Japanese Chicken Curry From Scratch

Method13 steps · about 1 hr 40 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Mix all 1 teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon baking soda into the separate ¼ cup water until dissolved.

   Uses 1 teaspoon salt for onion-steaming solution · 1/8 teaspoon baking soda · ¼ cup water for salt-and-baking-soda solution

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Heat all 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until shimmering, without smoking.

   Uses 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3. 3

   Step 3: Add all 800 g prepared bite-size skin-on chicken in a single layer, skin-side down. Fry undisturbed for about 3 minutes until the skin browns and crisps, then turn the pieces and brown the second side. This browning does not finish cooking the chicken.

   Brown chicken skin about 3 min · 3 minUses Hot vegetable oil in pot · 800 g boneless skin-on chicken thighs, cut into large bite-size pieces

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Remove all the browned chicken and reserve it. Leave the frying fat in the pot, then add all 30 g grated ginger and 20 g grated garlic. Sauté until caramelized, with a thick brown layer of fond on the pot bottom.

   Uses Browned chicken and its frying fat · 30 g ginger, grated · 20 g garlic, grated

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Add all 600 g minced onions and the entire prepared salt-and-baking-soda solution to the caramelized ginger-garlic pot. Stir to coat, cover and reduce the heat to low. Steam for 10 minutes.

   Steam onions 10 min · 10 minUses Caramelized ginger, garlic and retained chicken frying fat · 600 g onions (about 2 large), minced · Salt-and-baking-soda water solution

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Remove the lid, raise the heat to medium-high and boil the onion mixture until very little liquid remains.

   Uses Steamed onion-aromatic mixture

   
7. 7

   Step 7: Add all the separate 70 g grated carrot. Repeatedly stir and spread the vegetables over the pot bottom, frying until the onions are fully caramelized and the paste is cinnamon brown.

   Uses Reduced onion-aromatic mixture · 70 g carrot, grated

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Stir all 24 g Japanese curry powder into the caramelized vegetable paste for about 1 minute, until very fragrant, taking care that it does not burn.

   Toast curry about 1 min · 1 minUses Cinnamon-brown caramelized curry vegetables · 24 g Japanese curry powder (about 3 tablespoons)

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Add all 4 cups vegetable stock and the peeled firm-ripe banana (1). Briefly take the pot off the heat and use an immersion blender, keeping its head submerged, to purée this curry base until smooth.

   Uses Fragrant curried vegetable paste · 4 cups vegetable stock · 1 firm-ripe yellow banana, peeled

   
10. 10

    Step 10: Return all the reserved browned chicken to the smooth curry base. Add all 400 g potato chunks, the separate 300 g carrot chunks, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon chuno sauce, 1 tablespoon tomato paste and 2 teaspoons cocoa powder. Add the optional whole bay leaf (1) and star anise (1) if using.

    Uses Smooth stock-banana curry base · Reserved browned chicken pieces · 400 g potatoes, cut into chunks · 300 g carrots, cut into chunks · 2 tablespoons soy sauce · 1 tablespoon chunou sauce · 1 tablespoon tomato paste · 2 teaspoons cocoa powder

    
11. 11

    Step 11: Maintain a gentle simmer for about 1 hour, stirring thoroughly every 10 minutes to prevent sticking. Continue as needed until the potato and carrot chunks are tender, the chicken is tender and fully cooked to 74°C in its thickest pieces, and the sauce has thickened like gravy.

    Simmer curry about 1 hr · 60 minUses Chicken, potato and carrot chunks in seasoned curry base

    
12. 12

    Step 12: Remove and discard the whole bay leaf and star anise if used. Taste the finished curry and adjust with optional extra salt and cayenne pepper. If you prefer a looser gravy, stir in a little separate extra water as needed.

    Uses Tender cooked chicken-and-vegetable curry · Extra salt, optional to taste at finishing · Cayenne pepper, optional to taste for more heat · Extra water, optional to thin the finished curry

    
13. 13

    Step 13: Divide the finished curry into six portions. If making curry rice, serve it with separately prepared Japanese short-grain rice; the rice amount is up to you.

    Uses Finished adjusted chicken curry · Ready cooked Japanese short-grain rice, optional to serve alongside