Japanese Curry Rice

I love Japanese curry rice (a.k.a. kare rice). It's hearty, delicious, and an easy dish to serve to a big group. If you've never had it, it's really good. It's quite different from Indian curry because it's more mild (less bite from exotic spices) and it's a bit sweeter.

[serves 4 to 6] - Don't forget to make a big pot of sticky rice (short grain).

My family always buys the "Golden Curry" brand. It comes in a box with two blocks of roux and the package is perforated so you can use one half and use the other for later. According to the package, each block makes 6 servings, but that also depends on how severely each person likes to drown their rice in curry. Here's what it looks like:

Instant Japanese curry roux is available in most Asian markets and sometimes in your grocery but if you can't find it, it's pretty easy to make your own, using readily available ingredients.
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons curry powder or garam masala
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper - or less if you can't handle the spice or more if you want it to kick
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground!)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
Instructions:
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. As soon as the butter is melted, add in the flour, whisking constantly to make sure no lumps form. The mixture should start off thick, like a loose dough, and then start to look "melty." Add in the rest of the ingredients and whisk until a uniform mixture is formed and turn off the heat. That's the roux! Set it aside while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

(or add in the homemade roux at this point if that's the route you chose)

Scoop a big pile of rice onto a plate and then pour a generous amount of curry over the top.

For a little added flair, top with half a soft boiled egg.