DIY Japanese Curry Blocks

Learn how to make curry blocks at home for quick and delicious meal anytime you crave kare raisu (Japanese curry rice).

Meeting Times

Sun, 10/22/2023 3:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Sun, 10/22/2023

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About

Mild, savory, and slightly sweet Japanese curry — kare raisu—is one of the most popular dishes in Japan and a fine example of yoshoku cooking, which are Western dishes (via the British via India) reinvented through traditional Japanese food principles. Tender chicken, carrots, and potatoes are simmered in a thick curry with perfectly balanced flavors and a hint of sweetness from honey and apple.

Curry blocks were invented to make it easy for busy people to whip up an “instant” pot of curry. The commercially made curry blocks are shelf-stable boxes of curry roux full of questionable ingredients, such as stabilizers, chemical flavorings, and preservatives.

Who needs that? We can make our own! They're a wonder to have on hand for a quick and delicious meal. Throw a frozen block into a pot with your other ingredients, add water, and dinner can be ready in fewer than 30 minutes.

You’ll learn to make a roux, find out why honey is added only at the end, and perhaps pick up a new knife skill — the Rangiri style of carrot cutting. You'll also gain a deeper understanding of washoku, the ancient Japanese food traditions that make meal preparation fun as well as transformative for your health.

Project

You will make two curry blocks, one to take home along with a printed recipe, and another to use to make a pot of classic chicken kare raisu (there will be a vegetarian option, but not a vegan one). Rice, pickles, and rayu sauce (a sesame chili oil condiment) will be on hand for a proper kare raisu meal.

Materials

A materials fee of $30, included in the cost of the class, covers everything you'll need.

Class Policies

Ages 14 and up are welcome.
You must wear closed-toe shoes to class.
Each participant will need to be registered for the class (no drop-ins).

BARN Policies

View BARN's Cancellation and Refund Policy
View BARN's current COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
BARN is committed to accessibility. Tuition Assistance is available. Fill out the application before registering.
Makerspaces like BARN can be noisy and cluttered, smell strongly, and have bright or flickering lights. We try to make accommodations when requested; the earlier you contact us, the more likely we can help. Please email accessibility@bainbridgebarn.org to find out more or request an accommodation.
For those who might need physical assistance, learn more about BARN's Companion Program.

Instructors or Guides

Tracy Matsue Loeffelholz

Tracy Matsue Loeffelholz is passionate about sharing the traditional Japanese cooking practices she learned as a fourth-generation Yonsei in Hawaii. She enjoys exploring the principles behind washoku cooking and uncovering how they can be applied to make all our meals—of any cuisine—healthy and delicious. She is a recipe developer for Providence Heart Institute, teaches Washoku cooking classes on Bainbridge Island, and is the founder of Bainbridge Island Miso. She has run a test kitchen working with international chefs to prepare their recipes for online cooking classes with American home cooks. She has certificates from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Harvard’s CHEF coaching program. Website: IngredientsCount.com Insta-gram: @ingredientscount