Japanese Spicy Vegetable Curry Recipe

Hi guys! Back here today with a recipe that means a lot to me! This recipe brings back a lot of memories from when I met my boyfriend and every time we eat this, we just love it because of what it means (and also how good it tastes).

I also have a new feature to introduce to you! I will be updating, along with my recipes, a printable version of each new recipe. You will find it next to the text in the posts, like in this case. If you click on the preview of the recipe, you will get a PDF file that you’ll be able to save and look at afterwards if you wish to do so (And if you do, tell me about your results!)

The recipe I’m talking about is japanese vegetable curry. Our first date (even though we did not know it was date at the time) was at Coco Curry. We were living in Seoul and we thought curry was a great idea for dinner so that’s what we did. We ate curry and we ordered the XL sized portions which wasn’t such a great idea. We talked for so long that even though we had ordered the XL sized portions, we felt alright. So yeah, five years later, vegetable curry (even if it’s not the original coco curry one) always bring back sweet memories.

Before this recipe post starts to be one of those “endless” stories before the actual recipe appears and I go down memory lane way too deep, let’s get down to business!

Disclaimer: This is my own interpretation of japanese veggie curry. I like it this way and that’s how I want to share it with you.

Difficulty: 2/5	Prep time: 10 minutes
Type: Japanese, curry dish, spicy; Lunch/Dinner	Cook time: 30 minutes Total time : 40 minutes

Ingredients

Serves 3 people:

These quantities gave us 2 large servings (lunch) and 1 large tupper.

• 1 onion (diced)
• 1 eggplant (diced)
• 1 leek (julianned)
• 2 carrots (sliced)
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 cup of rice (side of curry) + 1 1/2 of water
• 1 package of this curry sauce (When it comes to busy nights, it’s easier to use these already pre-made sauces, specially when they are quite close to the original flavor, in my opinion). The one I usually use is the hot one, but there are other levels of spiciness.
• 3 eggs (You probably noticed I have a tendency to “top” my plates with eggs; A post specifically dedicated to eggs will be coming soon).

Method

You can cook the rice and the vegetables at the same time if you feel comfortable with that. If not, cook the vegetables first, then the rice. You will be adding hot “curry” sauce to the veggies so they will not be cold.

Veggies:

1. Reheat pan and add olive oil.
2. Once oil is hot, add the diced onion and let it cook for 1-2 minutes until translucid.
3. Add eggplant and carrots and mix well. Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add the leek and cover the pan with a lid. Reduce heat to medium and let it cook for 5 more minutes or until veggies are cooked through. You want them to still have its original texture but cooked. For instance, the carrot should still have a bit of a crunch.
5. Put aside.

Rice:

1. For every cup of rice, add 1 1/2 cups of water.
2. Rinse the rice thoroughly.
3. Bring the water to boil and once boiling, reduce heat to medium.
4. Add the rice and let it cook until there is no more water (usually around 10-12 minutes). If when there is no water left, the rice is still a bit hard, add a bit of water and repeat the process.

Golden curry sauce:

Normally I’d say “follow package instructions”, and if you want to do that go ahead and skip this section. I tweak a bit the golden curry sauce to make it a bit creamier and more to my own taste. This is what I do:

1. In a large pot, add the veggies, add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of coconut milk.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Add the golden curry package portion.
4. Cook for around 5 minutes or until sauce & veggies are thoroughly mixed.

Serve the rice and the veggies in a bowl, and as per tradition, top with an egg!

The result is a lovely, warm and somewhat spicy comfort food that will fill you up and also give you tons of nutrients and vegetables. I know there are healthier ways to make this dish, but when you just want something you love, you got to treat yourself. And I hope you guys do the same!