Vegetarian Japanese Curry

{Vegan Adaptable} This vegetarian Japanese curry is loaded with thick, meaty slices of king oyster mushrooms and colorful chunky vegetables such as kabocha, eggplant, and asparagus. With homemade Japanese curry roux, this dish is no doubt our family’s favorite for a bright and flavorful dinner!

Ingredients

• 1 onion ((10 oz, 280 g))
• 1 carrot ((3 oz, 85 g))
• 2 yukon gold potatoes ((9 oz, 260 g))
• ⅛ kabocha ((without seeds; 5 oz, 140 g))
• 1 knob ginger ((need 1 tsp))
• 1 bell pepper ((half yellow and half red; 8 oz, 220 g))
• 8 asparagus ((5 oz, 140 g))
• 1 Japanese eggplant ((4 oz, 115 g))
• 4 king oyster mushrooms (eringi) ((5 oz, 140 g))
• ½ shimeji mushrooms ((3.5 oz, 100 g))
• 4 button mushrooms ((2 oz, 60 g))
• 1 tomato ((5 oz, 150 g))
• 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil ((divided))
• 3 cups vegetable stock ((or water))
• kosher or sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter ((for Vegan, use vegan butter or other types of oil))
• Japanese curry roux ((recipe below))
• 1 apple ((8 oz, 220 g))
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter ((for Vegan, use vegan butter or other types of oil))
• 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour) ((you can use GF flour as well))
• 1 Tbsp Japanese curry powder
• 1 Tbsp garam masala
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper ((omit for mild spicy level))
• 4 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice ((minimum 1 cup (180 g) per person))

Instructions

0. Gather all the ingredients.
1. To Make Curry Roux
2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter completely over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the flour.
3. Reduce the heat just slightly. Using a silicone spatula, stir to combine the flour and butter. The mixture starts to fuse and swell but becomes more liquid form. Now reduce the heat to low and stir for 15 minutes to cook the flour.
4. The mixture will darken to a chocolate color after 12-15 minutes.
5. Then add the curry powder and mix well.
6. Add garam masala and cayenne pepper (optional for spicy).
7. Mix well to combine and cook stirring for 20 seconds. Transfer the roux to a bowl and set aside.
8. To Prepare Ingredients
9. Cut the onion in half and then cut each half into 4 wedges.
10. Cut the golden Yukon potatoes into a quarter and soak in water to remove starch, for about 10 minutes.
11. Cut the kabocha into 1 inch cubes.
12. Cut the carrot using the Japanese rangiri style. Grate the ginger (you will need 1 tsp).
13. Cut the bell pepper into small strips.
14. Discard the tough bottom of the asparagus (you can snap easily by holding both ends) and cut them diagonally.
15. Cut the Japanese eggplant in half widthwise and cut into wedges and soak in water for 10 minutes to remove astringency and prevent discoloration.
16. Cut off the end of king oyster mushroom stems and cut into 1-2 inch pieces.
17. Discard the bottom of shimeji mushrooms and cut the button mushrooms in half.
18. Cut the tomato into 6 wedges.
19. To Cook Vegetarian Curry
20. In a large pot (I used a 4.5 QT Dutch oven), heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat and add the dense vegetables (onion, potatoes, kabocha, and carrot) first. With a spatula, mix and coat the vegetable with oil, about 1 minute.
21. Add the grated ginger and mix. Close the lid and reduce the heat to low/medium-low.
22. Let the vegetables steam for 20 minutes (We use the steaming method to keep the ingredients' shape instead of the boiling method). Once in a while shake the pot so the bottom of the pot doesn’t get burnt. After 20 minutes, insert the skewer and see if the vegetables are 80% cooked.
23. Add vegetable broth and bay leaf. Bring it to a boil on medium heat.
24. Once boiling, skim the scum and foam on the surface and cook for 3 minutes. Insert a skewer to check the hard vegetable like the potato and carrot. Once the vegetables are cooked through, turn off the heat.
25. In a large frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat and add the eggplant.
26. Cook the eggplant until nicely brown, about 8-10 minutes, and transfer to a plate.
27. In the same pan, add 1 Tbsp oil and bell pepper and asparagus.
28. Saute the vegetables until tender, about 6-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to the plate.
29. In the same pan, heat 1 Tbsp butter and sauté all the mushrooms, about 4 minutes.
30. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Set aside.
31. Bring the pot back on the stove over medium heat and bring it to simmer. Once simmering, remove the bay leaf from the pot (optional). Add the mushrooms to the pot.
32. Add vegetables to the pot and gently mix all together. Tip: Instead of adding all the vegetables, I recommend keeping some colorful vegetables for toppings later.
33. When the broth is heated through, turn off the heat. Gradually add the small amount of the homemade curry roux to your ladle and let it dissolve completely before releasing it to the broth and dissolve more curry roux (I use all the homemade curry roux). Turn the heat back on and bring it to a gentle simmer again.
34. Grate an apple and add to the curry (Adjust the amount of sweetness as you like). Mix gently without breaking up the vegetables.
35. Taste the curry (it’s very important!). If needed, add more apple and season with salt. Sometimes just a pinch of salt can bring out more flavors.
36. Taste again, and when it’s good, add the tomatoes. Now the curry is ready to serve!
37. To Serve
38. Put the steamed rice on one side of a plate and pour the curry on the side. Add a few colorful vegetables you saved on top of the curry.