Vegetarian Japanese Curry

When I was a student, we had a Japanese student stay with us briefly.  She cooked us lots of amazing meals.  It was my first experience of how interesting Japanese food could be.  Often Japanese restaurants have not seemed as good as her dishes.  Junko never made me Japanese curry but it is one of the more pleasing Japanese dishes I have had in restaurants.  So I was keen to try it at home.

Sometimes it is only in making it myself that I understand a dish.  Indeed understanding how Japanese curries differ from others I have had came from making it.  It is more like an Indian curry than a Thai curry but is made like a soup with a lot of the flavour and texture coming from stirring in a roux.

I followed the recipe by Rika of Vegan Miam.  She has such lovely photos that draw me in. Then, the geek in me wanted to check if her recipe was typical.  So I did a quick search for other Japanese curry recipes.  I was surprised to read that many people just buy the roux rather than making it.  I was happy to do as Rika did and make it myself.

I was interested that recipes for Japanese curries suggested different flavourings to add including Worcestershire sauce, red wine, apricot jam, miso, maple syrup, ketchup, honey and chocolate.  I would like to try it with chocolate one day.  This curry had some apricot jam that was on hand.

More mysterious was the Oriental curry powder that Rika used.  I have never heard of it and just used the Keen's curry powder that I had in the cupboard.  Our curry was quite hot, though not unpleasantly so.  A few people noted that Japanese curries are quite mild.  So I checked for Oriental curry powder in the supermarket and only found a roux for a Japanese curry.  But as it had palm oil and MSG I don't know that I will be rushing out to buy it. 

We ate this on the school holidays.  It was a chaotic night after a trip to the park with Sylvia's school friends.  I searched high and low for black sesame seeds but they were nowhere to be found.  I discovered them in the back of the cupboard last night.  Maybe it is a sign that I need to make Japanese curry again.

I am sending this curry to:

• Vanesther of Bangers and Mash for The Spice Trail.  This month the theme is favourite spice mixes.
• Kimmy of Rock My Vegan Socks for Healthy Vegan Fridays #43.
• Simona of Briciole for My Legume Love Affair #82 which is coordinated by Lisa's Kitchen.
• Jac of Tinned Tomatoes for Bookmarked Recipes.
• Carole's Chatter for Curry on Friday.

More Japanese-style recipes:

Avocado, pickled ginger and tofu soba noodle salad (gf, v)
Japanese snow pea salad (gf, v)
Japanese-style pumpkin, sprouts and tofu soup (gf, v)
Sushi stack with carrot, tofu omelet and avocado (gf, v)
Sushi with sticky walnuts and edamame (gf, v)
'Teriyaki' tofu with brown rice and kale (gf, v)

Japanese Curry
Adapted from Vegan Miam
serves 4-6

1-2 tbsp any neutral oil (I used rice bran)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 large carrots, cut into chunks
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 cups water
2 large potatoes, cut into chunks
1 small apple, peeled, and grated
2 tsp curry powder*
1/4 cup tamari
1 tsp salt, or to taste
125g tin of corn kernels, rinsed and drained
300g pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 cup frozen broadbeans (or edamame)

Roux
3 tablespoons neutral oil (I used rice bran oil)
1/4 cup plain flour
1-3 tsp curry powder*
1 tbsp tomato sauce (ketchup)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp apricot jam

Garnish
2 spring onions, sliced
black sesame seeds

Heat oil in a stockpot or large saucepan.  Cook onion and carrots for 5 to 10 minutes until vegetables soften.  Stir the garlic in for a minute and then add remaining ingredients except broad beans.  Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile make the roux. Stir together the curry powder, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and apricot jam and set aside.  Fry together the oil and flour until it slightly browns and smells cooked.  Add the curry powder mixture and stir until smooth.  Add a ladleful or two of liquid from the curry and stir roux until smooth.

Tip roux into curry and also add broad beans.  Gently simmer a few minutes, stirring frequently, until roux incorporated and broad beans warmed through.  Garnish with spring onions and black sesame seeds if desired

NOTES:  For traditional curry, use a Japanese Oriental curry powder (such as S and B).  I used Keens curry powder which is more Indian.  It worked well but was quite spicy with 1 tbsp of curry powder in the roux.  Perhaps less curry powder is needed with Keens, hence my suggestion of between 1 to 3 tsp depending on the curry powder used.

On the Stereo:
Born to Die: Lana Del Ray