It’s tempting to use store-bought curry roux because it’s just so convenient.
But since I have time now, I decided to make Japanese curry from scratch.
There are a few reasons why I try to stay away from the roux from stores, including 1) it’s hard to find vegan roux, 2) even the vegan ones have additives that I’m not too happy with.
But there are reasons that roux is so convenient, because it’s tricky to make tasty curry from scratch.
I started quite optimistically, but to be honest I struggled to create the depth in flavor I wanted.
I googled trying to find any ways to make it better, and I did find some interesting ideas.
Some of them sounded a bit wild, but I decided to try something a lot of people were recommending: coffee.
Who knew.
I added a half teaspoon of instant coffee, and it worked!
It certainly created the depth I was looking for, and it took my curry to the next level.
Another secret ingredient I used was mango powder, although it’s not that unusual because Japanese curry often calls for some kind of fruit, like grated apple or fruit jam/chutney.
You won’t taste coffee or mango in the curry, but they did a wonderful job, and I was happy with the result.
The curry was also approved by my husband.
The “pork” (aka soy meat) was cooked and added on top.
I like to cook soy meat separately.
Soy meat can change its texture when it’s added to liquid (soup, stew, etc.), and I wanted to keep the crispy texture from sautéing.
Japanese curry is typically served with Fukujin-dzuke (red-colored Daikon pickles), but since I didn’t have that, I served my curry with herbed tomato salad, which was so refreshing.
I used the following recipe as a base for the curry (Japanese).
https://cookpad.com/jp/recipes/18212790
For the after-lunch dessert my husband arranged a delivery from Carrots the Vegan Bistro.
We had tiramisu and carrot cake.
We had their tiramisu before, and it was as delicious as we remembered.
It is rich, so it’s perfect that we share a piece.
The carrot cake was very good too.
The frosting tasted like buttercream rather than cream cheese.
The cake was a smooth (vs. chunky) type.
I have a post where I talked more about this restaurant (with some more tasty-looking pictures).
