Sonoko Chicken Curry
YIELD 4-6 servings
TOTAL ACTIVE TIME 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Curry Brick
1 Tablespoon (7 g) Sonoko Curry Powder
3 Tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter
3 Tablespoons (27 g) all purpose flour
Curry
1 pound (454 g) chicken thigh with skin, cut into 3⁄4” or bite size
2 Tablespoons neutral oil, more if needed
1 (150 g) medium yellow or white onion, sliced thinly
1 1⁄2 teaspoon ginger, grated or microplaned
2 cloves garlic, grated or microplaned
1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced into 1⁄2 inch thick pieces
1 rib of celery, sliced into 1⁄2 inch thick pieces
1⁄2 medium red bell pepper, diced into 1⁄2 inch thick pieces
1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled or unpeeled, and diced into 1/2” (1 1⁄4 cm) pieces
4 cups (1 liter) chicken stock
2 teaspoons salt
3⁄4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sake or white wine
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
PREPARATION
Curry Brick (prepare in advance; active time 10 min)
Melt butter over low heat in a small pan.
Add the flour, stir occasionally and cook for about 5 minutes until lightly golden in color.
Combine the curry powder and mix well.
Pour into a mold, (silicone mold or a heat resistant container) let it cool, then store in the refrigerator for up to a month or freezer for up to 4 months.
Curry (Active time 30 min)
Season the chicken pieces with ½ teaspoon of salt and pepper. Set aside.
Place a 6 qt (6 L) dutch oven over medium high heat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil, add onion and saute until golden brown and wilted ( If you would like to deepen the flavor, you could take the onions to a caramelized state which takes about 20 min. You can also double the amount of onion.)
Push the onion to the edges of the pan, add 1 tbsp of oil and chicken, saute until opaque but still pink inside, about a minute or two.
Push the onion and chicken to the edges of the pan, then add 1 tablespoon of oil, grated ginger, and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add all the vegetables except potatoes, saute for another minute.
Add ¼ cup of the stock and scrape off any brown bits that may be stuck at the bottom of the pan then add the remainder of the stock and bring to boil over high heat.
Add the potatoes, then simmer for 5 minutes over low-medium heat.
Add the curry brick, stir to dissolve completely and add rest of the seasoning.
Simmer for another 7-10 minutes until the potatoes are cooked and the sauce is reduced to your desired thickness.
Serve with rice, garnish with chopped parsley.
Notes/Substitutions
If you like a robust curry flavor, you can double the amount of curry powder in your curry brick.
For the gluten-free flour option, I like to use Mochiko by Koda Farms. If you cannot find it at your local shop, you can substitute another sweet rice flour of the same amount. Using Mochiko will produce a thicker curry, while maintaining a light texture.
You can substitute butter with another fat like coconut oil or olive oil.
You can substitute chicken with other proteins like beef, pork, or seafood. If using thin sliced or ground meat, brown it first and take it out of the pot, then add them after the curry brick is melted so that the texture of the meat is more succulent.
For stock, you can use water but stock/broth is always more flavorful. If you use other proteins, you may want to match the stock with your choice of protein.
If you prefer a thicker curry, start with 3 cups of stock, if you like a thin, soup-like consistency, add up to 5 cups of stock. Keep in mind that changing the liquid amount will result in less or more servings and seasonings may need to be adjusted.
You can substitute or add more vegetables of your choice. Depending on the vegetables used, you may end up with more curry due to water content. I also suggest grilling, roasting, or frying some vegetables separately and adding them to your curry.
Vegetable suggestion: asparagus, beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, eggplants, jackfruit, kale/chard, lotus root, burdock, mushroom, okra, peas/edamame, pumpkin, sweet potato, tomato, zucchini, etc.
For the wine, you can substitute another liquor of your choice, like sake or vodka.
For the sweetener, you can substitute another sweetener such as brown sugar, agave, date paste/powder.
For rice vinegar, you can substitute with another vinegar of your choice, like apple cider vinegar.
For garnish, you can also use cilantro, chives, or other greens to brighten the dish.
Recipe developed in collaboration with Shiho Yoshikawa. Photographs © 2019 by Rick Poon.
Sonoko Original Curry Brick
Three stages of curry brick: whole spices, curry powder, and the final brick
Most Japanese cooks rely on prepared curry bricks to make curry. These are basically blocks of seasoned roux—the shape of a chocolate bar—made of spices (including turmeric, coriander, cumin, and fennel), flour, and butter that can be dissolved in water to make an instant curry sauce. To make a Sonoko Curry Brick, you can purchase Sonoko Curry Powder for pre-toasted and pre-ground spices, or purchase the Quick Curry Brick Kit for a bigger batch that you can toast and grind in your own kitchen! My brick is on the mild side, so if you like it spicier, add a pinch of extra cayenne pepper.
YIELD 4 servings of Sonoko Curry
ACTIVE TIME 12 minutes
EQUIPMENT
Small pan
Silicone ice tray or other small heat resistant container
INGREDIENTS
1 Tablespoon (7 g) Sonoko Curry Powder
3 Tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter
3 Tablespoons (27 g) all purpose flour
PREPARATION
Melt butter over low heat in a small pan.
Add the flour, stir occasionally and cook for 7 minutes until lightly golden in color.
Combine the curry powder and mix well.
Pour into a mold, (silicone ice tray or a heat resistant container) let it cool, then store in the refrigerator for up to a month or freezer for up to 4 months.
To use, pop the brick out of the mold and use it to make curry dishes such as Sonoko Chicken Curry and Sonoko Tofu Curry.
For a Vegan, Gluten-Free Curry Brick, click here!
Recipe developed in collaboration with Shiho Yoshikawa. Photographs © 2019 by Rick Poon.
Sonoko Vegan and Gluten-Free Curry Brick
Three stages of curry brick: whole spices, curry powder, and the final brick
After developing my recipe for the Classic Curry Brick, I had many students asking for a way to satisfy their curry craving while adhering to a Vegan or Gluten-Free diet. The coconut oil and Mochiko rice flour work excellently to replace the butter and all-purpose flour in my Original Curry Brick recipe both in flavor as well as texture. To make a Sonoko Curry Brick, you can purchase Sonoko Curry Powder for pre-toasted and pre-ground spices, or purchase the Quick Curry Brick Kit for a bigger batch that you can toast and grind in your own kitchen!
YIELD 4 servings of Sonoko Curry
ACTIVE TIME 12 minutes
EQUIPMENT
Small pan
Silicone ice tray or other small heat resistant container
INGREDIENTS
1 Tablespoon (7 g) Sonoko Curry Powder
3 Tablespoons (42 g) coconut oil
3 Tablespoons (30 g) Mochiko (sweet rice flour)
PREPARATION
Melt coconut oil over low heat in a small pan.
Add the rice flour, stir occasionally, and cook for 7 minutes until lightly golden in color.
Combine with the curry powder and mix well.
Pour into a mold, (silicone ice tray or a heat resistant container) let it cool, then store in the refrigerator for up to a month or freezer for up to 4 months.
To use, pop the brick out of the mold and use it to make curry dishes such as Sonoko Chicken Curry and Sonoko Tofu Curry.
Recipe developed in collaboration with Shiho Yoshikawa. Photographs © 2019 by Rick Poon.