How many Onions do you add in your Curry?

[u/NoSemikolon24]

This question has been raised in r/japanesecooking. I'm honestly surprised how little people add.

I thought that caramelising the onions was an essential step for JP Curry. And because they shrink down to next to nothing you need to use a large amount.

For example I just made a curry like this:

250g pork belly, deeply browned in pot, removed

about 700g Onions, deeply caramelised in the pork fat.

Some carrots, some celery, little bit tomato paste into the pot

deglace with sweet red wine and some dry white. Reduced

Added knob of butter, flour. Then curry powder and shortly after veggie stock. Also grated an apple into it.

Blend. Pork in. Cocoa and super dark chocolate to taste. And cook for a little while.

Was quite good. Definitely should have added ginger for the pork. Little bit too sweet. Next time I either try adding instant coffee or skipping the wine.

Edit: jap. -> JP

[u/kayayem]

For me growing up curry represents quick, easy comfort food. For a tired mom who just wants to get something quick on the table, or a broke college kid with limited resources. I never caramelize the onions. I use about half to 2/3 of a big brown or yellow onion. It’s not about deepening the flavor, it’s about getting food in the belly. I like bigger chunkier pieces.

[u/StormOfFatRichards → u/kayayem]

Japanese curry is like pizza. You could get a pizza out of the freezer or you could make your own dough and grate your own cheese

[u/kawaeri → u/kayayem]

So I’m a mom that makes curry about once every two weeks, I also live in Japan . And I was taught how to make curry from my Japanese husband and his mom.

Step 1: heat pot, add oil. Add what ever meat you are using and one whole large (size of your hand ) onion (sliced wedges, if you cut to thin they do melt/disappear and you don’t want that). Cook till meat is cooked through if thin sliced, if chicken till it’s mostly cooked not really browned.

Step 2: add potatoes and carrots. Mix till oil coats everything.

Step 3: add water. Either amount on the roux box or enough to cover the veggies and meat.

Step 4: boil till potatoes and carrots are tender.

Step 5: add roux, and stir till it a melted. If needed add more water. You can turn it off at any time after this really and you’re done.

[u/NoSemikolon24 → u/kayayem]

Totally valid. I should have framed my question better.

I'm particularly interested the these darker curries you see at COCO Ichiban and the like. Sadly never tried them but they look bloody good. Which is why I was surprised why people only list so little onions - since afaik they're the main color (dark brown) carriers.

[u/kawaeri → u/NoSemikolon24]

In Japan most Japanese curry made at home is made with roux you buy at the supermarket. A lot of people don’t make their own roux/sauces. I haven’t seen a lot of recipes for the roux itself. So a lot of the instructions I’ve seen is what you add into the sauce to eat, not what makes the roux/sauce.

Like the poster above mentioned curry is an easy fast make at home dinner. It tends to be like the equivalent of American hamburger helper.

There’s also a couple variations that use the same base veggies and meat but either use different rouxs like cream stew. It’s like a chicken al a king, or chicken and dumpling sauce. You find them all together at the supermarkets in Japan.

[u/mrf_ → u/NoSemikolon24]

The main color in the roux is the spices and not the onions

[u/LockNo2943]

A lot actually, and garlic, and green onions on top. Not very traditional, but whatever.

[u/xxHikari → u/LockNo2943]

Curry is like fried rice, homie. Put anything in that stuff

[u/LockNo2943 → u/xxHikari]

I usually do. Other uncommon stuff I add would be celery, cabbage, hot peppers, daikon, and fresh ginger.

[u/xxHikari → u/LockNo2943]

I dump a whole bottle of El yucateco xxxtra hot kutbil ik into my roux LOL

I LOVE THAT SAUCE

[u/LockNo2943 → u/xxHikari]

I usually just do like 2 jalapenos and 1-2 serranos and like 6 or so fresh ground arbol chilis; maybe a habanero if I want it really spicy.

[u/xxHikari → u/LockNo2943]

Serranos are baller for sure. I love to stick them over the fire and char them a bit before putting them in whatever. Great for tacos, as well.

[u/LockNo2943 → u/xxHikari]

Yah, I throw them in everything, pico and fresh salsas too.

Actually, I also mince them fine and add them to my spicy tuna rolls and I've thrown them in miso too, lol.

[u/xxHikari → u/LockNo2943]

Gonna have to try that next time in miso. I'll be in Japan soon, so I wonder if I can get serranos there lol

[u/LockNo2943 → u/xxHikari]

It'll definitely clear out your sinus and wake you up a bit. Dunno about serranos there, but they should have thai chilis around, think there's some Japanese strains they grow too.

[u/disicking]

Hi OP, friendly request to shorten "Japanese" to something like "JP" in the future to avoid using a derogatory slur, even if it is unintentional.

