About
Mild, savory, and slightly sweet Japanese curry — kare raisu—is one of the most popular dishes in Japan and a fine example of yoshoku cooking, which are Western dishes (via the British via India) reinvented through traditional Japanese food principles. Tender chicken, carrots, and potatoes are simmered in a thick curry with perfectly balanced flavors and a hint of sweetness from honey and apple.
Curry blocks were invented to make it easy for busy people to whip up an “instant” pot of curry. The commercially made curry blocks are shelf-stable boxes of curry roux full of questionable ingredients, such as stabilizers, chemical flavorings, and preservatives.
Who needs that? We can make our own! They're a wonder to have on hand for a quick and delicious meal. Throw a frozen block into a pot with your other ingredients, add water, and dinner can be ready in fewer than 30 minutes.
You’ll learn to make a roux, find out why honey is added only at the end, and perhaps pick up a new knife skill — the Rangiri style of carrot cutting. You'll also gain a deeper understanding of washoku, the ancient Japanese food traditions that make meal preparation fun as well as transformative for your health.
Details
A materials fee of $30, included in the cost of the class, covers everything you will need.
Project
You'll make two curry blocks, one to take home along with a printed recipe, and another to use to make a pot of classic chicken kare raisu (there will be a vegetarian option, but not a vegan one). Rice, pickles, and rayu sauce (a sesame chili oil condiment) will be on hand for a proper kare raisu meal.
