How to Make Katsu Curry, Fried Oyster Curry, Croquette Curry and Chashu Ramen

Three curries topped with crispy fried food, and a ramen with fall-apart homemade chashu. The focus is on preparing the chashu and on tips for making fried food crispy.

1. Curry Roux (Two Ways)

[Pattern A] Authentic curry from spices (serves 4)

• Spices: cumin (1 tbsp), coriander (1 tbsp), turmeric (1 tsp), chili pepper (1/2 tsp, or to taste).
• Put oil and minced ginger and garlic (1 clove each) in a pot and stir-fry over low heat until fragrant.
• Add minced onions (2) and fry over fairly high heat until caramelized (this builds sweetness and body).
• Add canned tomatoes (200 g) and fry until the moisture is gone and it becomes a paste.
• Turn the heat to very low, add the spices and salt (1.5 tsp), and fry together for about 1 minute.
• Add water (600 ml) and, as hidden flavors, soy sauce (1 tsp) and Worcestershire sauce (1 tbsp). Simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes.

[Pattern B] Tricks to upgrade store-bought roux

• Staggered onion frying: fry half of the onions until caramelized for body, and add the other half, roughly chopped, midway to keep texture and sweetness.
• Triple hidden flavors: after dissolving the roux, add instant coffee (1/2 tsp), Worcestershire sauce (1 tbsp) and butter (10 g). It tastes as deep as if it had rested overnight.

Professional techniques for aroma and heat

• Tempering: just before finishing, heat 1 tbsp of oil (or butter) in a small frying pan, fry cumin seeds or curry powder over low heat until they sizzle, and pour the aromatic oil into the curry.
• Chili pepper fried with the onions at the start gives a deep, slowly building heat; added just before turning off the heat it gives a sharp heat. If you like it hot, add it at both times.
• At the end, add garam masala (1 tsp) and lemon juice (1 tsp) so the outline of the spices stands out.

1-2. Basic Curry Made from Block Curry Roux (Serves 4)

A basic curry made with commercial block (solid) curry roux. Follow the amounts of water and roux shown on the box first.

Ingredients

• 300 g meat (pork pieces, chicken thigh or beef), 2 onions, 1 carrot, 2 potatoes
• 1 tbsp oil, about 700 ml water (follow the box)
• 1 box of block curry roux (the 4–5 servings shown on the box)

How to make it

1. Cut the onions into wedges, the carrot into chunks and the potatoes into large pieces, and soak the potatoes in water. Cut the meat into bite-size pieces.
2. Heat the oil in a pot and fry the meat. When it changes color, add the onions, carrot and potatoes in that order and fry (the longer you fry the onions, the more sweetness and body they give).
3. Add the water, skim the scum when it boils, and simmer over low heat for 15–20 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
4. Turn off the heat, break in the roux and dissolve it well (adding it after turning off the heat prevents lumps).
5. Return to low heat and simmer for 5–10 minutes, stirring so it does not burn, until it thickens. Done.

Tip: hidden flavors (instant coffee, Worcestershire sauce, butter) or resting it overnight add depth (see "Pattern B" above).

2. The 3 Golden Rules for Crispy Fried Food

• Batter liquid: 1 egg, 3 tbsp flour and 1 tbsp water mixed together. The coating sticks well, does not peel off, and moisture escapes so it turns out crispy.
• Fresh breadcrumbs: they contain more moisture than dried ones and give a lighter, crunchier texture.
• Double frying: cook through at a low 160°C, take it out and rest it for 3 minutes, then finish at 180–190°C for 30 seconds to 1 minute. The crispness lasts even after it cools.

① Katsu Curry

• Cut the tendon between the lean meat and fat of the pork loin with the tip of a knife (to prevent shrinking) and season with salt and pepper.
• Coat with batter liquid, then fresh breadcrumbs. Fry at 160°C for 3–4 minutes, rest for 3 minutes, then finish at 180°C (or 190°C).
• Put curry on the rice and place the cut cutlet on top (not pouring too much sauce over the coating keeps it crispy).

