Big Batch Japanese Chicken Curry...

When I am scratching my head on what to do for dinner, more often than not, I turn to delicious Japanese curry. Japanese curry is conveniently sold in packages of dried blocks making it a cinch to cook up any night with a good handful of fresh ingredients including some fruit. Getting back on track after the long weekend, this was a wonderful time-saving big-batch one-skillet meal to make for two dinners (it's even more flavourful the next day). I used skin-on bone-in chicken drumsticks for full on chicken flavour, the usual suspects of onion, carrots and potatoes, with the addition of cantaloupe and apples (fruit is very popular in curry this side of the world, as these add deep sweetness as well as crunch-- apples). Just make a pot of rice and you're gold. As the lyrics in Korean pop-artist Psy (known for his world-famous catchy tune Gangnam Style), Daddy sings... "You be my curry... I be your rice!" LOL

Japanese Curry Chicken
Makes 8 Servings (great for another meal of leftovers the next day)

1 Tbsp. oil
2 lb. of chicken drumsticks; chopped in half

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 to 2 medium carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces

3 potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 pkg. (200 to 220 g) of Japanese curry (when in doubt follow the package instructions)

2 apples, cored and cut into bite-size pieces

2 to 3 cups bite-sized cantaloupe

chopped green onions or cilantro for garnish

steamed short-grain Korean or Japanese rice for serving

NOTE: I usually make my curry with bite-sized chicken thighs but thought I'd change it up with skin-on bone-in drumsticks for chicken full-on flavour. The meat comes out succulent.

Glico and S&B brands package curry sauce in a dry block format for convenient use.

Use a cleaver to hack the drumsticks in half.

In a large skillet, stir fry onions and garlic with 1 Tbsp. oil on medium-high heat. Add the chicken, and brown for two to three minutes , then add the remaining vegetables. Stir-fry for another minute; add six cups of water and bring to a boil. Cook, covered on medium low for 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove from heat and break the blocks of curry sauce into the skillet. Stir until completely melted. Add the apples and cantaloupe. Cover and set aside for ten minutes before serving to allow the sauce to thicken. Serve hot over steamed rice.

The sweetness in Japanese curry tastes divine with the addition of fruit.

Mmm.. look at that awesome brown curry sauce with all the goodies--- and it smells even better :)

Yay for curry!

What's better than a plate of curry on rice? 

Curry rice with a side of kimchi one night...

...Leftover curry on rice!

Curry rice with a side of roasted vegetables the next night.

See here for more on Japanese curry.