Japanese Curry Orzo

Ingredients

• 1350 g chicken breast
• salt, black pepper, and garlic powder (To taste, for seasoning the chicken)
• shichimi togarashi (Optional; to taste, for seasoning the chicken)
• 30 g oil
• 500 g carrots (About 4 large carrots, diced)
• 450 g sweet onions (About 3 medium onions, diced)
• 60 g tomato paste
• 45 g ginger paste
• 896 g orzo (Dry orzo)
• 700 g frozen diced potatoes
• 30 g honey
• 30 g soy sauce
• 1440 g chicken bone broth
• 960 g water
• 270 g Golden Curry Japanese curry roux (15 cubes; chop before adding)
• 1 cup additional water (Add 1–2 cups incrementally at the end as needed to loosen; about 1.5 cups was used in the source)
• 15 g toasted sesame oil
• green onions (Chopped)
• sesame seeds (For finishing)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 375°F. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and optional shichimi togarashi.

2. 2

   Place the seasoned chicken in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes, or until cooked through. Dice the chicken once cooked and set it aside.

3. 3

   Heat the oil in a 7-quart or larger pot over suitable heat.

4. 4

   Add the diced carrots and sweet onions. Cook until the vegetables are softened and browned.

5. 5

   Add the tomato paste and ginger paste. Cook for 2–3 minutes.

6. 6

   Add the dry orzo, honey, soy sauce, frozen diced potatoes, water, and chicken bone broth to the pot.

7. 7

   Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20–30 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the orzo from sticking, until the orzo is cooked and the liquid has thickened.

8. 8

   Chop the curry roux cubes finely and stir them into the orzo until completely melted.

9. 9

   Add additional water incrementally, as needed, to loosen the mixture. The finished texture should be thick but creamy; the curry roux will thicken substantially as it melts.

10. 10

    Mix in the diced chicken, chopped green onions, toasted sesame oil, and sesame seeds.

11. 11

    Divide the curry orzo into 13 servings and serve or freeze for later. Frozen portions can be reheated in the microwave for about 5 minutes.

Notes

The curry roux can make the orzo considerably thicker after it is added. Add the extra water gradually until the desired thick, creamy texture is reached. The source reports using about 1.5 cups of extra water. The recipe stores well frozen and can be reheated in the microwave for approximately 5 minutes. Reported total recipe macros are 7,750 calories, 519 g protein, 1,026 g carbohydrates, and 186 g fat.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• meal prep
• big batch
• high protein
• East Asian-inspired
• stovetop
• baked chicken
• freezer-friendly