Japanese Curry ala ~CHB~

Japanese Curry ala ~CHB~

(original recipe from norecipes.com)

Curry

Photo from norecipes.com

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
⅓ c. canola oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp. or inch fresh ginger
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2½ tsp. to 3 Tbsp. curry powder (depending on taste and tolerance)
3 c. chicken stock
2 carrots, cut into chunks
½ medium apple, peeled, cored, and grated
2 Tbsp. chunou sauce (2 parts ketchup to 1 part Worcestershire sauce in a pinch)
1½ tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. salt

¾ tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. Szechuan peppercorns

½ tsp. cumin

1 bay leaf
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
¾ to 1 c. frozen peas

Roux
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. flour 

• Clean any large bits of fat or tendon from the chicken and cut into large chunks; sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix to distribute evenly.
• Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat until hot and shimmering, then add the chicken in a single layer; let chicken brown undisturbed about 5 minutes; flip chicken and let it brown on the other side.
• Turn down the heat to medium-low and transfer chicken to a bowl using tongs, making sure to leave as much oil in the pan as possible.
• Add the garlic and ginger and fry in the oil until it’s not sizzling as much and it reaches a rich caramel brown color.
• Add the onions, stirring to coat with oil; cover with a lid and let the onions steam until translucent and limp (about 10-15 minutes).
• Remove the lid, turn up the heat to medium, and continue frying the onions, stirring constantly until pan contents are reduced to about 1/8 of original volume and it forms a shiny caramel brown paste (20-30 minutes); if the onion starts to stick to the pan before fully caramelized, try scrubbing off the stuck bits with a spatula, and if that doesn’t work, add a tiny bit of water to the area where things are sticking and use spatula to scrape.
• When the onions are fully caramelized, add the curry powder and sauté briefly until very fragrant.
• Return chicken to pot and add chicken stock, carrots, grated apple, chunou sauce, tomato paste, cocoa powder, salt, turmeric, peppercorns, cumin, and bay leaf; bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
• In the meantime, make the roux by adding the butter and flour to a small saucepan over medium heat; use spatula to stir constantly until bubbling subsides and roux is light brown in color.
• When potatoes are tender, taste and adjust salt to taste; if you like your curry sweeter, you can add some honey to taste.
• Finish the curry by stirring in the roux and green peas; bring to a boil to thicken.
• Serve with hot rice or on top of a bowl of udon noodles.

Vegetarian Moussaka ala ~DKBB~

Vegetarian Moussaka ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from myrecipes.com)

3 peeled eggplants, cut into ½” thick slices
Olive oil
Cooking spray
2 c. chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
¾ c. bulgur
¼ tsp. ground allspice
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp. ground cloves
2 c. organic vegetable broth
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 14.5 oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained -OR- 1 container fresh grape tomatoes & ½ can fire-roasted
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour (I prefer Wondra for this)
1 c. milk
2 Tbsp. finely grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
¼ tsp. salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add olive oil to pan and swirl to coat; add chopped onions and sauté for 8 minutes; add garlic and sauté for 1 minute; add bulgur and cook for 3 minutes or until bulgur is lightly toasted, stirring frequently; add spices; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• If using grape tomatoes, add now and allow to blister, if NOT using grape tomatoes, skip this step.
• Stir in vegetable broth, oregano, and canned tomatoes (full can or ½ can, depending upon use of grape tomatoes); bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; add flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with whisk until well blended; gradually add milk, stirring constantly with whisk; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently; stir in cheese and salt; remove from heat and cool slightly; add egg, stirring well with whisk.

• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Arrange ½ of the broiled eggplant slices in 11x17 inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray.
• Spread bulger mixture evenly over eggplant slices; arrange remaining eggplant slices over bulgur layer; top all with milk/cheese mixture.
• Bake for 40 minutes, then remove from oven and increase oven temperature to 475° F; return dish to oven for 4 minutes or until top is browned.
• Let stand 10 minutes before serving.