Keema Curry
キーマカレー
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Keema curry is a thick, almost dry curry made with ground meat rather than chunks - it came to Japan from Indian cooking and has become a familiar favorite on menus at home and at school. This preschool version uses one and a half times as much vegetable as pork, all minced finely so it disappears into the sauce, and a gentle blend of curry powder, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce keeps it mild enough for little ones. Because it is seasoned in two stages, you can set aside a toddler portion and then build up the flavor for older children and adults from the same pan.
Toddlers to adults. Portion out the children's share before the final seasoning, then season the rest for adults.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 36 gcarrot
- 36 gonion
- 15.6 ggreen bell pepper
- 4.8 gvegetable oil
- 60 gground pork
- 3.9 gflour
- 60 mlwater
Seasonings (A)
- 0.6 ggarlic paste (tube)Grated garlic sold ready to use in a squeeze tube, a staple in Japanese kitchens. Japanese school lunch kitchens grate fresh garlic for its aroma, but for cooking at home Aoi says the tube works just fine. Tube pastes often contain added salt, oil and other ingredients, so check the label. Substitute: Use freshly grated garlic in the same amount. 1 teaspoon of paste is about 5 g.
- 0.6 gcurry powder
- 13.2 gketchup
- 0.5 gconsommé granules (bouillon granules)Japanese all-purpose Western-style soup stock granules used for soups, stews, and stir-fries. Substitute: Chicken or vegetable bouillon powder, or a crumbled bouillon cube.
- 0.2 gsalt
- 4.2 gWorcestershire sauce
To Finish
- 0.9 platewarm cooked rice
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- garlic paste (tube) (にんにくチューブ)
- Grated garlic sold ready to use in a squeeze tube, a staple in Japanese kitchens. Japanese school lunch kitchens grate fresh garlic for its aroma, but for cooking at home Aoi says the tube works just fine. Tube pastes often contain added salt, oil and other ingredients, so check the label. Substitute: Use freshly grated garlic in the same amount. 1 teaspoon of paste is about 5 g.
- consommé granules (bouillon granules) (顆粒コンソメ)
- Japanese all-purpose Western-style soup stock granules used for soups, stews, and stir-fries. Substitute: Chicken or vegetable bouillon powder, or a crumbled bouillon cube.
- Worcestershire sauce (ウスターソース)
- Read the guide: Bull-Dog Worcestershire Sauce: Japan's Everyday Brown Sauce → Guide: japanese-school-lunch.com/articles/bull-dog-worcestershire-sauce/
Directions
- 1
Finely mince the carrot, onion, and green bell pepper. Place them in a microwave-safe bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap so there is a gap for steam to escape, and microwave at 1200W for about 3 minutes 30 seconds.
- 2
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the vegetables from step 1 for about 3 minutes, stirring to drive off their moisture. Add the ground pork, reduce to low heat, and cook for about 2 minutes until the meat changes color.
- 3
Turn off the heat, sprinkle in the flour, and stir until it coats everything and no dry flour remains. Add the Seasonings (A), return to low heat, and stir briefly to combine. Note: If you are also making a toddler version, add only about 70% of the combined seasonings and continue from step 4 as written.
- 4
Add the water and, once it comes to a boil, simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring, until almost all the liquid has cooked off. Note: Set aside the toddler portion. For elementary-school-age children and up, add the remaining seasonings, tasting as you go, and simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- 5
Let the curry cool once so the flavors meld, then reheat it and serve over the rice. Note: For adults, adjust the heat by adding curry powder or garam masala to taste.
Tips for Best Results
- There is one and a half times as much vegetable as ground pork in this curry, but cooking the vegetables slowly and thoroughly brings out their natural sweetness for a gentle, mild flavor. Pre-cooking them in the microwave cuts down on the time spent at the stove.
Freezing Instructions
Layer rice and then keema curry in a microwave-safe container, put on the lid, and freeze. To eat, reheat in the microwave right in the container.
Keeps for about 2 weeks (best eaten as soon as possible).
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 231 kcal | 462 kcal | 231 kcal |
| Protein | 12 g | 24 g | 12 g |
| Fat | 15.2 g | 30.3 g | 15.2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 15.6 g | 31.2 g | 15.6 g |
| Fiber | 2.4 g | 4.8 g | 2.4 g |
| Salt equivalent | 1.2 g | 2.4 g | 1.2 g |
| Calcium | 30 mg | 60 mg | 30 mg |
| Iron | 0.9 mg | 1.8 mg | 0.9 mg |
| Potassium | 442.5 mg | 885 mg | 442.5 mg |
| Phosphorus | 105 mg | 210 mg | 105 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | Phosphorus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 231 kcal | 12 g | 15.2 g | 15.6 g | 2.4 g | 1.2 g | 30 mg | 0.9 mg | 442.5 mg | 105 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 462 kcal | 24 g | 30.3 g | 31.2 g | 4.8 g | 2.4 g | 60 mg | 1.8 mg | 885 mg | 210 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
