Japanese Ground Beef Curry

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp sunflower, safflower or canola oil
• 1 lb ground beef
• salt (to taste)
• pepper (to taste)
• 1 yellow onion (large, chopped)
• 1 clove garlic (large, minced)
• 1 inch fresh ginger (peeled and minced)
• 1 carrot (large, peeled and chopped into 1/3-inch pieces)
• 1 russet potato (large, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 3.2 oz Japanese curry roux bricks (preferably medium-hot S&B Golden Curry)
• 0.75 cup frozen peas
• cooked rice, udon or lo mein noodles (for serving)

Steps

1. 1

   Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil.

2. 2

   When the oil shimmers, add the ground beef, a generous pinch of salt, and a couple pinches of ground pepper. Using a spatula, break up the beef and spread it into one layer on the skillet.

3. 3

   Let the beef cook undisturbed until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes.

4. 4

   Stir and push the beef to one side of the skillet. Add the onion to the other side and season the onion lightly with salt. Let cook, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes.

5. 5

   Add the garlic and ginger, stir all the ingredients to combine, and continue to cook for about 3 minutes more.

6. 6

   Stir in the chopped carrots and potato and cook until the edges begin to soften, about 4 minutes.

7. 7

   Add the curry roux bricks and 2 cups of water. Stir, breaking up the bricks until they melt into a sauce and start bubbling.

8. 8

   Cover the skillet, lower the heat to low, and let simmer. Stir occasionally until the liquid has reduced into a rich, viscous sauce, about 15 minutes. If the sauce becomes too dry, gradually add up to 1/2 cup more water, a few tablespoons at a time, until it is glossy and saucy rather than gloopy.

9. 9

   Add the frozen peas and cook until they are bright green, about 3 to 5 minutes.

10. 10

    Serve the curry over cooked rice, udon, or lo mein noodles.

Notes

Any curry leftovers will keep, refrigerated, for up to 3 days. For a more ambitious version, you can make your own Japanese curry bricks from scratch. The sauce should be glossy and saucy, not gloopy or congealed.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• beef
• curry
• one-skillet
• weeknight dinner
• Japanese