Japanese dry curry is good midweek fare, hearty and filling and easily made in large batches. The slight sweetness of the gravy-less curry is tempered with wallops of miso while curry powder seasons the ground beef more than adequately. A heap of green beans (with an assist from frozen peas) positions the curry squarely in the middle of summer, when they’re snappy and plentiful. Ensure the beans are cooked in very heavily salted water so they’re seasoned from the inside out.
Recipe information
Total Time
30 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Stir 3 Tbsp. Japanese curry powder, 3 Tbsp. ketchup, 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup, 2 Tbsp. white miso, and 1 Tbsp. soy sauce in a small bowl to combine; set sauce aside.
Step 2
Heat 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium-high. Add 1 large white onion, finely chopped, 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, and one 1" piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and deep brown in spots, 10–12 minutes.
Step 3
Add reserved sauce and ¼ cup room-temperature water to pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until mixture darkens slightly, about 3 minutes. Add 1 lb. ground beef and ½ cup room-temperature water and cook, stirring often to break up meat, until water is almost completely evaporated and beef is cooked through, 8–12 minutes; remove pan from heat.
Step 4
Meanwhile, cook 12 oz. green beans, trimmed, cut into 2" pieces, in a medium pot of boiling generously salted water until barely tender, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup frozen peas and drain immediately. Transfer vegetables to pan with meat mixture and mix to combine. Taste and season with kosher salt if needed.
Step 5
Serve beef and green beans over steamed rice, topped with fried eggs.
