JAPANESE CURRY RICE

Ingredients:

500gm ground beef
4 medium potatoes, diced
3 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
1 cloves garlic minced
2 chicken or beef cubes
2 tablespoon cooking oil
Salt to taste
4 cups water

Curry Roux:

3 tablespoon butter
¼ cup flour
1 onion, diced
1 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon ginger grated
4 tablespoon mild curry powder
1 teaspoon paprika or chili powder

Preparation:

1. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoon of cooking oil on medium heat.
2. Sautee onion and garlic until translucent.
3. Add the ground beef and brown it for 15 minutes.
4. Add the carrots and potatoes, stir a few times, and then add water and the chicken or beef cubes.
5. Bring to a boil, and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes.
6. While the meat is cooking, in a pan, heat 1 tablespoon butter on low heat.
7. Add flour and stir, cooking until the flour is blended and takes on a pale golden hue.
8. Add curry powder and chili powder, using the back of the spatula to blend it into a paste (roux). The roux will be powdery and dry.
9. In another pan, heat the remaining butter and sauté the onion on low heat until they're slightly browned. Add the garlic and ginger and continue to sauté for 2 minutes and add to the roux.
10. Take ½ cup of the gravy from the beef mixture and slowly add it to the roux, stirring constantly to form a smooth paste.
11. By spoonfuls, add the curry paste back to the beef mixture, stirring to dissolve.
12. Add salt.
13. Simmer the curry on low heat for 20-30 minutes, till the sauce thickened and the beef and vegetables are tender.
14. Serve curry with hot steamed rice. There should be approximately twice as much curry as rice in the bowl.

Note:

1) You can use Japanese udon or ramen to substitute the rice.
2) Curry mixes vary in ingredients and intensity, so adjust the spices accordingly to suite your taste.
3) Like a stew, there should be a lot of sauce, if the curry is too dry, add more water.