140 have already made this dish!
The preparation:
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Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Cut the potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic and ginger into any size you like. We recommend quartering the onions and dicing the potato. Chop the ginger and garlic very finely.
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At the same time, cook the rice (see instructions). The easiest way is to cook it in a rice cooker, but a normal pot will also give you the desired result.
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Sauté the onions with ginger and garlic over medium heat with a little oil until the onions turn golden brown.
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Then add the meat and brown it briefly. If the meat sticks, add more oil.
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Once the meat is no longer pink on the outside, add the water, potatoes and carrots and turn the heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes with the lid closed. But be careful not to let it boil over!
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When the soup is cooked, carefully remove the foam that has formed on the surface. But make sure you don't wash away too much of the precious broth. Usually 2 tablespoons of foam per serving should be enough.
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Turn off the heat, add the curry spice mix and stir well for a few minutes.
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Enjoy the traditional Japanese dish Karē Raisu! Ittadakimasu!
Table of contents:
Summary
Kare Raisu, or カレーライス, is a beloved Japanese curry dish that originated in the 19th century when it was introduced by the British. This simple and quick-to-make meal consists of Japanese curry served with rice, typically enjoyed with a spoon rather than chopsticks. Popular accompaniments include pickled vegetables and salads, such as sweet-sour pickled onions, cucumber salad with mayonnaise, and traditional fermented pickles. The dish can be easily prepared using curry powders, cubes, or pastes, with a basic method involving sautéing vegetables and meat, followed by adding water and curry seasoning. Kare Raisu is part of a broader category of curry dishes in Japan, which also includes variations like Karē Udon, Karē Donburi, and Karē Pan. Each version offers a unique twist on the classic curry experience, making it a versatile and popular choice in Japanese cuisine.Karē Raisu/ Kare Raisu (Jap. カレーライス from Engl. "curry rice") was introduced to Japan by the British in the 19th century and has since become a staple in Japanese cuisine. One of the main arguments for this dish is its quick and easy preparation. With curry tablets, powders and ready-made curry pastes, it's now a breeze to cook the Japanese recipe.
Karē is not eaten with chopsticks, but with a spoon. One of the most popular Karē forms is "Karē Raisu", which can be described as "Japanese curry with rice". Curry and rice are served in a single plate and not separately, as is otherwise common in Japanese cuisine.
Karē Raisu goes well with pickled vegetables and salads. My personal favorite sides for Karē Raisu are pickled onions, which can also be found in German supermarkets, cucumber salad with mayonnaise and corn or also traditionally fermented pickles, eggplant, etc.
Karē spice
You can order the mild variant* or also the spicy variant* for example via Amazon. Preparation is child's play: Fry vegetables, add meat and water, then bring to a boil. Finally, add the curry paste or powder and your Karē Raisu is ready. I wish you lots of fun cooking and enjoy your meal. Itadakimasu!
Karē Raisu sides
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Salad (either classic, e.g. with cucumbers or Japanese with seaweed)
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Rakyo (Japanese pickled pearl onions, which taste sweet and sour and only have a slight onion flavor. They are served cold as a garnish on the Kare or in a separate bowl)
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Pickled vegetables (Skemono)
Why do these three things go so well with curry? They are all light and slightly sour and are a perfect complement to the hot, spicy curry. This can be perfectly described with a Japanese term: "sappari". Sappari means roughly "refreshing" - but there is no exact German translation. Sappari is, for example, when you drink a cold beer on a hot summer day! Even if you've just done something strenuous, you might crave "sappari". In the case of curry, which is usually not hot but intensely seasoned, the combination with salad and pickled vegetables refreshes the mouth - and that's sappari.
Karē dishes
There are many other Japanese dishes that can be made with Karē. I've compiled a short list for you:
Karē-Raisu
Curry with rice: Consists of half rice and half Kare, served in a soup bowl and eaten with a spoon. It goes well with various side dishes: salads of all kinds, Rakyo (pickled pearl onions) and other pickled vegetables
Karē Udon
Curry with thick noodles: Udon is usually eaten in a tuna broth (Dashi), but in this case it is replaced with Karē.
Karē Donburi
Thick curry with rice: Served in a bowl. The curry is placed directly on the rice and is slightly thicker than ordinary Karē
Karē Pan
Curry with fried bread (I think it's delicious!). If we've cooked Karē, there will definitely be some left over the next day. We usually use it the next day for breakfast as a spread for toast. Karē also goes well in sandwiches with meat. Try it - it tastes perfect!
Other uses of Karē
The curry powder or cooked curry is used in a variety of ways - not just in classic curry. There is also "Dry-Karē", i.e. dry curry. This refers to ground beef with curry flavor, which is crumbled and fried. Karē is also used as a spice for soups and sauces.
Ready-made Karē
There are not only tablets and powder for making Karē, but also ready-cooked Karē packed in aluminum pouches. You can get it in various variations: sweet, spicy, with Indian or Thai influences. This Karē just needs to be heated up, either in the microwave or with the packaging in hot water. Ready-made Karē is very popular in Japan because of course you save a lot of cooking time and only have to prepare rice. And you can also buy that in the microwave version, which is ready in no time. Ready-made Karē with rice is a standard single meal - and a very tasty, nutritious meal! Good ready-made Karēs from better brands are usually indistinguishable from the homemade version - only meat and vegetables are saved in the ready-made product. The most significant difference between freshly cooked and ready-made Karē: The homemade version comes with lots of chewy ingredients, the ready-made version is very soft and has little to chew on! That's why our grandma loves the ready-made Karēs so much :)
Comments
Just came across your blog – it’s super beautiful and has great recipes! I just followed you on Pinterest :) Keep it up! Kare is on our menu about every 2 weeks or so, too. I especially like the "Java Curry." Sometimes we also add a bit of jam and a dash of ketchup. Super delicious! :)
Hi Finn, thanks for your compliment :) Best, Ryu
Hello! The information says that it is gluten-free. However, isn't it the case that the curry cube you use contains flour?
