Vegetarian Japanese Kare (curry) and Rice

Curry Rice or Kare Rice is brought to Japan by Britishers when they rules Japan. So its mixture of Indian flavors and Japanese but its very different than Indian or Thai curries. Japanese curry is very thick like a stew and its perfectly go with rice. Japanese curry is a mixture of flour , butter and curry powder. You can make it vegan by adding oil instead of butter. You can find readymade curry cubes just like chocolates cubes in store but I didn't wanted to buy it in packet and missed out that home cooked feeling. So I made it from scratch and it was easy and it smells so good. 

You can choose your own vegetables but don't keep all soft vegetables, firm vegetables like carrot, potato, mushroom really goes well in this curry and its like a stew consistency so that kind of vegetables goes well too. Always cut your vegetables in same length so it cooks at same time. Don't overcook vegetables , mushy vegetables ruin the dish. and try to use colorful vegetables to give dish nice look, after all we are eating with the eyes first. 

Ingredients : 

Curry roux: 

3 tbsp. unsalted butter

4 tbsp. all purpose flour

1 tbsp. curry powder

1 tbsp. garam masala

1/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper 

Curry ingredients : 

1 onion cut in match sticks

1 carrot

1 each red and yellow pepper

1/2 tofu - cubes

1 sweet potatoes

4 mushrooms

4 asparagus

1 tsp grated ginger and garlic each

Seasonings 

1 cup Vegetable stock

salt and pepper as per the taste

Method : 

To make the curry roux : 

In a non stick pan, melt the butter completely over medium heat and then add the flour. Stir to combine the flour and butter. The mixture starts as thick but it will becomes more liquid form. Reduce the heat to low and continue to stir for 15 or so minutes. 

The mixture will darken in the color , make sure you don't burn it , it just have to be right color not to brown or black, 

Add 1 tbsp. curry powder and mix well. Add 1 tbsp. garam masala and cayenne pepper powder. 

Mix well to combine and cook stirring for 20 seconds more. Then transfer the roux in to a bowl and keep aside. 

Now lets make curry :

In a same pot, add vegetables texture wise, first goes hard vegetables who take more time to cook and then rest. 

Add ginger and garlic and mix. 

Let the vegetables steam for 5 minutes. 

Add vegetable broth and  add 2-3 roux  mix and mix it together , add more broth if you think your curry is too thick. or add more roux if its too thin. 

cook for a minute till all nice and mixed. 

Serve hot with just plain white rice. 

Not Fried Kolhapuri Kat Vada

This is a very interesting recipe with our usual bataka vada dunk in spicy gravy which is called Kat and served it with sev and onions. Usually Bataka vada is deep fried but I never made it that way, I always use my paniyaram pan to make those so there its one benefit its healthy and no extra calorie.  And for the kat or gravy its very simple , mainly ingredients are used in misal but here we have to make thin gravy and dunk our vadas and have it for a side dish or lunch or dinner. 

To write down its lengthy but don't get discourage by that , Its three process, first make stuffing for bataka vada, fry / not fried it , make Kat paste and make kat and just assemble. 

you don't have to follow my recipe for bataka vada, if you have yours. I am still going to post it, Just follow kat recipe and you are all set. 

For Bataka Vada mixture

2 tsp oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 finely chopped chili

few curry leaves

1 tsp Turmeric powder

3 boiled potatoes

Salt as per taste

lemon juice as per taste

finely chopped coriander leaves

For Besan for vada

1 1/2 cup besan / Chickpea flour

2 tbsp. rice flour

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp carom seeds

salt as per taste

water as needed 

1/4 tsp baking soda

few drops of oil for pan or if you are frying then enough oil for that

For Kat masala paste

2 tsp oil

2 pods cardamom

1/2 inch cinnamon

2 cloves

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp poppy seeds /  khuskhus

1 sliced onion

2 cloves of garlic chopped

1 tomato chopped

2 tbsp. dry coconut powder

For to make Kat (Rasa)

2 tbsp. oil

pinch of hing

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder

1/4 tsp garam masala powder

3 cup water

salt as per taste

to serve - chopped onions, sev and chopped coriander leaves. 

Method for Bataka vada : 

In a pan, add oil , when its hot, add cumin, chili, garlic , curry leaves and hing.

Add turmeric powder also and add mashed potatoes in it. 

Add salt and mix everything and taste it.

Add lemon juice and coriander and mix again and let it cool down till you make better from besan. 

Take besan and rice flour, add powder masala, salt , ajwain and make mix it. 

Add water as required and make sure batter is lump free. 

add baking soda and mix it again. 

now if you are frying, heat up the oil , if you are not and using paniyaram pan, heat up the pan, add few drops of oil in all cavities.

Make a small ball sized potato mixture and dip in besan batter and put it in pan. 

Cook it from all the sides and finish all same way and keep it aside on cooling rack. 

Method for Kat : 

In a pan, add oil and add all whole spices including poppy seeds

After minute , add onion and garlic, cook till onions turn golden brown.

Add tomatoes and cook till its mushy.

Add coconut and sauté slightly. 

Cool completely and then blend it in a smooth paste, add water as required. 

In a same deep pan, add oil, hing , turmeric powder, chili powder and garam masala. 

Sauté for a minute. 

Add blended masala paste and sauté till the oil separates. 

Add 3 cups of water , salt and mix it. 

Cover and let it boil for 10 minutes or till oil separates.

Kat is ready. 

To serve : 

Put two vadas in a deep bowl. 

pour generous amount of kat on top of it so it goes inside of the vadas too. 

Top it with chopped onion, sev and coriander leaves. 

Vegan Jamaican Curry Tofu

So I got so many scotch bonnet peppers, some I pickled it (recipe is coming soon), some I gave away and kept few to make some Jamaican curry. this is by far very simple but flavorful vegan curry with tofu but you can make it with chicken too. 

Curry is very famous in Jamaica since it has a very large populations from Indian descent and that influence you can see in their food too. This dish is a classic combination of Indian and Jamaican spices and very hearty. There is no fancy ingredients , just simple few over the pantry spices and you are done. 

I have used tofu but you can use paneer, potatoes, chicken or any thing. 

Ingredients :

1 block of firm tofu drained

2 tbsp. Curry powder

1 Carrot chopped

1 onion chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 tsp fresh thyme

1 whole scotch bonnet pepper

1/2 tsp allspice ground or crushed

Salt and pepper as per taste

2 tbsp. oil

1 cup water

Method :

Cut drained tofu in to small cubes and season with curry powder, garlic and salt and pepper

Heat oil in a pan, add tofu and cook until browned on all sides. Don't burn the curry otherwise it will be bitter

Add remaining ingredients with water and put the whole scotch bonnet pepper on top.

Cover the pan and reduce heat and cook it for 15 minutes. 

Remove from heat and carefully remove pepper. You don't want to pierce it otherwise whole dish will be ruined by the spice of that pepper. 

Serve with white, brown, jasmine rice. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not Fried Vada Curry

Vada curry is a very popular south Indian curry made with deep fried chana dal vada  and put that in onion tomato gravy and serve it with mainly with set dosa but you can have it with poori, idli or dosa too. 

Here I have made it in paniyaram pan so its not fried and still taste the same. This dish has no typical South Indian flavor  but still taste amazing. I had it here in one restaurant and since then I wanted to make it home, but after making it I realized that this is South Indian answer to North Indian Vadi. In North , vadi is from mung dal or black eye peas , this is from Chana dal and some different masala but hey , hubby loved it so all good. Generally two things are enough, set dosa and vada curry but my kids were having dosa with masala and sambar and chutney I have it too. I have used leftover dal mixture on next day to make chana dal tikki for lunch. 

Ingredients : 

For Vada : 

1 cup Chana dal

1/2 tbsp. Fennel seeds 

1 Green chili

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp. Coriander leaves

few curry leaves

salt as per taste

Oil as needed in paniyaram , and if you are frying then oil for frying

Method : 

soak Chana dal for 3-4 hours. 

Wash and drain the water and put the dal in blender along with fennel seeds, cumin , coriander , curry leaves and salt. 

don't add any water in this. You don't need fine paste.

Now take it out and heat up the paniyaram pan. Add few drops of oil in cavities and add small amount of chana dal mixture in it and cover and cook it on low to medium flame. When its cooked on on side, turn it and cook on other side. make sure its cook from inside too that's why keep the flame on low. 

If you are deep frying make very tiny balls and drop it in the oil and fry it. 

    

                                                        

Once its cold , make small pieces of it. 

Now let's make the curry.

Ingredients for the curry : 

2 tbsp. oil

1 bay leaf

1 inch cinnamon

2 cloves

1/2 tbsp. fennel seeds

Pinch of Hing

1 finely chopped onion

1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste

1 green chili finely chopped

few curry leaves

1/2 tbsp. Turmeric powder

1/2 tbsp. Kashmiri red chili powder

1/2 tbsp. cumin coriander powder

1 tomato chopped

salt as per taste

1/2 cup coconut milk 

for garnishing chopped coriander leaves & Mint Leaves

Method : 

In a pan, add oil and add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, fennel and Hing and cook till you get nice fragrance of the masala. 

Add onion and cook for few minutes till it becomes pink. 

Add ginger garlic, chili and curry leaves. 

Sauté till the raw smell goes away. 

Then Add turmeric, chili powder, cumin coriander powder and salt. 

Stir it to mix it and add tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes are cook and oil leaves the masala. 

Add water and coconut milk. Add more water since vada will soak up all the water while its cooking in the gravy. Add few of those chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves in the gravy.

Add now small pieces of vada and mix well. 

Cover and let it cook for 5-6 minutes till the curry thickens. 

When its done, sprinkle fresh coriander and serve it with set dosa or idli.