Japanese Soul Food by Sarah

I'd like to make a brief ode to my favorite cold weather meal ever, Japanese curry. This dish is almost embarrassingly easy to make and is a great choice for the poor college student because it is not only cheap, but is nutritious with the addition of meat and vegetables. Due to the conveniences available now in Japanese cuisine, this dish begins in most Japanese homes with a brick of condensed curry roux. Boxes of this instant curry can be found in supermarkets stateside in the "Asian foods" aisle. Likely brands that one will come across are S&W and House Foods Inc.
While following the directions on the back of the box provide favorable results, there are a few alterations/tweaks that will make this your own personal expression of curry:

• less water for a thicker stew and more concentrated flavor
• adding garam masala powder
  
• using local farmers market vegetables that reflect a different curry for every season! My favorite winter curry consists of entirely root vegetables.
• I usually find that the more onions I add, the more complex the curry tastes especially after several days. Slice them thinly so that most of the onion melts away. These days I use at least four onions.
  
• adding fruit such as apples or pineapple can add an unexpected twist (both are great paired with pork)
• experiment with different types of meat. possibilities include: pork cutlet dusted in panko & fried, stewing beef, chicken thighs, and shrimp. For vegetarians, fried tofu dusted lightly in flour is delicious (be sure to add the tofu on top at the end, otherwise the breading will get soggy).
  
• try serving with brown rice instead of the more traditional white. some Asian and gourmet markets (Wild Oats) sell sticky brown rice which works a little better than the usual dry brown rice out there.
  
• at curry restaurants, you will often have a small portion of Japanese pickles on the side. These can be found at Japanese markets such as Mitsuwa in great variety.
  
• most importantly: reduce, reduce, reduce! the longer the reduction time the more delicious your curry will be!

Tips:

• serve with milk or Japanese beer

• curry makes me sleepier than turkey does. . . .don't make this if you have studying to do afterwards!
• for dessert try a glass of Calpico (Japanese yogurt drink) and orange slices.