A staple of Japanese cookery, this comfort food is perfect any time of year.  Recently, a lot of American grocers have started carrying the roux, so it’s a really cheap and tasty dinner.

Serves 4-6.

8.2 oz/120 g curry sauce roux, any heat level (half of the big box, or all the smaller boxes)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large carrot or 2 small, peeled and cut into 1/4″ disks
2 medium onions, sliced
1 small red chili, or a generous pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced
1, 1″ knob ginger, minced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
27 oz/800 ml chicken stock or water
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Semi-sweet or unsweetened chocolate (optional)
Honey (optional)
1 tbsp grated apple (optional)
Vegetable oil

3 cups steamed white rice, for serving

Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and stir-fry until it begins to brown; remove to a paper towel-lined plate.  Add more oil if necessary, then add onions, carrots, and chili if using.  Stir-fry until the vegetables soften and start to brown, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and ginger and stir-fry for one minute.

Return the chicken to the pot and add the stock, potatoes, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes, taking care to skim any fat off the surface of the water.  When the potatoes are tender, remove the pot from the heat, break up the packaged roux, and add it to the pot.  Stir carefully off the heat until the roux has completely dissolved and you have a curry sauce, about 2 minutes.  Stir in ketchup and Worcestershire.

Return the pot to low heat, letting it simmer gently and stirring occasionally (do not let the bottom burn).  After ten minutes, the sauce should have thickened up nicely.  Taste!  If you like it, brilliant, but this is the part where I adjust.  I like a touch of sweetness in my curry (the boxes can be very one-dimensional), so I will add grated apple and a spoonful of honey to taste.  Chocolate adds amazing depth if you have it, but make sure you taste the chocolate for sweetness before adding a little bit at a time.

After adjusting the flavors to taste, let simmer for five more minutes, then plate up!  Scoop enough rice to take up half of the curry plate, then pool the curry in the other half.  Eat with spoon and enjoy.