Made with instant curry mix, Korean curry rice is a stew-like curry sauce served over rice. It’s one of those dishes that was introduced to Korea by the Japanese, and has since become a staple in Korean homes. The Korean version of the sauce is generally lighter, which makes it so good eaten with kimchi. It’s a hearty, comfort food we all grew up eating!

The instant curry mix makes this dish very easy to make. The curry roux is made with fat, so it has a richer taste and makes the sauce thicker. I used a curry roux here, but if you’re concerned about the fat content of the roux, use curry powder mix instead.

The Korean curry rice is usually made with meat and lots of vegetables. I used beef in this recipe. Any meat of your choice is fine. Onions, potatoes, and carrots are the typical vegetables for this dish. You can also use other vegetables such as mushrooms, bell peppers, peas, broccoli, and scallions.

Ingredients:

250 grams beef (or pork or chicken)

1 medium onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

2 medium potatoes

1 large carrot

4 caps white mushrooms - optional

1/2 green bell pepper - optional

1/2 box of instant curry roux (use a couple more cubes for a thicker sauce)

4 cups water (or low sodium chicken broth)

4 servings of cooked rice

Cut the meat into small bite size pieces. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Dice the onion, and cut the other vegetables into bite size chunks.

Heat a large pot with a tablespoon of oil. Add the onion, and stir-fry until it turns translucent and light brown.

Add the meat, garlic, and ginger, and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Add the remaining vegetables and stir fry until potatoes turn translucent and partially cooked.

Pour the water (or chicken broth) into the pot. Bring it to a boil, and continue to boil for about 10 minutes until the meat becomes tender.

Break up the curry roux into small cubes. Drop them in, and stir well to dissolve.

Reduce the heat to medium low, and gently boil until the sauce is thickened. Add more water or broth if too thick.

Serve over steamed rice.

For more recipes, visit www.koreanbapsang.com.

By Ro Hyo-sun