If we had our way, we would eat curry every week! We love to eat Japanese curry because there are so many foods that taste great with it. This home version is slightly lighter than the restaurant version and easier on the wallet, too.
Japanese curry is a great way to get kids to eat vegetables. My son hasn’t met a Japanese curry that he didn’t like (except for when it has potatoes in it). Japanese curry is savory, slightly sweet, and is great with many different proteins.
Meat that is cut for the shabu shabu method of cooking (thinly sliced so it cooks fast) is great to add to curry for a weeknight meal. It also helps you to use less meat and save money because the meat is so thinly sliced. Mushrooms help to make this heartier and filling so you don’t miss the meat (as much). If you can’t find beech mushrooms (aka shimeiji mushrooms), try cremini, eryngi, or oyster mushrooms. Any mushroom that you love will work great in this recipe.
Health Benefits: Beech Mushrooms
These little guys are known as shimeiji mushrooms in Japan. The English name is beech mushroom. They have B1, B2, and B3 vitamins as well as protein and fiber. It also has other vitamins and antioxidants that may promote weight management and anti-inflammation. Shimeiji mushrooms come in little 3.5 ounce packages and grow in clusters.
You will have to trim the bottom of the beech mushroom off where they connect to the roots and you can pull them apart into small clusters. What I love about these shimeiji mushrooms is that there is no chopping involved after a quick rinse and cutting off the roots. Just put the mushrooms on the side and they will fall apart when you stir it into your dish and cook them.
Shimeiji mushrooms can be found in most Hawaii grocery stores in the produce section. Outside of Hawaii they are often found at Asian grocery stores. They can be more expensive than button or crimini mushrooms per ounce, but save you so much time with slicing it is worth the splurge for a weeknight meal! Let me know how you like it!
Shabu Shabu Spinach and Mushroom Curry
Equipment
- 1 large cutting board
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 5 Quart pan or 11" chicken fryer
Ingredients
- 1 onion diced or sliced
- 3 celery stalks optional, diced
- 3 tbsp canola oil or vegetable oil
- 2 packages shimeiji (beech) mushrooms 3.5 ounce packages, washed and trimmed
- 4 cups water
- 10 ounces beef or pork sliced for shabu shabu, about 0.62 pounds
- 4 blocks Japanese curry paste 3.9 ounces
- 1 tsp Japanese curry powder
- 5 ounces baby spinach leaves about 7 cups packed
Instructions
- Heat pan on medium high heat for 30 seconds. Add oil and heat for 30 seconds more. Add diced onion and celery to pan and saute for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent.
- Add mushrooms to pan and saute for 3 minutes stirring frequently.
- Add water, curry paste, and curry powder to pan. Turn heat up to high and stir occasionally to incorporate curry paste as it melts into the water. When the water comes to a boil (this will take about 4 to 6 minutes), add the shabu shabu beef and cook for 1 minute.
- Turn the heat off and add the spinach to the pot. Stir until the spinach is wilted (the residual heat from the sauce will cook the spinach and finish cooking the meat).
- Serve with your favorite rice.
