate.
Turn heat to medium, add onion to pot with additional oil if needed, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned.
Add potato and carrot to the pot, cook for a couple of minutes, add stock. Stir, making sure to scrape any browned bits off of the bottom of the pot. Now would be a good time to check again for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Soy or fish sauce in place of table salt would be good for adding to the depth of flavor here.
Dice chicken into bite sized pieces, return to pot along with any liquid, turn to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender.
While simmering, make the roux:
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, add flour and stir frequently until it starts turning golden and smells like toasty happiness. Add curry powder, continue stirring for another minute or so until fragrant, then remove from heat.
When the potatoes and carrots are tender, stir in the roux/curry mixture and simmer for a couple of minutes to thicken. Check for seasoning once again and serve over rice.
I Like You. 