Curry Minced Meat

Savory, sweet, and fragrant, this Curry Minced Meat is braised with a medley of spices until tender and bursting with flavor. This dish pairs wonderfully with a side of leafy vegetables and rice, bread, noodles, or your preferred choice of carbs.

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes – Cooking Time: 25 minutes – Total Time: 35 minutes

Helpful equipment

• Large pot or Dutch oven

Ingredients

• 1 lb. minced meat (turkey, pork or chicken)
• ¾ cup diced onions
• ¾ cup diced carrots (optional)
• ¾ cup diced celery
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp brown sugar (optional)
• ½ tsp paprika
• 1/3 cup shimeji mushrooms, sliced Shiitake mushrooms, or similar mushrooms (optional)
• 1 - 1.25 cups unsalted chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• oil

Instructions

Step 1

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or pot over medium heat, then add ginger and garlic. Once they sizzle, introduce diced onions and cook until they turn translucent.

Step 2

In a pan over medium-high heat, partially cook the minced meat, breaking it into pieces. Discard any excess juices, fats, or impurities. Transfer meat to the Dutch oven or pot.

Step 3

Add curry powder, sugar if using, paprika, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook the meat, breaking it up and ensuring the spices are evenly incorporated.

Step 4

Pour stock into the pot and stir in soy sauce. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer. Drop in mushrooms, carrots, and celery. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes, or until the sauce thickens to a pool beneath the meat. 

Step 7

Once done, serve with your preferred starch and accompany with leafy green vegetables.

Notes

• Sauce consistency – If the pot is left on the burner after it has been shut off, the sauce will continue cooking and thicken further. 
• Curry powder – Curry powder can be either store-bought or homemade; self-made curry powder lets you tailor the level of spiciness and saltiness, as well as  adjust it to your taste. You can use either Japanese or Indian curry powder, which each have distinct flavor profiles.
• Shimeji mushrooms (optional) – These mushrooms enhance the dish with their chewy, tender texture, but can be replaced with a similar style mushroom, such as Shiitake, oyster, etc.
• Vegetable variety – Use firm vegetables or vegetables suitable for stews/braising, such as carrots, celery, potatoes, green peas, corn, bell peppers, etc.
• Choice of minced meat – Use ground turkey, pork or chicken.
• Making a "dry curry" version – To transform this dish into a Japanese "dry curry" (Keema curry), omit the chicken stock, skip the simmering, stir-fry the mushrooms and vegetables together, and serve with a sunny-side up egg if desired!