Ooooo, it's been a while! How's your 2021 treating you? I have to say, things have been quiet as we're recovering from year-end celebrations and gettting psyched up for Chinese New Year. We had some friends and their not-so-little ones (amazing what a year can do) over for lunch as the number of guests increased from 5 to 8.
KW made an amazing slow and lo beef shortribs but I funked it up in the kitchen with Japanese curry lasagna! Japanese curry whuuud? Don't worry guys, this is definitely not the case of Asian confusion.
The funny thing is I had 2 boxes of lasagna sheets in my cupboard for the longest time and was thinking of what to do with them as we are not "bolognese people." True story. I was apprehensive of how it would turn out, but it turned out to be a crowd pleaser for both adults and kids. I think alot has to do with the brand of curry you get so choose wisely!
Japanese Curry Lasagna (Serves 10)
Ingredients
For the Japanese curry
- 1 box Java House curry roux (my fav. brand!)
- 800g boneless chicken leg
- 1 onions, chop into chunks
- 2 carrots, chop into chunks
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1L water
Method
- Sauté ingredients. Preheat oil in pot, add bite-size pieces of meat and vegetables, and sauté well.
- Add water and simmer. Simmer until ingredients soften (about 15 minutes).
- Add curry sauce mix. Break apart curry sauce mix into pot and stir until dissolved.
- Simmer. Simmer once more, stirring occasionally (about 10 minutes).
For the cheese sauce
- 60g / 4 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup (75g) flour
- 4 cups (1 litre) milk (I use low fat)
- 2 cups (200g) shredded cheese
- Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
Method
- In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat. Add flour and mix constantly for 1 minute.
- Pour about 1 cup of the milk in, mixing as you go to incorporate into the flour mixture. Once mostly lump free, add remaining milk. Use a whisk if needed to make it lump free.
- Turn heat up to medium high. Stir occasionally at first then regularly after a few minutes until sauce thickens - about 5 - 8 minutes. It should coat the back of the wooden spoon.
- Remove from heat, add cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix until the cheese is melted. The Sauce should be thick but still easily pourable - the consistency of heavy cream.
For the lasagna
- 250g dried lasagna sheets
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (or any meltable cheese)
- Finely chopped basil or parsley , for garnish (optional)
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Smear a bit of curry sauce (just sauce, not the meat) on the dish, then cover with lasagna sheets.
- Spread over 2.5 cups of chicken curry (enough to cover sheets), then drizzle over 1 cup of cheese sauce.
- Top with lasagna sheets.
- Repeat with curry, cheese sauce and lasagna sheets.
- Sprinkle with mozzarella, then bake for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
- Stand for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting and serving, garnish to your desire.
- Serve and prep for food coma.
