Paul's One-Pot Curry

Paul wimped out on Tuesday when he was supposed to make curry (we went out to eat...bad bad Paul ;) ), so our dinners all got pushed back a day. He ended up making it on Wednesday. He's had people ask him how he makes his curry, but he's never written it down, so I'm going to attempt to write down the recipe from what I've seen him do and what he's told me.

First, you need to buy a curry mix such as this one:


We use this brand a lot. It's available at pretty much any grocery store in the Asian foods aisle. For this recipe (which can serve about four people, or if you're like us, two people with enough for lunch the next day), you'll need either a small box ("5 servings") or half of a bigger box ("8 servings").

Paul's One-Pot Curry (note: This is Japanese style curry. It's similar in consistency to a thick stew.)
Ingredients:
Curry Sauce Mix (see above)
Water (measured according to box of curry sauce mix)
dash of oil
1 lb of meat (chicken works well, but Paul's favorite is to buy thinly sliced beef at the Japanese grocery store)
1 large potato (or 2 small ones), diced
1/2 large white onion (or 1 small one), coarsely diced
2 c. carrots, diced

Directions:
Before you start making the curry you should start cooking your rice. No instant rice allowed. ;) If you're going for authenticity, you should use short grain Japanese rice. We like Calrose. Then, take a large pot and pour a dash of oil in the bottom. Add the diced onions and the meat and cook until meat is done and onions are tender. Next, add the water. Use the amount indicated on the package of curry mix. Paul said it always seems like not enough to him at first, but it always ends up right in the end. Add the carrots and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Remove from heat and add the curry mix. You'll want to break up the curry into small pieces when you add it. Stir until the mix has completely dissolved. The curry is ready at this point, but if you're still waiting on your rice, you might have to keep it warm by putting it back on low heat.


This time, Paul mixed half white and half brown rice, which gives the rice a slightly different flavor and texture. I like it, but I think with curry I prefer just white.