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Japanese Soup Curry

dclarkabal
A lighter take on your idea of curry
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Ingredients
  

For Soup Curry

  • 2 carrots cut into small pieces
  • 1 rib celery diced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tbsp grated ginger fresh
  • 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 3 cups chicken stock/broth
  • 1 piece Japanese curry roux
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 cups white rice

For "Su-age" Vegetables

  • 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
  • 1 russet potato
  • 1/2 eggplant
  • sliced lotus root
  • 1/2 kobocha or butternut squash

Instructions
 

For Soup Curry

  • Start the white rice on the stove or in a rice cooker.
  • Pat chicken with paper towel to remove any moisture. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pot. Brown the chicken in batches, skin side down first.
  • Add the diced onion and butter to the pot. Sauté until translucent, about 7-8 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and ginger and mix all together. Sauté about 1 minute more.
  • Add 1 piece Japanese curry roux, 1 Tbsp curry powder, and 1 tsp garam masala. Stir to coat the onion mixture in the spices. Add 1 Tbsp tomato paste and sauté until fragrant.
  • Gradually add half the chicken broth, scraping the brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the honey and stir to incorporate it. Transfer the chicken back to the pot.
  • Add the carrots and the rest of the chicken broth. (We added some leftover chicken gravy. You can also add mushrooms at this point.)
  • Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Simmer for approx 30-40 min, until the chicken is cooked all the way through and the carrots have softened.

For "Su-age" Vegetables

  • Lotus Root: slice thinly and soak in water for about 10 minutes. If pre-sliced, just pat dry.
  • Kabocha / Butternut Squash: slice thinly
  • Potato: cut into 6-8 wedges and soak in water for about 10 minutes to remove the starch.
  • Eggplant: Right before deep frying (otherwise it’ll change color), cut the eggplant into wedges and cut the skin side in criss-cross pattern. This creates a nice design and helps to absorb more flavors.
  • Make sure to remove moisture from the vegetables with a paper towel before frying.
  • Add 1 cup of oil to a frying pan or pot. Deep fry the vegetables until they take on a crisp, slightly browned color, and drain the excess oil on a paper towel or wire rack. Times will vary per vegetable, the potatoes will take the longest.

To Serve

  • Put the soup curry in a bowl and top with fried vegetables. Serve with steamed white rice on the side.