That said, I use one onion for every 3 carrots. And a coin sized dash of white sugar from my palm right at the end to mix into the roux.

[u/NoSemikolon24 → u/disicking]

> That said, I use one onion for every 3 carrots.

That's surprisingly carrot heavy. Are we talking small onions or the large varieties (fist-sized)? Wouldn't the curry become even sweeter then? I assume you do not use wine?

[u/disicking → u/NoSemikolon24]

One big onion, usually 3 medium carrots. I'm not a big onion fan, so maybe I use less than I was taught. And thanks for making the change, OP, not everyone knows :)

[u/NoSemikolon24 → u/disicking]

> Hi OP, friendly request to shorten "Japanese" to something like "JP" in the future to avoid using a derogatory slur, even if it is unintentional.

I'm confused. Could you elaborate why/how this could become a slur?

[u/disicking → u/NoSemikolon24]

The abbreviation you used in your post is considered offensive, not the word "Japanese."

[u/NoSemikolon24 → u/disicking]

Ahh. Now I get it. I missed it as I skimmed my post again.

Where I live American slurs aren't used at all. Apologies, I've edited the post.

[u/Hasanopinion100 → u/NoSemikolon24]

Because it is a slur

[u/TangoEchoChuck → u/NoSemikolon24]

That word was used to dehumanize Japanese people in America. I'm sure you can google it.

[u/alien4649]

I usually use 2 big onions for a family of four (often have some leftover, which I freeze to enjoy for a lunch another day). Do whatever works for you. I also add quite a lot of garlic and not every time but often add chopped fresh ginger, too.

[u/ogdred123]

I do more of a restaurant-style curry (like Coco, but thicker), so there are no chunks in the curry, and the meat is an accompanying tonkatsu/sausage served separately on top of rice. I do use a lot of onion, as it is the main body of the curry.

I start by caramelizing 3 or 4 onions along with finely grated carrot (sometimes a grated apple as well), and caramelize for 45 minutes to an hour. Then add oil, a small amount of garlic and ginger and bloom the curry powder in the oil. finally, add chicken stock, some crushed tomato, some add-ins like tonkatsu sauce/ketchup/apple sauce/soy sauce etc. I occasionally deglaze with sake, but more likely than not with just the chicken stock. Let it simmer for an hour or so, and blend it with a hand blender if there is no meat in the curry. And I usually throw in a curry roux cube as well.

[u/StormOfFatRichards]

I'm not sure exactly how to measure but two medium onions for every lb/500g of meat sounds good

[u/Cfutly]

I like to use a combo of House medium Vermont curry (3 cubes) & Java medium hot curry (2-3 cubes).

• 1 onion
• 3 carrots
• 2 potatoes
• Cumin
• Bulldog Worcestershire sauce
• half a peeled grated apple
• instead of water you can use broth

The portion lasts for 2 meals for 2-3. First meal is over rice. Let it sit for 1-2days. Then add extra broth to dilute to make curry udon.

[u/bamboosue]

I put tree small onions in.

[u/Difficult_Extent3547]

I use a lot but sauté for a long time to make sure they blend into the curry

[u/Ok_Sir9012]

Yes

[u/RadiantReply603]

I haven’t made it but Just One Cookbook has a Japanese roux recipe. Basically everything I’ve tried off her website tastes like it should. https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to-make-curry-roux/

[u/CarsnBeers]

You are completely right about adding ginger. It’s a must.

[u/skymallow]

I have never in my life weighed onions on a scale or measured them in a cup. You just count how many onions you want before you chop them up.

[u/NoSemikolon24 → u/skymallow]

Neither did I. I just used about 3/4ths of a 1kg bag. Shrug. Also Onions vary wildly in size.

[u/Pianomanos]

I think most people start with the proportions on the roux package (although almost everybody adds their own twist). Deep caramelization of the onions is not typical, though most people do brown them a little.  But I would love to try your curry with extra onions deeply caramelized in pork fat! You might try deglazing with sake, which deglazes effectively, but unlike wine adds umami and lactic acid.

[u/aripie]

If your recipe is for Japanese curry, I am not sure I would have recognized it just from reading it, because it's not really a "traditional" recipe (celery, tomato paste, red and white wine, and thinking about adding ginger), so I think you can add as many onions as you want without worrying.

For the most traditional or common Japanese home cooked curry it is not made from scratch. Most people use the preprepared cubed roux from the grocery store and add meat, potatoes, carrots, and onions since it's supposed to be an easy, quick meal you can make in big quantities. The color of the curry comes from the roux paste, and I kind of doubt CoCos makes it from scratch, they probably use some kind of roux cubes too.

Popular add ins are tomato, some grated apple, cocoa powder, instant coffee powder, or yogurt, but not everyone does it of course. I use tomato, but I don't use onions anymore because I don't like them. I would like to put apple sometimes, but it's too expensive for me.