Instant Japanese Beef Meatball Curry Rice
日式牛肉丸咖哩飯
I don’t feel like cooking in hot and steamy summer evenings after a long day, so usually I would prepare something quick but still tasty, such as Japanese curry. Even cooking beginner can make nice Japanese curry since there are various instant curry roux in the market. Just to stew pork, chicken or beef with potato, carrot, mushroom or any other root vegetable you prefer with curry roux.
I always keep some curry roux cubes or paste in my kitchen. Sometimes I would make stir-fried curry tofu or vegetable. Or marinate pork or chicken, and give them a quick stir-fry or grill. Just to use it as a seasoning ingredient. It’s hard to make a small portion of Japanese curry. I usually make a big pot for 4 to 6 serving that could last 2 days. It’s usually served with steamed short rice, or udon which I like for breakfast or lunch.
Ingredients – for 4 serving
- Ground beef, 400g
- Onion, medium size, 1
- Potato, medium size, 2
- Carrot, medium size, 1
- Green pea, 1/2 cup
- Shiitake mushroom, 6 -10
- Japanese instant curry roux, stewed beef and mushroom flavour, 1 bag, or 4 cubes of Japanese curry cubes;
- Egg, 1
- Black pepper, 1/2tsp
- Turmeric powder, 1/2tsp
- Paprika, 1/2tsp
- Cumin seeds powder, 1/2tsp
- Salt, 1/2tsp
- Sugar, 1tsp
- Cornstarch, 1tsp
- Sour cream
How to do –
1. Let’s prepare the ground beef – half onion finely chopped; put 1 egg in; put in black pepper, paprika, turmeric powder, cumin seeds powder, 1/2 tsp each; 1/2tsp of salt, 1tsp of sugar, 1tsp of cornstarch, 1tbsp of olive oil. Use a pair of chopsticks or a stirring stick to mix. In one direction, stir 50 times. Add in 2 tbsp of water in the middle of mixing;
2. Other vegetable cut into bite-size chunks;
3. Heat some oil in hot pan, make the meatballs and pan-fry till firm and golden, no need to be cooked thoroughly;
4. Then in a big pot or wok. Heat 2tbsp of oil, stir-fry onion till fragrant; then in carrot, potato and mushroom, stir-fry and mix well; put in instant curry, stir-fry till fragrant; put in meatballs; add water, lid on, bring to boil then simmer for 20 minutes in medium heat;
5. Put in green peas. Japanese curry should be thick and runny. If it’s not thick enough to your preference, you should thicken it with cornstarch. Mix 1tbsp of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water, sprinkle on the curry, mix and bring to boil;
6. Serve with hot steamed short rice, and a tablespoon of sour cream.
用料 – 4人份
- 牛肉糜 400克（4人份）
- 洋葱 中型，1个
- 马铃薯 2个
- 胡萝卜 1根
- 青豆 半量杯
- 蘑菇 6个
- 牛肉蘑菇味咖喱包 1包
- 鸡蛋 1个
- 现磨黑胡椒末 半茶匙
- 黄姜粉 半茶匙
- 红椒粉（paprika） 半茶匙
- 孜然粉 半茶匙
- 盐 半茶匙
- 糖 1茶匙
- 生粉 1茶匙
- 酸奶油（sour cream）
做法 –
- 这次用的是牛肉蘑菇味的咖喱包，如果用咖喱块可以用四块，选自己喜欢的口味就好，我一般会选跟材料一样的现成咖喱包/块；
- 拌肉糜 – 半个洋葱切成细末；打入一个鸡蛋；加入香料，黑椒末、红椒末、黄姜粉、孜然粉各半茶匙；盐半茶匙、糖1茶匙、生粉1茶匙、橄榄油1汤匙；
- 朝一个方向搅拌50次以上至上劲，如果太干搅不动可以适当加一点点水，这样做肉丸不会很干，加洋葱也会让肉馅多汁一些；
- 其他蔬菜切成适口的大小；
- 肉糜揉成自己喜好的大小，煎至金黄定型，不需要全熟；
- 接下来就很简单了。热锅热油，依次放入洋葱炒香；再放入其他蔬菜炒香；放入咖喱包或咖喱块，炒香；放入牛肉丸，加水至基本没过材料，搅拌均匀；盖锅盖大火煮沸后转中火煮20分钟；
- 放入青豆；如果咖喱汁不够浓稠可以打个薄芡，用咖喱块一般不需要勾芡；
- 吃的时候配一点酸奶油，口感更柔和。
