Recipe Review: Tempuras, Fukujinzuke and Japanese Curry with Rice

Image Source: Roboppy's Flickr Photostream

Japanese food is not all sushi, soups and noodles. Although it could be a real task for vegetarians to get a good variety at Japanese restaurants, here's a meal we enjoy. The curry and rice goes along great with the fried veggies and the pickle and makes for a great Japanese meal overall. This meal serves as a good break from the usual curry rice combos we have. It can be a good introduction to Japanese food for those who stay away from the cuisine thinking that the food is often bland and uncooked.

Fukujinzuke (Pickled Veggies)
Recipe Source: Fukujinzuke at Cooks.com
Review: A great recipe overall and works great. You might need to use cooking conversion tables (converts most units to tablespoons) to figure out the exact quantities.Shiso leaves are beefsteak leaves and can be hard to find in Mumbai. A half-and-half combination of basil and cilantro can substitute the taste but not the color. If you love raw veggies, feel free to add in diced mushrooms, lotus root and eggplant to the mix. Serve the fukujinzuke as a side pickle with the curry and rice.

Tempuras (Batter-fried Veggies)
Recipe Source: Tempuras at About.com
Review: A simple recipe and works as promised. Make sure the batter is so thin that the veggies are visible through the fried batter. Adding two beaten eggs and 40ml of chilled beer adds to the taste and the texture. For the veggies, I highly recommend eggplants, sweet potatoes, asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms and green peppers. Place the tempuras on top of the curry when serving.

Japanese curry and rice
Recipe Source: Japanese Curry from a ready-mix at S&B Recipes
Recipe Source: Japanese Curry from scratch at SeriousEats
Review: You can ignore the meat in the recipes and just stick to the potatoes, carrots and onions if you are vegetarian. The ready mix, called S&B Golden Curry, is availably at Bombay Baking Company in Juhu, Mumbai or at your nearest asian grocery store.  Sprinkle some roasted seasame on the rice when serving.

Japanese Curry Meal Places we love: Wagamama (Boston), Wasabi (Taj, Mumbai)

About Japanese Curry, Fukujinzuke and Tempuras.