② Fried Oyster Curry

• Rub-wash oysters (for cooking) in light salt water or with potato starch, rinse under running water, and wipe off all moisture with paper towels (they will not be crispy if moisture remains).
• Coat thinly and evenly with flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs, and fry in 180°C oil for 1.5–2 minutes until golden (do not overcook).
• Put them freshly fried on the curry rice. A little Worcestershire sauce is also excellent.

③ Croquette Curry

• Mix boiled, mashed potatoes with stir-fried ground meat and onion.
• Cool the filling completely in the refrigerator before shaping (if warm, it bursts in the oil).
• Coat with flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs without gaps, and fry in 180°C oil for 2–3 minutes just to set the coating; take it out as soon as it is golden.

Tips for draining oil and avoiding a heavy stomach

• For the last 10 seconds before lifting out, raise the oil to 180–190°C so steam from inside blows off the oil trying to soak into the coating.
• Lift the food out held vertically with tongs or chopsticks, and shake it gently up and down 4–5 times above the oil to expose it to air.
• Do not lay it flat on kitchen paper; stand it on a rack, slightly overlapping (this prevents oil from soaking back in).
• Using rice bran oil (or canola oil) makes the coating lighter and eases heaviness in the stomach.
• Frying order in the same oil: ① croquettes → ② pork cutlets → ③ fried oysters. Oysters transfer sea smell and moisture to the oil, so they go last.

3. Chashu (Quick Pressure-Cooker Method, About 40 Minutes)

Ingredients: 500 g pork belly block, the green part of a green onion, 3 slices of ginger. Braising liquid (kaeshi): 150 ml soy sauce, 80 ml mirin, 80 ml sake, 3 tbsp sugar, 1 clove of garlic.

1. Searing: heat a frying pan over high heat and brown the whole surface of the pork block (locks in flavor and adds aroma).
2. Pressure cooking (parboiling): put the meat, green onion, ginger and enough water to cover the meat in the pressure cooker. Once under pressure, lower the heat and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave it until the pressure is completely released.
3. Seasoning: take out the meat (keep the parboiling liquid for the ramen soup) and bring the braising-liquid ingredients to a boil in another pot or frying pan.
4. Glazing: add the meat and, spooning the liquid over it, roll it over low heat for about 10 minutes until the liquid reduces.
5. Rapid cooling (important): put the meat and liquid in a zip-top bag and cool quickly in ice water or the refrigerator. As the temperature drops the flavor soaks deep inside, and the meat firms up and slices thinly.

4. Ramen Soup (Two Approaches)

Use the parboiling liquid left in the pressure cooker (a pork white-broth base with the pork flavor dissolved in it) and finish it in the style you like. There is no need to wash the pressure cooker; use it for the soup as it is.

[A: Shoyu clear soup (light)]

1. Let the parboiling liquid cool once and scoop off about 80% of the white lard that has solidified on the surface with a ladle.
2. To the soup (about 300–400 ml), add 100 ml water, kombu–bonito stock (or 1 tsp Japanese soup-stock granules) and 1 tsp chicken-bouillon granules, and warm it over low heat without boiling (so it does not turn cloudy).
3. Put 2 tbsp of the chashu braising liquid (kaeshi) in the bowl and pour in the soup.

[B: Seafood-tonkotsu style (rich)]

1. Boil the parboiling liquid, together with the fat on its surface, vigorously over high heat for about 5 minutes while stirring, to emulsify it into a thick pork white soup.
2. Add 1 tbsp of bonito powder (or powdered mackerel flakes or dried sardines) and 1 tsp of chicken-bouillon granules.
3. Put 2.5–3 tbsp of kaeshi in the bowl and pour in the soup. A little grated garlic adds even more punch.

