Delicious Japanese Beef Curry

This is a fabulous winter option, as its super warming, super tasty, and makes use of cheaper winter vegetables. Serves 4-5.

Ingredients:  
- 800g beef skirt steak, chopped
- 2 onions, diced
- 8 cloves garlic, chopped 
- 2-inch piece ginger, chopped 
- 3 Tbsp curry powder
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1 medium apple, puréed (you may need to add a bit of water to the blender to get it going) 
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste 
- 4 Tbsp Japanese soy sauce 
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (or sub tamarind juice) 
- 2 medium carrot,
- 2 large potatoes,bite size bits
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 4 Tbsp butter 
- 6 Tbsp all-purpose flour

Instructions:

In a big heavy-bottomed pot (eg: 22cm casserole) add just enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom and heat over medium high heat until the oil is very hot. Add beef to the pot without letting it crowd, you may need to do this in 2 batches. Let sear without stirring until browned, then flip and sear the other sides, and repeat until at least 3 sides are browned. Watch your heat and make sure you don’t burn the brown stuff that’s on the bottom of the pot. Remove the beef andset aside.

To the same pot, add onion, garlic, ginger and saute over medium heat for a few minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Add tomato paste and saute for a minute. Add curry powder and toast the spices for one more minute, adding more oil if it seems to dry. Add the beef stock, pureed apple, the seared beef, soy sauce, and worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer on low heat (or put in over at 175deg) for at least 2 hours.
 

Once the beef has simmered, add carrots, potato and simmer, uncovered, for another 30 minutes until the potato and carrots are tender. If using peas, stir them in about 15 minutes after the potato has gone in. 

Meanwhile, make a roux by melting butter in a small pot, then add the flour and stir over medium heat until the colour has darkened slightly. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.

When curry is done, stir in half the roux and bring to a simmer. Check the thickness, and if you want it thicker, add some or all of the remaining roux. If you have leftover roux, you can save it for another use in the fridge or freezer, it can be used to thicken any kind of soup, stock, or stew.

Adapted from: Pai's Kitchen