Japanese Curry Orzo

Ingredients

• 1350 g chicken breast
• salt (to season chicken, to taste)
• black pepper (to season chicken, to taste)
• garlic powder (to season chicken, to taste)
• shichimi togarashi (optional; to season chicken)
• 30 g oil
• 500 g carrots (about 4 large, diced)
• 450 g sweet onions (about 3 medium, diced)
• 60 g tomato paste
• 45 g ginger paste
• 896 g orzo (dry)
• 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)
• 1.5 cup water (add incrementally at the end as needed to loosen; source suggests 1–2 cups and says about 1.5 cups were used for the shown texture)
• 15 g toasted sesame oil
• green onions (amount unspecified; chopped)
• sesame seeds (amount unspecified)

Steps

1. 1

   Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder; add optional shichimi togarashi if desired.

2. 2

   Cover the chicken with foil and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30 minutes, until cooked. Dice the cooked chicken.

3. 3

   Heat the oil in a pot of 7 quarts or larger.

4. 4

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

5. 5

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

6. 6

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

7. 7

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

8. 8

   Finely chop the curry roux cubes.

9. 9

   Stir the chopped curry roux into the orzo until melted.

10. 10

    Add extra water incrementally as needed to loosen the mixture; the desired texture is thick but creamy. The post suggests 1–2 cups, noting about 1.5 cups were used for the texture shown.

11. 11

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

12. 12

    Divide into 13 servings and serve.

Notes

The curry roux thickens the orzo substantially, so add the extra water gradually and adjust to the desired thick-but-creamy consistency. The post says portions freeze well and can be reheated from frozen in the microwave for about 5 minutes. Green onion and sesame seed quantities are unspecified.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• high-protein
• meal prep
• big batch
• freezer-friendly
• stovetop
• baked chicken
• comfort food