日本雞肉咖喱（自制咖喱塊）

Gather all the ingredients.

Cut 2 onions into wedges. I like to have the texture of the onions in my curry, so I cut them into thick wedges. If you prefer, you can mince or thinly slice the onions so they disintegrate into the sauce.

Peel 2 carrots and cut them into rolling wedges (it‘s called rangiri in Japanese). This type of cut creates more surface area, which helps the carrots absorb more flavor and cook faster.

Peel 3 Yukon gold potatoes and cut them into quarters. Soak them in water for 15 minutes to remove excess starch.

Tip: Yukon gold potatoes hold their shape well. You can use russet potatoes, but they tend to disintegrate into the broth during cooking, so cut them into 6 pieces each and add to the pot toward the end of cooking.

Grate the ginger (I use a ceramic grater) and measure 1 tsp ginger with the juice. Set aside. Mince 2 cloves garlic and set aside (I use a garlic press later when adding to the pot).

Cut 0.5 apple into quarters, remove the core, and peel the skin.

Grate the apple and set aside. Note: You also could use 1 small lunchbox apple for 8 servings.

Cut off the extra fat from 680 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs and discard it. Then, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. I recommend cutting it diagonally (it‘s called sogigiri in Japanese) to create more surface area and flatten each piece so it cooks faster. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

Tip: If you will use homemade curry roux, you can lightly season the chicken with kosher salt as well.

Heat 1.5 Tbsp neutral oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the onion.

Sauté the onions, stirring occasionally, until they become translucent and tender, about 5 minutes. Don‘t stir the onions too often because they won’t develop a golden color. Cooked onions add amazing flavor, so we do not want to skip this step. If you have an extra 5 minutes, definitely caramelize the onions!

Add the minced garlic (I pass it through a garlic press for a finer texture) and grated ginger and mix well together.

Add the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until it‘s no longer pink on the outside. If the onions are getting too brown, reduce the heat to medium low temporarily.

Add 960 ml chicken stock/broth. To reduce the sodium, you can substitute with water only or use half stock and half water, if you prefer.

Tip: If you‘re using my homemade curry roux, you don‘t need to worry as it does not contain salt.

Add the grated apple, 1 Tbsp honey, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp ketchup (or any condiment you choose to add).

Add the carrots and Yukon gold potatoes (if you‘re using russet potatoes, add them later in the last 15–20 minutes of cooking). The broth should barely cover the ingredients. Don‘t worry; we don‘t want too much liquid here, and additional liquid will be released from the meat and vegetables.

Simmer, covered*, on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
*Simmer uncovered if the ingredients are completely submerged in the broth.

Once boiling, use a fine-mesh strainer to skim the scum and foam from the surface of the broth.

Continue to cook covered until a wooden skewer goes through the carrots and potatoes.

Turn off the heat. From 1 package Japanese curry roux, put 1–2 cubes in a ladleful of cooking liquid. Slowly let it dissolve with a spoon or chopsticks and stir into the pot to incorporate. Repeat with the rest of the blocks, 2 cubes at a time.

Tip: I use 1 full-sized box of store-bought curry roux, which is typically for 8–12 servings (be careful, as some brands offer a smaller box, which is 4 servings). With my homemade curry roux, I typically use 6–7 cubes for 8 servings (about 80% of the curry roux mixture if it hasn‘t solidified yet).

Simmer, uncovered, on medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the curry becomes thick, about 5–10 minutes. If your curry is too thick, you can add water to thin the sauce. When you stir, make sure that no roux or food is stuck to the bottom of the pot; otherwise, it may burn.

If you use my unsalted homemade curry roux, taste the curry now and add salt to your liking.

Tip: I recommend adding 2–4 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, but this will vary based on the brand of the chicken broth and condiments you added.

Serve the curry with steamed Japanese short-grain rice on the side. If you like, garnish with fukujinzuke (Japanese red pickled vegetables)

To Make a Brown Roux
In a small saucepan, melt 100 g unsalted butter over low to medium-low heat (you can cut the butter into small pieces first).

When the butter is completely melted, add 100 g all-purpose flour (plain flour). With a blunt-end wooden spatula, stir to combine the butter and flour.

Soon, the butter and flour will fuse and swell. Cook for 20–25 minutes over low heat. Stir constantly because the roux burns easily. If the roux starts separating, switch to a whisk and mix vigorously.

The roux will turn golden brown. You can even go for a bit darker color

To Make the Curry Roux:
Add 24 g Japanese curry powder, 6 g garam masala, and 2 g cayenne pepper (optional) to the roux. Tip: If you can‘t find garam masala, you can add more curry powder or (individual garam masala spices) in its place.

Cook and stir for 30 seconds and remove from the heat. You can use the roux immediately (see the instructions below) or mold it into a block.