Finish: add the boiled noodles and top with the rapidly cooled, sliced chashu, green onion, menma and seasoned egg.

4-2. Three Tonkotsu Ramen Recipes (Hakata Style, Kumamoto Style, Tonkotsu-Shoyu Style)

All three share the same tonkotsu (pork-bone) soup as a base, and differ in the seasoning base, aroma oil, noodles and toppings. The amounts and times are a guide, so adjust to taste (they have not been tested by cooking them).

[Common] Tonkotsu soup base (pressure cooker, about 4 bowls)

1. Parboil about 1 kg of pork femur bones (or backbones) in boiling water for about 5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly under running water to remove blood and sliminess (an important step to remove odor).
2. Put the bones, the green part of a green onion, ginger, garlic and 1/2 onion in the pressure cooker, add water (about 2 L, no more than 2/3 of the cooker's maximum), pressure-cook for 60 minutes and wait until the pressure releases naturally.
3. Open the lid, turn the heat to high and boil for 10–20 minutes while stirring so the fat and water emulsify and turn white and cloudy. Crush the bones to release flavor and strain the soup through a colander.
4. Caution: pork bones foam easily, so always follow your pressure cooker's manual for maximum amount and usable ingredients, and keep the foam from clogging the valve. Without a pressure cooker, simmer for 4–6 hours at a steady boil over high heat (add hot water when it reduces).

① Hakata style (light and cloudy, thin noodles)

• Seasoning base (kaeshi) per bowl: 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp soy sauce, a pinch of chicken-bouillon granules and a little white pepper.
• Heat 300–350 ml of soup, combine it with the kaeshi, and add thin straight noodles boiled firm.
• Toppings: chashu, wood-ear mushrooms, green onion, red pickled ginger, spicy pickled mustard greens (takana), sesame.
• Kaedama (extra noodles): boil just the noodles separately and add them; add a little kaeshi so the soup does not get diluted.

② Kumamoto style (mayu black garlic oil)

• Mayu: put 3 tbsp sesame oil and 2 cloves of minced garlic in a small pot and heat slowly over low heat; when it turns brown to blackish, turn off the heat (do not burn it, or it becomes bitter).
• Kaeshi per bowl: 1 tbsp soy sauce, a pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp chicken-bouillon granules.
• Combine with 300 ml of soup and add medium-thick straight noodles. Drizzle 1–2 tsp of mayu and sprinkle on fried garlic chips.
• Toppings: chashu, seasoned egg, wood-ear mushrooms, green onion.

③ Tonkotsu-shoyu style (rich, Iekei style)

• Chicken oil (chiyu): use the fat rendered by frying chicken skin slowly in a frying pan (substitute lard or sesame oil if you have none).
• Kaeshi per bowl: 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp mirin, 1/2 tsp sugar and 1 tbsp chicken oil.
• Pour in 300 ml of hot soup and add thick straight noodles (soft to regular).
• Toppings: chashu, spinach, 3 sheets of nori, green onion, quail eggs. You can adjust it to "firm noodles, strong flavor, extra oil" as you like.

4-3. Two Seafood-Tonkotsu Tsukemen (Dipping Ramen) Recipes

Two tsukemen (dipping noodles) made by combining the tonkotsu soup (the base in 4-2) with seafood stock: a rich type and a light type. The amounts and times are a guide, so adjust to taste (they have not been tested by cooking them).

[Common] Seafood stock (for 1–2 servings)

1. Put 10 g dried sardines (heads and guts removed), 10 g mackerel flakes and a 5 cm piece of kombu in 300 ml of water and soak for about 30 minutes.
2. Heat over low heat, take out the kombu just before it boils, and simmer the sardines and mackerel flakes for about 5 minutes. Strain through a colander to get about 250 ml of seafood stock.

