Japanese curry chicken

チキンカレー
One of my first memories in Japan was going to Akihabara with my soon to be father-in-law. Aside from being blown away by future tech, I remember stopping by a curry shop with him. There was a little vending machine, we put some money in, out popped a ticket, followed by lots of people yelling and soon a plate of steaming hot curry with rice arrived with a glass of water. There was nothing fancy about the whole affair, but it was so memorable that I can still feel the hustle and bustle of that curry shop and smell that steamy goodness on a cold Tokyo afternoon.
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 - 2 pounds chicken thighs
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 onion
  • 3 Yukon gold potatoes
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 an apple
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp canola oil
  • ​4 cups of chicken stock / broth
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 1 Tbsp Ketchup
  • ​1 package Japanese curry roux
  • 2 tsp salt
Directions
  1. Put the rice in the rice cooker and get it going!
  2. Gather all your ingredient for the chicken curry.
  3. Cut the onion into wedges.
  4. Cut the carrots into rolling wedges (rangiri in Japanese).
  5. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2 inch pieces
  6. Peel the apples, cut it into quarters and grate it
  7. Cut out the fat and skin from the chicken thighs and cut it into bite sized pieces.
  8. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
  9. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the onion.
  10. Cook the onion for 3-5 minutes or until its translucent and slightly golden.
  11. Add the garlic and ginger and mix it all together.
  12. Add the chicken and cook it until the outsides are no longer pink, stirring frequently.
  13. Add the chicken stock.
  14. Add the carrots.
  15. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes.
  16. Add the honey, apples, and potatoes. 
  17. Add the soy sauce and ketchup.
  18. Simmer for another 17-18 minutes or until it is thickened and the potatoes are soft.
  19. Add the curry roux a block at a time and mix it all together.
  20. Simmer some more to thicken it up if it's too runny or add some water if it's too thick.
  21. Serve with rice and enjoy!
Hanjuku Tamago 半熟卵
Even though this is more of a Ramen thing, knowing how to make soft boiled eggs is essential and can spruce up any Japanese dish. Every time there was a commercial for Ramen, or curry, or something like that in Japan, inevitably, the person would look somewhat disappointed. Then, suddenly, they would add the soft boiled egg and the person would instantly look like they just won the Mega Millions lottery and let out an exuberant Ohhhhhh! I don't know why, but it made me laugh every time. 
  1. Boil water and place in the eggs
  2. Boil the egg for 6 1/2 to 7 minutes (7 minutes in Colorado)
  3. Take the eggs out of the boiling water and plunge them into an ice bath for 3 minutes or so.
  4. Peel the egg
  5. Slice the egg down the middle to reveal the soft yolk.
  6. Prepare for extasy.