Japanese Curry Chicken (咖哩鷄, Gaa3 Lei1 Gai1)

This recipe was updated on 20 May 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

 

Cauliflower is in season now, so here’s an easy to make curry dish using cauliflower and prepared Japanese curry cubes. There are several brands of prepared Japanese curry, I happen to use S&B, and they range from mild to extra hot. There really is no heat in these prepared curry cubes, but the “hotter” the curry, the darker the sauce. In this case, the “medium” version was used. I always marinate my chicken (out of habit and being able to use the chicken in other stir-fry dishes), but you can simplify this recipe and not marinate the chicken at all.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 lb.	500 g.	Chicken thigh or breast meat (雞肉, gai1 juk6), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Baking soda (蘇打粉, sou1 daa2 fan2)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
1 head	1 head	Cauliflower (紅蘿蔔, je4 coi3 faa1), florets separated
2	2	Carrots (紅蘿蔔, hung4 lo4 baak6), cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) diagonal pieces
1	1	Onion (洋蔥, joeng4 cung1), halved and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces
		Oil for cooking

 

Sauce Ingredients

3.5 oz.	100 g.	One-half package S&B brand curry sauce mix (咖哩, gaa3 lei1) or equivalent – 4 cubes
3 cups	750 ml.	Water

 

Equipment

6 qt.	5.7 L.	Dutch oven

 

S&B Brand Curry Sauce Mix
(咖哩, gaa3 lei1)

Instructions

1. Prepare the chicken thigh or breast meat by removing any skin or bones, and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces. Wet with water and add baking soda to the chicken, allow to tenderize for 15 minutes, and then wash the baking soda from the meat. The baking soda can be omitted but results in the tender meat experienced in restaurant dishes.
2. The chicken does not have to be marinated, and if time is short, this step can be omitted. Marinate the chicken in a covered container for at least one hour or overnight in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, corn starch, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. If marinating the chicken overnight, take it out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
3. Wash and separate the florets from the cauliflower.
4. Wash and cut the carrot into ½-inch pieces on the diagonal, and place into the Dutch oven.
5. Remove the tough outer skin of the onion, cut in half, and then cut each half into 1-inch (2.5 mm.) pieces. Put the onion pieces into the Dutch oven.
6. Open and set aside one-half the curry mix package - four cubes. Measure out the water for the sauce and place into the Dutch oven
7. Heat the Dutch oven uncovered over high heat until the contents boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the Dutch oven, and simmer for 30 minutes.
8. Uncover the Dutch oven, add the cauliflower and chicken, and increase the heat to high to bring the contents to a boil. Cover the Dutch oven, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
9. Uncover and remove the Dutch oven from the heat, add the curry sauce cubes, and stir to dissolve. Return the Dutch oven to the heat, increase the heat to high, and bring the contents to a boil. Cover the Dutch oven, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for another 5 minutes. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish and serve with steamed rice.