[Common] Preparing the noodles (tsukemen noodles are rinsed in cold water)

• Boil 200–250 g of thick noodles as directed, rinse them well in cold water to firm them up and remove the sliminess, and drain thoroughly (the more they are rinsed, the chewier they get). Tossing them with a little sesame oil keeps them from sticking.

① Rich seafood-tonkotsu tsukemen (double soup)

• Dipping soup (per serving): 100 ml tonkotsu soup, 100 ml seafood stock, kaeshi (1.5 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp mirin, 1/2 tsp sugar), 2 tsp fish powder and 1/2 tbsp chashu braising liquid. Reduce it in a small pot for about 5 minutes to thicken it.
• Dip the cold noodles in the hot dipping soup as you eat. The soup cools quickly, so keep it warm in the small pot or serve it in a preheated bowl.
• Toppings: chashu, menma, seasoned egg, chopped green onion, nori and, if you like, chopped onion.
• Wari-soup: at the end, pour warmed seafood stock (or tonkotsu soup) into the remaining dipping soup to dilute it and drink it up.

② Light seafood tsukemen (with vinegar and chili oil)

• Dipping soup (per serving): warm 150 ml seafood stock, 50 ml tonkotsu soup and kaeshi (2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, 1/2 tbsp sugar), then turn off the heat and add 1 tbsp vinegar and a little chili oil.
• Rinse medium-thick noodles in cold water and serve them as they are. You can make it with either a cold or a warm dipping soup.
• Toppings: chicken chashu (or pork chashu), menma, chopped green onion, white sesame, and yuzu peel or lemon.
• Recommended when you want something refreshing, or as cold tsukemen in summer.

5. Superb Seasoned Eggs (Ajitama) and Menma

Seasoned eggs (using the chashu braising liquid)

1. Gently lower eggs (M–L size) straight from the refrigerator into boiling water with a ladle. Boil 6 minutes 30 seconds for a runny soft yolk, or 7 minutes 15 seconds for a slightly stickier one (rolling them gently with chopsticks for the first 2 minutes keeps the yolk in the center).
2. Cool immediately in ice water, crack the whole shell finely and peel under water.
3. Put the eggs in a zip-top bag with cooled chashu braising liquid to just cover (if they float, cover with kitchen paper).
4. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight (about 12 hours). They go well on ramen and beside curry.

Superb menma (seasoned bamboo shoots)

1. Quickly blanch boiled menma (about 100–150 g) to remove the water-packed smell.
2. Fry in 1/2 tbsp sesame oil (and a little sliced chili pepper, if you like) over high heat so the moisture evaporates.
3. Add 1/2 tsp chicken-bouillon granules, 50 ml water, 1 tbsp sake, 1/2 tbsp mirin and 1 tbsp chashu braising liquid; simmer over low heat until the liquid is gone and finish with white pepper.

6. An Efficient Order for the Whole Process (3 Burners)

Cookware guide: pressure cooker 3.0–4.5 L, frying pot (or deep frying pan) 20–24 cm in diameter, curry pot about 20 cm.

1. [First] Sear the pork belly and pressure-cook (parboil) it for 15 minutes.
2. [While under pressure] Fry the curry onions until caramelized and simmer the curry (spice or roux).
3. [When the pressure is released] Take out the chashu, glaze it in the braising liquid for 10 minutes, then cool it quickly in a zip-top bag in ice water. Finish the parboiling liquid left in the pressure cooker as the ramen soup.
4. [Just before eating] Fry in the order ① croquettes → ② pork cutlets → ③ fried oysters.
5. [Finishing] Add the tempered spices to the curry, serve it over rice and top with the fried food. For the ramen, boil the noodles and add the soup, kaeshi and the chashu, now cold and easy to slice.

7. Instead of Fukujinzuke: Red Onion and Bell Pepper Achar (Indian-Style Quick Pickle)

This is the side dish served at spice-curry specialty shops. Its crisp texture and refreshing acidity reset the greasiness of katsu and other fried food. The flow (slice → salt-rub and rinse → toss with seasonings) is based on the reference pages below; the amounts are a guide, so adjust them to taste.

