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Minced meat curry on a ceramic plate with white rice

Minced Meat Curry

Japanese Curry is the very definition of comfort food.  Every home in Japan has their own curry recipe, and mine is no exception.  If you enjoy Japanese curry you will love this version, and if you never tried Japanese curry…  well, what are you waiting for?

Minced Meat Curry is true Japanese comfort food.  Curry is extremely popular in Japan, and once you try this dish you will make it over and over again.

You can make Japanese curry with any almost any combination of meat or vegetables. I like to use ground pork; however, you can opt to substitute ground beef, ground chicken or ground turkey.  And you can make a vegetarian version by replacing the meat altogether with black beans or garbanzos.

The secret to any good curry is the roux, and thankfully, there is no shortage of delicious curry roux available at the grocery store to make this dish quickly and easily.  I usually make curry over the stove, but sometimes I use a pressure cooker.

Minced Meat Curry is not only a wonderful dish served on its own, it is also used to enhance other dishes such as “curry omelette rice, curry udon, or tonkatsu (pork cutlet) curry. When I use curry as a topper, I dice the other vegetables into very small pieces and use ground meat. When making curry as a main course, cut the vegetable into larger pieces and use chunks of beef, pork or chicken instead of ground meat.

Minced Meat Curry (ひき肉のカレー)

Curry is a one pot dish and the entire recipe can be made in a large saucepan or a pressure cooker. You will also need a wooden spoon, a cutting board, a knife and a peeler to prepare the ingredients.

Try this delicious curry one time and you will be hooked for life.

PREP COOKING YIELD
15 Minutes 45 Minutes 6 Servings
PREP 15 Minutes
COOKING 45 Minutes
YIELD 6 Servings
Minced meat curry on a ceramic plate with white rice

Ingredients:

  • 1 TBSP Olive oil
  • 1/2 lb ground pork – you can also substitute another ground meat such as chicken or beef (225 g )
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped finely
  • 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped finely
  • 1 tomato, skin removed and cut into quarters
  • 1 cup chopped fresh spinach leaves, thoroughly washed and chopped (80 grams)
  • 1 medium potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 TBSP red miso 
  • 2 TBSP tomato ketchup
  •  3 1/2 cups of water (830 ml)
  • 1/2 box (23 grams) medium (spice level 2) Vermont curry roux, chopped finely

Instructions:

  • Brown: In a large saucepan or stockpot first sauté the meat and onions on medium high heat until the meat is browned

  • Mix: Stir in all remaining ingredients except the water and the roux. Add water and bring to a boil.

  • Mix in the roux and water.  Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes stirring occasionally.

  • Serve: Serve over hot rice.  Add hot sauce if desired

Alternate cooking method using a pressure cooker

  • Combine: Combine all ingredients except water and olive oil in the cooking pot (olive oil is not used when using the pressure cooker).  Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.  Add water.
  • Cook: Cover and seal the pressure cooker.  Heat the pressure cooker.  Cook under full pressure for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Slow release after cooking.
  • Serve: Serve over hot rice.  Add hot sauce if desired.

Notes:

  1. If you like your curry hotter, you can use a hotter version of the roux. Serve some hot sauce on the side and let your guests season it themselves.
  2. I use Vermont Curry roux. Vermont curry is made by House, a well known food manufacturer in Japan. Japanese curry roux is available at Asian grocery stores or through Amazon.
  3. When using a pressure cooker, the curry will come out of the pressure cooker with a thin consistency.  It’s delicious as is, but if you like it thicker then let it cool, refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and then reheat on medium heat in a saucepan.
  4. The red miso paste is optional.  Although it adds a a unique flavor to the dish, it is also delicious without the miso
  5. Curry can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 6 months.

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