Kokumaro Curry

I picked this up for, I think $2.29 at Mitsuwa, hoping for an easy meal at home, and also hoping to duplicate the flavors of the Japanese curries served for things such as Katsu Curry (mmm).

There were several brands of packaged curry mix at Mitsuwa, including Vermont varieties with apple, and something that sounded kind of tropical, but this looked like the straight-up curry. Of the several brands there, this one also had MSG listed closest to the end of the ingredient list.

Still, this thing packs a sodium punch: the package makes ten servings (more like 5 main-dish meals) on a pound of meat, and has 880mg sodium per serving. That same serving has 1g protein, 8g carbs and 8g fat, but also has meat and veggies added, so the overall nutrition isn't too awful. It certainly isn't very atkins-y served over rice, and laden with carrots and potatoes anyway.

The stuff made a nice thick, dark curry, perhaps not exactly like the katsu curries I've had, but prett close. The sauce is two tubs of waxy chocolate-like substance that gets melted into the pot after the meat and vegetables simmer for 15 minutes. Each tub can be subdivided into 6 pieces, so you can make smaller portions.

The array of ingredients in this thing is astounding:

• Palm Oil
• Cornstarch
• Wheat Flour
• Salt
• Sugar
• Curry Powder (Turmeric, Coriander, Cumin, Fennel, Spices)
• Onion Powder
• Cheese (Cheddar, Gouda) !!!
• Tomato Powder
• Chutney
• Celery Extract
• Autolyzed Yeast Extract
• Peanut Butter (Peanut) !!!
• Sauce Powder (Worcester sauce powder, spices, tomato powder, detrin, salt, sugar, sodium acetate)
• Buttermilk powder
• Garlic powder
• Skim milk powder
• Spices (Cumin, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, red pepper)
• Vegetable Paste (Onion, carrot, leek, celery)
• Soy Sauce Powder
• Maltodextrin
• Fermented Wheat Flour Seasoning (Wheat flour, malted rice)
• Soybean powder
• Butter
• Glucose
• Coloring (caramel)
• Monosodium glutamate
• Disodium Inosinate
• Soy lecithin
• Citric Acid
• Natural & Artificial flavor
• Spice Extract (cumin, cardamom)

I count, what 5 sodium sources, three cumin sources, two celery sources, two sugars... pretty bizarre.

It was only recently that I have succeeded in making Japanese curry with the curry roux from Mitsuwa. I always followed the instructions and ended up with either super thick curry, tough meat, etc. I tend to cook my meat first for about 30 minutes (I use stew beef), before adding the potatoes, etc. Then I increase the water suggested by a cup or two.

Japanese curry is not very healthy, but on a cold winter day (or hot summer night with the air on), it is pretty yummy... or dare I say it...

double yum

There's a much better alternative to the box curries at Mistuwa, but you will have to look very carefully. It, too, is salty as hell, but the ingredient list is much shorter and the packaging smacks of hand-made.

Tucked in the section is "Yokohama Curry" -- it is written in Japanese, but you will recognize it because it is packaged in a plastic envelope that sits upright. The Japanese font has a very 'old' look to it - not classical, but their version of "olde tyme". I have gotten very consistent results with this brand, and have been very happy with it - it is, in fact, the only Japanese curry I will use. It comes in "hot" and "medium" versions. It is in powder form, and there is little added fat -- no trans fat at all. Hot isn't very hot - more typical Japanese hot. Your results won't look or taste exactly like the product you get at Otafuku. I think it is better, but I'm also staunch defender of the 'taste is relative' school of thought.

I've been using Japanese box curry since 1985, when I first lived there. My host families used box -- sometimes House, sometimes other brands. No one I knew ever made their own from scratch. The box just makes it too easy.

Try the dry mix. It doesn't disappoint.

Japanese curry has always been a favorite of mine since I was a little kid. We always used the S&B brand. It's still the one I use when I need a fix. I keep it fairly simple and use beef, onions, carrots and potatoes. Ladle it over is big pile of rice & eat it with kimchi on the side.

I think the only other brand I've tried before is the Vermont & it basically tasted the same as S&B. I'm not sure how different all the brands are. I'm sure they're all really salty, high in fat, and really tasty.

S&B for LIFE
been making it since i was only in the single age digits... it is absolutely amazing how many 'dishes' you can make out of S&B "hot" Golden Curry.

curry udon, katsu curry, curry chicken, curry beef, curry chicken cutlet, ad nauseam. as of 9/1, the SO is cut-off from touching the S&B instant curry packages as i've recently developed gag-reflex at the sight of curry...