3rd Post: Pouring the Water

If you knew me, you would know that my favorite food is curry.  I grew up with my mom making Japanese curry from scratch.  I don’t always have the patience to make it that way, but I eventually did with a little help of the sauce packets.  When I started this blog, I wanted to incorporate curry in it, but the actual recipe takes too long.  So I kind of tossed the idea away until I recently got a package of instant curry.  My mother sent me a care package that among other things, contained a packet of instant curry and another of microwaveable rice.  It’s most common to eat curry on rice, which is how I often eat it, so the idea to use curry in my blog didn’t come back to me right away. 

Curry is the most popular dish in Japan (not sushi) where each person eats it on average 84 times a year (S&Bcurry.com).  Eating curry on rice is standard in Japan, but it is also common for curry to be eaten on noodles.  When the word curry pops to mind, most people picture a type of Indian curry.  To no surprise, my mother sent me instant Japanese curry.  Japanese curry is a light shade of brown that is sweet and rich compared to the Indian style.  It is usually made with chicken and an assortment of vegetables and with the option of spices if you so desire.  If you have never tried it, I would highly recommend it considering (in my biased opinion) it is far better than Indian curry.

When I was wondering what to make as a meal for my ramen blog this week, I saw my instant curry that my mother sent me and it hit me. Ramen curry.

Ingredients: 1) S&B Golden Curry Sauce Packet with Vegetables, Hot, 8.1-Ounce Box ($3.99)

                      2) One packet of Ramen (no sauce packet)

Process: Cook the ramen.  Using my electric water kettle, I boiled the water and cooked the Top Ramen in it without the sauce.  I poured the rest of the boiling water in a pot and inserted the curry packet to warm up. Patience.  They were both done within three minutes.  Mix.  I strained the ramen and let the noodles dry a little to ensure the noodles didn’t make the curry too watery before I added them both into a bowl.  Mix the curry with the noodles a bit, and then enjoy!

This is quite a simple recipe.  There’s almost nothing to mess up, and it tastes pretty good.  The noodles do not contain much flavor, but the curry spices blend in with the noodles to give it a kick in your mouth. The precut vegetables in the packet are an essential addition, and surprisingly, they taste practically fresh.  As a curry fanatic, I cannot say it is the best I have ever had.  But for the time spent, it is easily something I would make again.  Considering this is an entire meal, and ready to make in less than five minutes by the power of boiling water, it has my approval.  The only addition I would consider is adding grilled chicken to it, a tasty yet nutritious addition that I could easily cook in the oven or on the stove. 

Like last time, I walked around my dorm with a giant bowl of my new dish, asking people to try it.  The smell of curry wafted throughout the halls.  This occasion, my dorm mates were more than eager to try my most recent dish.  Many remembered the previous dish (Ramen Nachos) and were pleased to see something more recognizable.  Similar to instance time, I got many positive responses.  Out of twenty-two people, twenty gave it a “good” rating.  A success in my opinion.  My friend exclaimed as he repeatedly reached for more, “Wasn’t expecting it to be that good.” That has been a common response I have been receiving with my ramen recipes.  It was also called, “Cheap ass college food at its finest,” a statement I’d have to agree with.  The two “subjects” who weren’t inclined to go for seconds stated that the texture was weird and a bit slimy.  They both had enjoyed curry; before, thus I ruled out a possibility that they just didn’t like curry.  But I was puzzled about their response and never concluded anything besides the likelihood of personal preference being the reason for disliking the dish. 

It is definitely a meal I will make again. The simplicity of it almost started making me feel lazy and guilty for not doing anything.  To be honest, my cheap self wouldn’t mind paying a few dollars every once in a while in order to eat curry.  I would highly recommend you try this, as this was not my last time eating this.

Do you have any thoughts? Suggestions such as different curry packets you have tried before? Would you ever be inclined to try this? If you do try this recipe, let me know what you think.

Works Cited

"Q&A." S&Bcurry.com. S&B Foods Inc., 21 Feb. 2013. <http://www.sbcurry.com/qa/number_1.html>.