One of my favorite things about curry is how many different versions of it there are. Sometimes I am in the mood for a rich, creamy curry like my makhani butter chicken, sometimes I am in the mood for a sweet curry like fesenjan and sometimes, I want an earthy, savory curry like this japanese kabocha squash curry…
Made with kabocha squash, onions, garlic, ginger, carrots, potatoes, eggplant… so many vegetables… a long list of curry spices and few interesting flavor add-ins traditional to Japanese curry dishes, this curry is full of all of the earthy, nutty, bitter, savory notes that a vegetable packed curry should be.
It is such a healthy meal and a great way to transform what you have in your refrigerator into something fabulous. Let’s get started…
Let’s talk about the ingredients here…
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- Kabocha Squash – full of beta-carotene, iron, potassium and its also pretty low in calories
- Carrots – packed with vitamins A, K1, B6 and lutein
- Eggplants – a great source of antioxidants, manganese and essential minerals
- Zucchini – low in carbs with lots of vitamin A, C and potassium
- Apples – packed with fiber and lots of vitamin C
- Garlic – a good source of selenium, manganese and vitamin B6
- Ginger – contains potassium and magnesium along with digestion support
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This curry comes together pretty quick, so chop all of your vegetables, grate your garlic, ginger and apples and gather your remaining ingredients. If you want to try making your own Japanese curry spice blend, I would love for you to give mine a try here.
First, combine the kabocha squash, carrots, potatoes and onions along with about 3 cups of a good vegetable stock in a large pot and bring everything up to a simmer. Cover the pot and let the vegetables simmer for 20 minutes or so… just until the potatoes are tender.
While the vegetables are simmering, place a large skillet or braiser over medium heat. Melt down a few tablespoons of butter (use vegan butter if preferred!) and quickly sauté the grated garlic, ginger and apples until fragrant.
Add 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of natural unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 tablespoons of all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons of Japanese curry powder and 1 tablespoon of garam masala and whisk to combine.
Cook the base for 2-3 minutes over medium heat while moving it around the skillet. You want it to develop a nice deep color, but not burn. This is exactly what we are looking for at this stage.
Add a cup of vegetable stock and whisk the base until it has loosened up and you work all of the browned bits up from the bottom of the skillet.
Add about half of the simmered vegetables and simmering stock into the skillet and mash it down smooth with a potato masher or blend it with an electric hand blender.
Once everything is smooth, do a quick taste test and add salt, pepper or a little extra brown sugar if it needs a little balancing out.
Add the remaining vegetables, give the curry a quick drizzle with some cream or thinned yogurt and top with some cilantro and sesame seeds.
This curry is so thick, creamy and full of earthy vegetable flavors. Its a dish that is delicious, but you can also taste how healthy each bite is. So many vegetables our bodies are always craving combined with so many flavorful herbs and spices.
If you are looking for a great authentic Japanese curry recipe then I would love for you to give this one a try…
Japanese Kabocha Squash Curry
Ingredients
The vegetables...
- 1 kabocha squash, seeds removed, cubed
- 2 large carrots, peeled, cubed
- 1 large russet potato, cubed
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium eggplant, cubed
- 1 medium zucchini, cubed
- 32 ounces of vegetable stock
The curry base...
- 4 cloves of garlic, grated
- 1 apple, grated
- 1 inch portion of ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon of worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon of natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons of all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons of Japanese curry powder
- 1 tablespoon of garam masala
- 4 tablespoon of butter
- fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- cream or thinned yogurt
- sesame seeds
- rice, cooked (for serving)
Instructions
- If serving the curry with rice, cook the rice according to the directions on the packaging
Cook the vegetables…
- Combine the kabocha squash, carrots, potato and onion a large pot with 3 cups of vegetable stock (reserve the rest for later)
- Bring the stock to a simmer, cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are just tender
- Add the eggplant and zucchini, transfer the pot off of the heat and set aside for now
Make the curry base…
- Place a large skillet over medium heat
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter, the minced garlic, grated apple and grated ginger and cook while stirring for about 90 seconds
- Add 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of natural unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 tablespoons of all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons of Japanese curry powder and 1 tablespoon of garam masala and stir until a thick paste forms
- Cook the curry base for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, stirring no frequently, until the color deepens and it becomes quite fragrant
- Deglaze the skillet with the remaining cup of vegetable stock and bring to a low simmer
Finish the curry…
- Reserve some of the vegetables for serving (depending on how much texture you prefer in your curry)
- Add the remaining vegetables and about half of the stock in with the curry base and stir until well combined
- Use a potato masher or hand blender to blend the vegetables into the sauce until a thick curry develops
- Bring to a simmer and simmer until thick and fragrant
- Taste and add salt, black pepper or sugar if necessary
- Add the reserved vegetables and 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro into the curry, garnish with a drizzle of cream or thinned yogurt and some sesame seeds
- Serve over rice
