8 servings

Hands on: 10 minutes

CHRIS HUNT/AJC (ENLARGE)
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Total time: About 50 minutes

In Japan, I used to teach a group of housewives over a meal one afternoon a week. Sometimes we'd eat "curry rice" — mild, glossy, saucy Japanese curry ladled alongside a big scoop of rice. The sauce has no hard edge to it, just a warming whisper of spice. The women's kids would eat with us — this is every Japanese child's favorite meal — always contemplatively stirring the curry and rice into a uniform glop before taking a bite. I was taken aback the first time I saw my own 7-year-old smoosh up a bowl of curry rice the same way.

There are several popular brands of curry roux — the chocolatelike block of seasoning, oil and flour that creates the sauce. S&B is the easiest to find; I can even get it at my local Publix. But the House company makes two good brands — Vermont Curry, which has a sweet edge of honey and apple; and Java Curry, with a bit more warm, spicy oomph.

All curry comes in three speeds: mild, medium-hot and hot. The Japanese have low tolerance for spice, so even the medium-hot is nothing to break a sweat over. It's the level my kids like.

Whatever the brand, you'll need to take the English-language instructions with a drop of soy sauce. For example, you can make curry with cubed beef or pork, but you'll need more than the 20 minutes cooking time indicated. I always make curry with fast-cooking chicken. I hate to admit this, but thawed individually quick-frozen chicken breasts come out more tender than fresh chicken breast.

Curry rice is a one-dish meal, but you can pass pickled red ginger (benishoga) as an accompaniment.

1 large onion, diced

2 to 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (white or dark), cubed

1 tablespoon oil

6 cups water

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 large (about 8 ounces) block Japanese curry roux

Fry the onion and cubed chicken in the oil in a pot over a medium-high flame until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the water, bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmering. After 15 minutes, add the carrots and potatoes. After 5 minutes, break in the curry roux and stir. Cook another 5 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is perfectly glossy. Serve with rice and pickled ginger.

Per serving: 319 calories (percent of calories from fat, 38), 29 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 13 grams fat (8 grams saturated), 97 milligrams cholesterol, 208 milligrams sodium.

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