Japanese · Authentic-ish Japanese
Curry Rice
504 kcal a serving, against 807 for the traditional version. That is 303 kcal off, or 38%, with 32.1g of protein. Serves 6. .
What the traditional version is
The standard is diced beef brisket or pork shoulder, fried in oil, then simmered with onions, carrot and potato in water. One whole curry roux block (from a box) is dropped in and stirred to melt, thickening the sauce. It's ladled over mounds of white rice.
What changed, and what each change costs
Beef brisket swapped for skinless chicken breast fillets
Chicken breast is lean, keeps the protein high, and cooks faster. Brisket is classic, but you have to simmer it for ages or it comes out like shoe leather.
What it costs you. You don't get the same savoury depth or that soft, beefy richness. The chicken can be a bit plain, but it's definitely tender. If you want beef, you know where the butcher is.
Homemade curry roux instead of the box
Those curry blocks are mostly palm oil and cheap flour. Making a roux with just enough olive oil and a sharp hand with the spices gets you the thick sauce, none of the gloop. And you actually get to taste the spices.
What it costs you. You miss that particular blend of MSG and deep supermarket comfort only the real block delivers. Your sauce will be slightly less sticky and glossy. Nobody will be fooled into thinking you've used Golden Curry, but nobody minds that much.
More chicken, less rice
Most of the original's protein comes from the beef, and that's always a bit stingy. By dialling up the chicken and trimming the rice, you get a proper meal, not just a carb delivery vehicle.
What it costs you. You won't get the post-curry nap. The bowl feels a bit lighter, but you're actually full.
Reduce the oil
You only need enough oil to brown the chicken and onions plus a splash for the roux. The rest is pure habit.
What it costs you. It isn't quite as unctuous, it's just food.
Potatoes down, carrots up
Cutting back the potato shaves some stodge and you can bulk out with carrot for next to no cost. The sauce ends up a bit sweeter and you don't get as many lumpy cubes.
What it costs you. You'll hear about it from potato loyalists. Don't serve this to your Irish friends.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 807 | 504 |
| Protein | 27.7g | 32.1g |
| Fat | 17.1g | 7g |
| Saturated fat | 4.8g | 1.2g |
| Carbohydrate | 133.2g | 75.7g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 3.4g | 6.4g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Japanese prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, soybeans.
The method is in the book
This is curry rice you can eat after work without feeling like you've been trampled by a school rugby team. It's not the golden block, so you lose some of that oozing, childhood nostalgia, but you actually taste what you've put in. The sauce is still sticky enough to cling to a spoon, the chicken's miles juicier, and you can go back for seconds if you're greedy. It's a fair trade if you ask me - but if you want the old-school curry block, you know exactly where it lives in the supermarket.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Japanese, along with 48 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.