Local Cuisine Reproduction Series ①: Hokkaido: Soup Curry with Plenty of Vegetables

When you travel to Japan, you not only enjoy the beautiful scenery there, but also the delicious Japanese cuisine, right? This recipe article series will introduce the local specialties from all over Japan. Rather than just show you exactly how to make a local dish, I use slightly different ingredients than the original recipe. The Hokkaido local dish "soup curry" introduced this time uses a powdered curry mix instead of the commonly used curry roux. Give it a try and make one yourself.

What is Japanese local cuisine?

Local cuisine (郷土料理 / Kyodo-ryouri) is a cuisine that has been eaten in a local area for many years, by making good use of the local products of each region, making it suitable for the climate. It is also a Japanese comfort food, and is popular among Japanese for domestic gourmet trips.

Origin of soup curry

Soup curry (スープカレー) is a local dish that originated in Hokkaido, and it is said that it originated in the coffee shop "Ajanta" (アジャンタ) and the curry specialty store "Magic Spice" (マジックスパイス - sometimes shortened as MAGISPA) in Sapporo. 'Magic Spice' created 'Medicinal Curry' (薬膳カリィ / Yakuzen Curry) by adjusting from Soto Ayam, an Indonesian chicken soup dish, and offered it under the name 'Soup Curry', which was the very first.

In the 1980s, the name "Soup Curry" was not yet widely used, but it has already become popular in Sapporo and the number of specialty stores has increased. Around the year 2000, it became a boom, and more than 200 stores in Sapporo began to offer "Soup Curry." Through this, "Soup Curry" has suddenly become one of the representative local dishes of Sapporo and Hokkaido.

Characteristics of Soup Curry

Usually, Japanese curry has an impression of being in the condition that you cannot really see all ingredients under a thick sauce. Soup curry is a light and spicy soup with "heavy ingredients" and "soup and rice are served separately". The characteristic of soup curry is that the soup has a strong spice taste.

Soup Curry Recipe

Soup Curry Ingredients (for 4 servings)

• Powdered curry mix…120g
  
• Chicken (chicken wings)… 8 pieces
• Salt... a little
• Black pepper ... a little
• Onion ... 1 medium-sized (200g)
• Carrot… 1 medium-sized (200g)
• Cumin ... 1 teaspoon
• Garlic ... 1 clove
• Tomato (chopped) ... 1 medium-sized
• Consomme (bouillon cube) ... 2 pieces
• Salad oil… 2 tbsp
• Water… 800ml

Topping

• Potatoes… 1 medium-sized (150g)
• Pumpkin... 70g
• Eggplant… 2 pieces (160g)
• Bell pepper ... 2 pieces (60g)
• Bunshimeji mushrooms…1 pack (100g)
• Boiled eggs (cut in half) ... 2 slices
• Oil for frying… appropriate amount

How to make Soup Curry - with video

Here is the video (with cc subtitles)👇👇👇

1. Make cuts along the bones of the chicken wings and season with salt and black pepper. Cut the onion into 4 equal parts lengthwise and thinly slice so as to break the fibers. Cut the carrot into three equal parts lengthwise, then cut into 1 cm wide pieces lengthwise.
   
2. Heat salad oil (2 tablespoons) in a thick pan or pot, add a few grains of cumin, and when it starts to fizzle, add all the cumin. When the aroma stands out, add the onion from step① and fry until the color turns transparent.
3. Add the chicken from step① and garlic, and cook over low to medium heat until the outer part of the chicken meat is browned, but be careful not to burn the cumin. *The point of deliciousness is to bake until the outer part of the meat turns brown and bring out the aroma.
4. Add water, carrots, chopped tomatoes, and consommé cubes, remove the scum when it boils, and simmer over low to medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until the ingredients are soft.
5. While the ingredients are being boiled, wash the potatoes well, wrap them in plastic wrap with the skin on, heat them in the microwave at 600 W for about 3 minutes until they are slightly soft, and cut them into 4 equal pieces with the skin on.
6. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and cut lattices in the skin so that the heat can enter easily. Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise, and divide the bunashimeji mushrooms into roughly 8 equal bunches.
7. Dry the potatoes from step⑤ and the eggplants, bell peppers, and bunshimeji mushrooms from step⑥ well, then deep-fry each ingredient in frying oil (salad oil) that is about 1-2 cm high in a frying pan.. *By deep-frying the topping vegetables, the taste of the ingredients stands out and goes well with the soup.
8. Turn off the heat in the pot of step④, add the powdered curry mix and let it dissolve well, then simmer again over low heat for about 5 minutes.
9. Place step⑧ curry in a bowl, top with step⑦ fried potatoes, eggplants, green peppers, shimeji mushrooms, and a boiled egg cut in half, and serve along with rice.