Kare Raisu -- For the Beginner

Self-made Kare Raisu?

Hello, everyone! How do you do? Today I am going to share some information and tips for you who like to eat and want to try making Kare Raisu by yourself. You know the drill, let me tell you a bit about Kare Raisu first. As you may know, Kare Raisu is the Japanese version of the Indian Curry mixed with cooked rice, thus Kare (Curry) Raisu (Rice). But, do you know that the Japanese adopted this Kare Raisu from the British?

              So, during the Meiji era (1868–1912) when India was still under the British’ colonial, Curry was first introduced to Japan. What the Japanese has adopted is not the original Indian Curry, but the British’ adoption of the Indian Curry. So, the taste of Japanese Curry is quite different from the original Indian Curry. For example, the Indian Curry’s taste is quite strong in flavor due to the ingredients used, like the excess spices. The Japanese Curry has a milder taste, as the spices used are not as much. Despite the differences, both the Japanese Curry and the Indian Curry have their own strong points.

              Now, let’s move on to the next part of my writing, this is my own experience of making Kare Raisu, which can be helpful for people who are not fond of cooking or making food that takes too much effort. So, the end result might not be as luxurious as what you have tasted in the restaurants. Now, for the main ingredients, you need chopped onions, potatoes (big cuts), carrots (big cuts), diced meat (chicken/pork/beef) and Japanese Curry powder. You may want to add salt to enhance the taste as well.

              First stir fry the onions (with small fire), of course you need some cooking oil, it is healthier if you use olive oil instead. The onions’ color will change into golden-brown after some time, this is the right time to turn off the stove and put the onions in a clean container.

              Now, move on to the carrots and potatoes, stir fry both ingredients (also with oil of course), then put in the diced meat after awhile. Stir fry those ingredients until they are half cooked, you can ensure that those are half cooked by checking the texture, it should be not rigid and not too soft.

              Then, boil some water (this will be the sauce), put in the Japanese Curry Powder, make sure to stir it until the broth has thicken. This will take quite some time, but try to be patient. Then, put all of the stir fried ingredients from before to the Curry Sauce. The Curry Sauce will be finished by the time the ingredients have mixed well and cooked, again you can check the texture. You can pour in some salt if you want to enhance the taste. Or, my recommendation is to pour in some milk for a richer taste.

              Last, put in some rice on your plate, pour in the cooked sauce from earlier, and to make it better, put an omelette on top of your Kare Raisu. Enjoy!

              This is my simple Kare Raisu recipe, my own style (copied from my seniors, credits to them). Thank you for reading again! I am really grateful, have a nice weekend!

(http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2351.html)