Food-2

Japanese Curry With Winter Squash and Mushrooms

May 27, 2024

By Admin
Green Delights

First popularized in the Japanese navy, kare raisu or Japanese curry rice, is a cultural icon and a weeknight comfort food staple enjoyed by countless families across Japan and abroad. Most home cooks rely on concentrated bricks of store-bought S&B Golden Curry sauce mix or Vermont Curry to make the signature thick and rich sauce. As a child, former senior food editor Christina Chaey thought those spiced blocks were magic. As an adult, she realized she could make her own easily—sans preservatives and fillers—and probably save a few bucks along the way.

Ingredients

4 servings

Tbsp. unsalted butter

cup all-purpose flour

cup S&B curry powder

tsp. garam masala

Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided

oz. mixed mushrooms (such as maitake, royal trumpet, shiitake, and/or crimini), torn or sliced into 2″ pieces

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

large onion, chopped

medium carrot, peeled, sliced on a diagonal ½” thick

celery stalks, sliced on a diagonal ½” thick

garlic cloves, finely chopped

1″ piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped

cups low-sodium vegetable broth

oz. kabocha squash, scrubbed, or other winter squash, peeled, seeds removed, cut into 1″ pieces (about 2½ cups)

Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. honey

Thinly sliced scallions and cooked short-grain rice (for serving)

Preparation

Step 1

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking often, until roux is light golden brown, 5–8 minutes. Stir in curry powder and garam masala and cook, stirring, until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; set curry roux aside.

Step 2

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Cook mushrooms, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small bowl; reserve saucepan.

Step 3

Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in reserved saucepan over medium. Add onion, carrot, and celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are slightly softened and onion is translucent, 6–8 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add squash and mushrooms; simmer gently until liquid is reduced by a third and vegetables are very tender, 20–25 minutes. Whisk in honey and reserved curry roux until incorporated and roux is lump-free. Simmer, whisking occasionally, until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5–10 minutes. Taste curry and season with more salt if needed.

Step 4

Divide curry among shallow bowls; top with scallions. Serve with rice.

Do ahead: Curry can be made 4 days ahead; let cool. Transfer to an airtight container; cover and chill.