Japanese-Style Curry (Karei Raisu)

Preparation Heat the butter and oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat until the butter melts and bubbles. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s translucent and slightly wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, just until the pieces are no longer pink on the outside, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and carrots, stir well, and add 7 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, skim off any froth that appears on the surface, then reduce the heat to maintain a strong simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is very tender, about 1 hour. Add the curry paste and salt and continue cooking, stirring and scraping the bottom frequently, for 15 minutes more. To store, cool to room temperature and keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Divide the rice among shallow bowls, spoon on the curry, and serve immediately. Cooks' NoteFor my curry, I recommend using a highly traditional boxed product called Vermont Curry. Yes, you read that right. You’ve probably seen boxes of Vermont Curry in Asian markets and wondered, “What the heck are these doing here?” Well, they’re there because the seasoning blocks make delicious curry! The ingredient list makes for intriguing reading— banana and apple paste, honey, fenugreek, cheese!— but pay no attention to the slightly scary photo on the box. Your curry will look much better. From Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking © 2016 by Masaharu Morimoto. Reprinted by permission of Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon.

Preparation Heat the butter and oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat until the butter melts and bubbles. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s translucent and slightly wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, just until the pieces are no longer pink on the outside, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and carrots, stir well, and add 7 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, skim off any froth that appears on the surface, then reduce the heat to maintain a strong simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is very tender, about 1 hour. Add the curry paste and salt and continue cooking, stirring and scraping the bottom frequently, for 15 minutes more. To store, cool to room temperature and keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Divide the rice among shallow bowls, spoon on the curry, and serve immediately. Cooks' NoteFor my curry, I recommend using a highly traditional boxed product called Vermont Curry. Yes, you read that right. You’ve probably seen boxes of Vermont Curry in Asian markets and wondered, “What the heck are these doing here?” Well, they’re there because the seasoning blocks make delicious curry! The ingredient list makes for intriguing reading— banana and apple paste, honey, fenugreek, cheese!— but pay no attention to the slightly scary photo on the box. Your curry will look much better. From Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking © 2016 by Masaharu Morimoto. Reprinted by permission of Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon.