Saturday, August 14, 2010

Easy Weeknight Plum Pork Curry


Although this dish is not really gourmet or fancy, I thought I would share it with you since you can whip it up in under an hour, it will easily feed a family of four, and it can be adapted to an infinite number of flavor combinations to suit your taste.  Why is this such a quick and easy meal?  Well because it uses Golden Curry of course! 



You say you have never heard of Golden Curry?  Well, I was also ignorant to the wonders of this Japanese product until about a year ago.  I was having dinner at my good friend Ana's place, and while she was cooking, these fragrant aromas were wafting through the apartment.  "Wow!" I said, "That smells amazing!"  Since Ana is a pretty great home cook, I assumed she had concocted a mixture of spices to use for her curry and that those were the smells that were delighting my senses.  I asked her what she had used, and she just laughed and said, "Golden Curry, it is awesome!"


I tasted it, and I was shocked that something so delicious had come from a box.  Typically, I think many of us associate food made from a box with Duncan Hines chocolate cakes, Kraft macaroni and cheese, or Top Ramen noodles.  All good in their own respect, but not something I would want to eat every day.  (At least not since ramen-noodle college days.)  Many times in the past I have tried to make gravies or other sauces from a packet or pre-packaged mix, and I was sorely disappointed and they did not live up to my standards.


Enter Golden Curry: the taste is more than appealing, the fragrance while cooking is intoxicating, it is easy to use, and you can divide the package into individual portions for later use without problem.  Score!  I couldn't believe that something so great existed!  Do the Japanese know something that we don't?  (Probably, but for now lets just talk about curry.)  Golden Curry is basically a pre-made roux that contains curry powder, oils, flour and other flavorings depending on the type.  It can be sold in either block or powder form (the one I am showing here is block) and the most popular distributors are House Foods and S&B foods.  I prefer the one from S&B foods, and you can get it in a whole range of flavors from mild to hot, and it just costs a few dollars.  Or, if you really love it, you could buy a costco-sized portion and make curry every night!
            

I think I like using this so much for four main reasons: 

1. It is cheap.  Usually under $3 for a package.
2. It is always at the ready in my cabinet for whenever I need a meal and don't want to have a dinner of cereal or chips and salsa.
3. I can mix in almost anything: I have made this with eggplant and beef, bell peppers and potatoes, tofu and beans... the possibilities are endless. 
4. Combined with rice or couscous, it makes a lot of food.  This means you can feed a family of four with leftovers, or, feed a lone Cilantropist for 4 meals.



On the particular evening I made this, I knew I had some cubed lean pork, some cooked couscous, and an onion.  Not a lot, I know.  But then I turned it into something wonderful when I remembered I had some Golden Curry to save me.  I stopped at the store on the way home, picked up some plums and cashews, and voila!  A well-rounded and delicious meal in well under an hour.  So what are you waiting for?  If you are a Golden Curry newbie, head to your grocery store and pick up some, you can find it in the Asian foods aisle.  In fact, go to the store and buy two; then keep one in the cabinet to use when you are feeling imaginative or need an emergency meal, and use the other to make this Plum Pork Curry in a jiffy.  If you are already a Golden Curry connoisseur, then you probably already have some in your cabinet.  Get cooking! 






Easy Weeknight Plum Pork Curry


Each package of Golden Curry comes with some indecipherable Japanese writing all over it, and then microwave instructions on one side of the box, and stove top instructions on the other.  It is pretty simple, but I will still summarize what to do so it is super easy! 


1-1 1/2 lbs lean pork, cut into 1-inch cubes 
3-4 small plums, pitted and cut into roughly 1 inch pieces
1 medium sweet onion, cut into medium dice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 package Golden Curry, mild or medium depending on your preference
1/4-1/2 cup roughly chopped cashews (if you can find thai curry spiced cashews, use those)
Couscous for serving, cooked according to package instructions 


Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add diced onions, and saute for just a few minutes, until beginning to soften but not cooked through.  Add lean pork, and saute for a few more minutes, until it is browned and mostly cooked through.  Add plums and approximately 2 cups water, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Remove skillet from heat and add all 4 cubes of Golden Curry.  Stir until all the solid curry blocks are completely dissolved, then return the curry and meat to a simmer for about 5 more minutes; stir continuously as the curry sauce thickens.  Serve with couscous or rice, sprinkled with chopped cashews. 

31 comments:

  1. Wonderful dish...The plum would add such a wonderful flavor combined with the pork. And with the curry and cashews, very nice indeed :)

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  2. Yummy! Love the combination of flavours. Cashew nuts are like an icing on the cake!

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  3. This is a wonderful weeknight meal. The flavors are great.

