Kare Raisu: Japanese Curry Rice

Curry − Japanese style! − is one of the most popular dishes in Japan. Here, it's usually thicker and milder than its Indian equivalent. It's safe to say that Japanese curry is very different from Indian curry; People who don't like their food very spicy can enjoy Japanese curry rice.
Japanese curry uses a wide variety of meat and vegetables. The basic vegetables used are onions, carrots, and potatoes. It's commonly served with white rice. Each Japanese family develops their own favorite taste, adding grated apples, honey, and other ingredients. This time I'd like to present my home's very own recipe, using canned tomatoes and ground pork. The tomatoes make the taste milder, and using ground meat makes it easy to eat for young children or older people.
It's said that curry was introduced to Japan during the Meiji era (1869-1913) from Europe − probably from the U.K., since at that time India was under the control of the British East India Company. Since then, Japan has adapted curry to its own taste.
Now curry rice is one of the most popular hot lunch menus in Japanese elementary schools. From my own elementary school years I remember how happy I was any day that curry rice was on the cafeteria menu.
One reason why this type of curry is so popular in Japan is that it's very easy to make, compared to many other Japanese dishes. Using a ready-made curry sauce mix, it can be prepared in less than an hour. Commercial curry sauce mixes cook onions, carrots and potatoes thoroughly and add curry powder and wheat flour. Dehydrated mixes come pressed into the form of a block and can be found in local supermarkets that have a Japanese section, or in Asian food stores. Normally the mixes have three levels of spiciness? very hot, hot, and mild ? so you can choose according to your own taste.
Why don't you try Japanese curry rice and put a variety to your curry recipes?

Written by Mami Miyagawa
A member of TranNet and freelance translator based in Paris


♦ INGREDIENTS
(10 servings)
pkg  = package
g    = gram
T    = tablespoon
c    = cup

1 pkg    curry sauce mix* (200 g)
400 g    ground pork
3        onions, minced (600 g)
1 can    stewed tomatoes, diced (200 g)
2 T      salad oil
6 c      water (1200 ml)

* Japanese curry sauce mix can be found at Asian markets.

♦ How to make Japanese curry rice
1. Mince the onions finely.
2. Warm a big stew pan over medium heat and pour in the salad oil.
3. Cook the onions thoroughly until they turn golden.
4. Add pork and cook thoroughly.
5. Add canned tomatoes and stir the mixture.
6. Pour in the water and cook about 10 minutes. When the mixture boils, skim the scum off the top.
7. Turn off the heat. Break the curry sauce mix into small blocks and add to the mixture. Stir the ingredients thoroughly. Reheat the pan over low heat for 10 minutes.
8. Serve while hot, with the white rice.

Fish species are written using a variety of kanji. Each epecies has its own kanji name. It's said that not all such kanji names originated in China: many were created in Japan. Let's study the origins and meanings of fish names.