Serves 2 portions

~10 min prep · ~30 min cooking

Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1–2 carrots, diced (optional)
• Cooked rice (for 2 portions)
• 2 cutlets (chicken, pork, or other) – optional, for serving
• Japanese curry cubes (store-bought curry roux blocks)
• Neutral cooking oil (vegetable or canola oil)
• Water (amount depends on desired consistency)
• Cayenne pepper powder (optional, for heat)
• Small piece of dark chocolate (optional, for richness)

Instructions

1. Prepare the garlic
   • Slice the garlic thinly.
   • Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
   • Fry the garlic until golden brown.
   • Remove the garlic from the oil — it will continue to crisp as it cools.
   • Important: Don’t let the garlic burn, or it will taste bitter.
2. Cook the onions
   • Add sliced onions to the same oil.
   • Cook slowly until soft, caramelized, and lightly browned.
   • This step takes time — it builds the base flavor of the curry.
   • Important: Stir occasionally so the onions don’t burn.
3. Add carrots (optional)
   • Dice the carrots.
   • Add them to the pan and stir-fry briefly with the onions.
4. Cook rice and cutlets in parallel
   • While the onions and carrots are cooking, start cooking the rice.
   • At the same time, prepare and cook the cutlets (pan-fried or deep-fried).
   • Keep them warm until serving.
5. Make the curry base
   • Add a small amount of boiling water (or plain water) to the onions and carrots to speed up cooking.
   • Stir in Japanese curry cubes until dissolved.
   • Start with a little water so the sauce doesn’t get too thin.
   • You can add more water later to adjust consistency.
   • Important: Once the curry cubes are in, reduce to medium-low heat (barely simmering).