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  4. Not bad for a quickie weeknight meal! The combination of curry and pork and plums and cashews sounds positively amazing.
    I've never heard of Golden Curry before, but now that you've sung its praises, I think I'm going to have to hunt down a package so that I can try some for myself. I sense a trip to the Japanese shop in my near future. :)

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  5. That is easy, wonderful pics and it looks yum

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  6. With school starting next week (not that we really had any summer weather yet....) I'm always on the lookout for easy summer meals. No, I have never used this, but it looks like something that would be good to have on hand. I have to admit that I also kind of look down on boxes and packages. That being said... I have 10 packets of McCormick Grill Mates in my pantry for those quick nights. I was skeptical at first, but when I made one and my husband raved about my new recipe I knew I was fine. i just told him it was "something I mixed up."!

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  7. This is awesome. I too discovered an amazing packaged curry paste that is to die for. And you are right... it just makes things taste so wonderful. Gotta love things that make cooking a bit quicker sometime.

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  8. This sounds great! I have never heard of Golden Curry. I am hoping I can find it at one of my local stores. I love quck, easy, and cheap...lol Sometimes those are the ingredients for the perfect meal:)

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  9. This is a combination that I would not have thought of on my own, but it certainly sounds wonderful. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  10. Very nice! I don't eat pork, but I would love to try this with chicken, seafood, or beef. I've never tried Golden Curry before either, so this is very intriguing. The plums must add a really nice sweet dimension to the spices in the curry.

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  11. There are a lot of Japanese Curry restaurants in West LA for some reason and I swear they all use Golden Curry. All of the Asian markets have it but I've never bought it before--you've inspired me to do so. I like cheap and easy.

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  12. What a wonderful weekday meal - my husband would LOVE this! It is now on the list of to make things! :)

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  13. It sounds amazing. I will definitely look for golden curry!

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  14. I've never heard of golden curry. If I see it I'll definitely give it a spin.

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  15. This sounds delicious.. I'm going to have to see if my local Asian market has Golden Curry! Anything quick and easy and tasty goes into my weekly menu :)

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  16. Sometimes when visiting a Japanese restaurant, I opt for the curry dish instead of the usual sushi. It's sooo good! I was inspired once to make this curry myself but I've had that same Golden Curry box sitting in my pantry for almost two years and have never used it. Could it still be good? You've inspired me to use it, finally! Your dish is beautiful and I really like how you used plums and cashews to make an ordinary curry even more special. Great job!

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  17. I'm so excited to try Golden Curry! Just like you, I typically wouldn't give a pre-packaged sauce as much as a glance at the store, but your review is pretty convincing. I'm thinking of trying it with chickpeas, broccoli, carrots, and cashews? Thank you for the suggestion!

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  18. Thanks for sharing, I didn't know about the Golden Curry either! I will have to try this, I like that it is easy enough for a week night too!
    -Gina-

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  19. That sounds great! I've never heard of Golden Curry, thanks for the tip!

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  20. Nothing wrong with an easy weeknight meal. This looks delicious! I have never heard of Golden Curry, but I will definitely be on the hunt for it now. thanks for sharing this!

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  21. I've never heard of Golden Curry but will be checking the grocery aisles of a store nearest me soon! Am always weary of packaged meals but if someone recommends, that's good enough for me!

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  22. Oooh I love curries of all kinds. It's great when even with a few pantry and refrigerator items and maybe a couple supermarket extras you can put together a nice dish when you're starving and know you can't spend hours at the stove. I will look into this Golden Curry stuff you speak of :)

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  23. This curry sounds amazing and I love the plum in it!

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  24. I am a curry fan but have never tried this kind - thanks for the info & yummy recipe! I just signed up to follow your fabulous blog:) Stop by and visit sometime at www.stephaniesavorsthemoment.com. Looking forward to your next post - Cheers!

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  25. I always have a box in my pantry! It's so easy and super tasty. I love it with bananas, oh and also dark chocolate, yum.

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  26. This recipe looks delicous. I've never tried this brand of curry but then I don't usually buy much of anything premade. I'll have to check it out the next time I'm in the store. I'm pretty sure the hubs would like this because its pork.

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  27. This is perfect for Sunday post-church lunch, too. That's the hardest time to cook, for me, because everyone is hungry and you don't want to wait until 2 p.m. to eat! I'm going to look up this magic box.

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  28. Haha, oh man, curry. I love Japanese curry. But the last time I made it, I ruined it! Somehow it burned at the bottom and the taste just assimilated into the entire pot. It was awful :(

    Great recipe! Nice twist with the plums! Definitely adds a nice sweetness to the curry!

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  29. Thanks for the recipe! I tried it last night and it was delicious. :)

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  30. I need to find this Golden Curry while I am still in LA. It was nice meeting you yesterday at Camp Blogaway.

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  31. I would want to eat every day. (At least not since ramen-noodle college days.) alkaram lawn silk dupatta , 2 piece lawn suit online pakistan Many times in the past I have tried to make gravies or other sauces from a packet or pre-packaged mix, and I was sorely disappointed and they did not live up to my standards.

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