Ingredients (an easy-to-make amount)

• 1/2 red onion, 1/2 red or yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt (for rubbing)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil (mustard oil if you have it)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice, a pinch of sugar
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp chili powder (use paprika powder if you do not want it hot)

How to make it

1. Slice the red onion and bell pepper thinly, 3–5 mm.
2. Sprinkle with salt, rub well, leave for about 5 minutes, then rinse in water to remove the harshness and squeeze out the water well (rinsing the bell pepper in water keeps the red onion's color from tinting it).
3. Heat the oil in a small frying pan and fry the cumin, turmeric and chili powder over low heat for 10–20 seconds until fragrant (do not burn them).
4. Toss the vegetables with the spiced oil from step 3, the lemon juice and the sugar in a bowl.
5. Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. It keeps about 2–3 days refrigerated.

References: macaroni, Shinjuku City, Cookpad

8. Our Commitment to Oil, Meat and Ingredients

For oil used in frying, expeller-pressed rice bran oil is the best, and it is said that canola oil and the like are bad for the body.

As for the cooking meat imported into Japan, most foreign meat, such as American beef and Aussie beef, often comes from livestock raised with large amounts of hormones and antibiotics, and there is concern that eating it may cause breast cancer, uterine cancer and other diseases. So, as much as possible, use Japanese-produced meat, fish and vegetables, and grow them yourself in a home garden, with livestock too, eating what you produce yourself (local production for local consumption). Even without going to university, you can take a course and pass a test to obtain a qualification as an artificial insemination technician. Then, while keeping dairy cows, you can transfer fertilized Wagyu eggs into the wombs of dairy cows, which are larger and sturdier than Wagyu and so calve more easily, so that the dairy cows give birth to Wagyu-and-dairy crossbred calves. You can ship those calves as well as dairy products, which is how dairy farmers can finally turn a profit.

On vast land such as Hokkaido, if bumpy land can be leveled flat, a golf course could be operated. And when cattle, horses and other animals are pastured, a large amount of their dung falls on the ground and gets mixed in when the winter snow melts, making it hard to clean up. So I think a proper drainage system should be built, together with a solid facility that can recycle livestock dung, gravel, stones, soil, mud and so on as fertilizer for fields even when they are flushed into it.

Also, if there is vast land, airports can be built, and in 2026 semiconductor factories, AI data centers and power plants are being built together as a set. It also seems that cases are increasing in which house builders build large AUDIO CAFEs (jazz cafes) as model homes to attract customers, and the inside becomes a showroom where real estate companies, construction companies and local builders operate, aircraft and new and used cars are bought and sold, PCs, tablets and smartphones are sold, rented and leased, and insurance such as AFLAC, NISSAY (Nippon Life) and SONY Property & Casualty Insurance is also handled.

I think sheet-metal and body repair for aircraft, cars and motorcycles should be run at the same time. To take the supercar Bugatti as an example, it is said to be not uncommon for someone who has just bought a used Bugatti for 50 million yen to be overcharged 50 million yen for replacing a part that costs only a few hundred yen to make. To gain long-term, international trust, I think Japanese zaibatsu foundations should acquire aircraft makers around the world, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and supercar makers, and sell, rent and lease Made in Japan aircraft, supercars, luxury cars and luxury motorcycles together, under the LEXUS brand, or under NISSAN's luxury brand INFINITI, or with HONDA and MAZDA also launching luxury brands.

As a further point: on YouTube there is news that a giant UFO was found beneath the pyramids of Egypt, together with its operation manual and design documents on stone tablets written in Japanese, and it seems that a reform is now under way in the very nature of the engines of aircraft, cars, motorcycles, ships and cruisers. I think that allocations should also be considered for this area, both as national policy and in the budgets of the zaibatsu foundations.