Japanbese Curry from Scratch

Traditionally, this is made from little cubes you buy in the store for about 2-3 bucks a box. This is all good and fine, except that there are perservatives in those cubes, and other ingredients that won't achieve your own flavor of curry. Most Japanese scoff at the idea of doing it from scratch-- it is a bit labor intensive. But then, this would make it a Slighted Art! The art of making Japanese curry from scratch!

Time: About an hour or two. (Faster if the curry powder is premade and you are a fast chopper.)

Knife
Pan
Peeler
Spice grinder, or a coffee grinder set aside for grinding spices.

Potatoes (red, yukon, and the more waxy potatoes hold up better than Idahos, and other baking potatoes. I prefer the yukon myself, for flavor.)
Carrots (the ones with the stems still attached are the best.)
Celery (The inner stalks have a more delicate flavor)
3 tablespoon of flour
milk
Apple
Apple Juice
Bay Leaf
Ginger
Garlic
oil

1/ 4 cup Whole Cumin Seeds
Less than 1/4 cup Whole Corriander Seed
Less than 1/4 cup Sesame Seed (optional)
3 tablespoons of cinnamon
2 tablespoons of Paprika
1 tablespoon of Cayenne
1 tablespoon of Mustard powder
1 teaspoon of Turmeric
1 teaspoon Salt (Sea Salt also works)
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon of Cardamon shelled seeds
1/4 of a teaspoon Nutmeg

These portions are to my taste. Here are some tips on how to adjust the curry powder to your taste. The chief ingredient in all Curry Powders is usually Cumin. Smell it and you probably will think of chili powder too. As long aas this is your chief ingredient in the curry powder you usually can't go wrong. I usually use up to a 1/4 cup of the seeds. It really doesn't matter. The next ingredient should be Corriander. It has a slight celery smell to it. It's a really delicate flavor and smell. It should be a bit less than equal to the portion for the Cumin seed. Sesame seeds are optional, but they will give a kind of smoky, toasted flavor that adds subtly to the curry. Cinnamon always adds to a curry. It always picks up on the sweetness of the curry, but if you add too much, the curry will end up tasting a bit dry. In the case of Japanese curry, this is one of the principle ingredients that make it taste the ways it does. Paprika will give a slight aromatic flavor to the curry. If you want it spicy, or less spicy, this isn't the spice to gadge. Try to keep it consistent with the recipe. Use always about a teaspoon to a tablespoon. Cayenne pepper will give the curry the amount of hotness. If you like it spicy, crank up the amount of cayenne pepper. A teaspoon will give about a mild hotness, a tablespoon is about a medium hotness, and 2 tablespoons will give you a very hot curry. Mustard powder will give a hotness that will fill your nose. It will give a bit of a finish that a lot of people are used to in wasabi and gives a kind of tart hotness. Black Pepper has a front of mouth hotness and can be very aromatic (especially the gourmet peppers). This can be to taste as you like. Turmeric will give the curry a slightly dry taste so go easy on it. Most Japanese curries don't taste all that dry. It will also give the curry, that signature yellow color. Salt is always to taste. I always go light on the salt. Salt is always more effective if the person who is eating it gets to put on their own salt on top of the food. It's a waste of salt and of health to put a lot into the curry powder. Cardamon I like to go easy on in the japanese curry. While it works well in Indian curries, it can overpower the japanese curry, which is about delicacy. It's good to have some left over to boost the curry taste. Nutmeg you can go easy on. It's not that important, and has a slightly heavy aromatic spicy smell to it.

Put the Cumin, Corriander, Sesame Seeds, Paprika, Cayenne, Black pepper, salt, Cardamon, and ground nutmeg into a dry unoiled pan. Turn up the heat to Medium and shake the pan. (Be careful not to breathe in the paprika too deeply). It should start to brown and smell really good. If the smell seems a bit off, adjust the ingredients of the curry powder to smell. After the contents of the pan begin to brown and become aromatic, turn off the heat and immediately pour into your spice grinder. Add to the grinder the Mustard Powder, cinnamon, and turmeric. Grind it until you get aa fine powder. You may have to stop it occasionally to reincorperate the spices. Also keep in mind that once it's a powder that it might scatter, so tapping it aand letting it settle after you're done is a good idea.

Cook the meat of choice in the same skillet on medium-high until lightly browned on the outside, but not throughly cooked.

The next step is to make a rue. Using the same pan that the spices were toasted in, put in about a tablespoon of oil. Turn on the heat to about medium-high. Next add the flour. The flour should combine with the oil into a rough paste. Brown the flour lightly. Next, add a little of the milk. Break up the flour until it's incorperated. Turn down the heat to low and wait for the milk to start to thicken. As the milk starts to thicken slowly add a little more milk. Continue this process until you have used up all of the milk. Add the curry powder, apple juice, apple, ginger, garlic, bay leaf, meat and potatoes. Cook for about 20 minutes on low or until the potatoes are semi-tender. Adjust any of the spices at this time. Add the carrots and celery to the skillet. Cook for an additional 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender and no longer crunchy.

Serve over rice. (Nishiki is the best or another short-grained rice. It's even better with a touch of apple juice.)