Hallo Betül, thank you very much for your comment. You are absolutely right, the cubes contain wheat. We made a mistake there and have corrected the information. Best regards Ryu from RyuKoch
hi while searching for Japanese curry I ended up here and tried it right away. Absolutely amazing taste, I’m already looking forward to the next awesome recipes :-))
Hallo Suzu, thank you very much, we're really happy about that, especially when someone has tried our recipes and enjoyed them. Best regards, Ryusei
Hello you two So, some time ago I made this curry, and since I'm the only one in my family who likes it spicy, I made both versions—one mild and one spicy. First of all, I have to say that both were very tasty, although the spicy version didn't really win me over at first. Until the next day, when I reheated the leftovers and it had really developed its flavors. And nice and spicy, just the way I like it. It got spicier each time I reheated it. =) Best regards, Marcel
Hallo Marcel, that's right, Kare Raisu actually tastes quite different the next day. I also like it very much :) You can even freeze the curry and preserve it for a few weeks. Best regards, Ryusei Hosono
I had wanted to try Japanese curry for a long time and finally cooked it following this recipe. First of all, I’m amazed at how easy it is and how well it turned out on the first try. As a lover of Indian and Thai curries, it was a bit too mild for me (even though I chose "Hot"), but that was to be expected. Maybe next time I’ll mix in a bit of chili powder. Also, it seems to me that the quantities listed for one person aren’t quite right. The amount of water was a bit too little and the total portion a bit too large, but that’s not really a criticism of the recipe itself. I’ll definitely cook it again, just with slightly adjusted quantities.
Hallo Dirk, I’m very happy that you managed to make a great Japanese curry. Yes, it’s very simple and above all, it also keeps well. Sometimes we cook Japanese curry and leave it in the fridge for 3-4 days. In Japanese cuisine, food is rarely eaten spicy, but since I also like it spicy, I always sprinkle chili flakes and chili paste on the curry. Best regards, Ryusei Hosono
So, I cooked it again. This time vegetarian with mushrooms instead of meat, a bit of soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce, and half a teaspoon of Indian chili powder. With the mushrooms, I actually like it even better than with meat, but I think there's still a lot you can experiment with. :)
Hallo Dirk,
that definitely sounds very tasty, I should try it sometime. Yes, absolutely, there are endless combinations.
Best regards
Ryusei from RyuKoch
Hello, do I need to use 6 large cubes for 6 servings? Or what does it mean with "6 bricks"? (I'm cooking Japanese curry for the first time)
Hallo Jennifer, you need to add regular bricks. Otherwise, just put in a little less and keep testing until the mixture is right. You can actually cook the curry with a bit fewer bricks; then it will be a little more watery, tastes very good, or with a bit more bricks, which will make it a bit thicker and more flavorful. Best regards, Ryu from RyuKoch
I used bell peppers instead of pork and added a bit more potatoes and carrots – it still tasted great :)
Hello :) I love your recipe and my boyfriend and I cook it about once a week, so thank you so much for that :) I have a question about the calorie information. Two weeks ago I started weighing everything and counting calories. You wrote that one serving has about 180 kcal. What weight is that based on? 100g? 250g? Thank you very much in advance.
Hi Puffy, we’re happy to hear that :) Yeah, it’s a bit tricky with our kcal information—normally, we state the kcal/100g of the recipe. But since many of our dishes are so varied, it tends to differ quite a bit. But as mentioned, in general it’s kcal/100g. You should also try the Korean curry; personally, I think it’s even tastier :) Just copy this link into your browser: https://ryukoch.com/de/rezepte/curry-reis/ Best regards, Matthias :)
Hello, Does it really work with the relatively short cooking time of only 20 minutes? My first thought was that the meat can't be tender after such a short time. Thank you very much
Hello Tobi, yes, that's also how it's indicated on the packaging of the SB curry. I also like to briefly sear the meat beforehand and then it gets cooked afterwards. The 20 minutes only refer to the curry itself; the rice cooking time is not included. Best regards, Matthias
Hey, I want to cook this dish. However, I’m a complete beginner when it comes to Japanese cuisine. Instead of the bricks, I have powder. Approximately how much powder would you use for one brick? Just as a rough guideline. Thank you!
Hello Falk, For this, please refer to the back of the package or the manufacturer's instructions. The amount can vary a lot depending on the spice mix, and also on how much seasoning you want. Best regards Ryusei
Hi, Potatoes: waxy or mostly waxy? (what’s traditional/original?) I cooked it yesterday... (not according to your recipe, but following the one from 1mal1japan, with homemade Japanese curry powder—in this recipe, adding one tablespoon with 1 tbsp of flour was probably a bit too much for three servings) …but this combination of potatoes together with rice as a side dish (I used Koshihikari) was rather unusual for my Austrian palate. Thanks
Hello Eva, yes, it would be good if the potatoes are waxy, but it's also a matter of taste. Best regards Ryusei
I’ve already tried various Kare Raisu recipes, but I keep coming back to this one—for me, it’s simply the best. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!
Hallo Manuela, I'm glad you like it so much! Best regards, Ryusei