When you don’t know what to cook for dinner, try this Hamburger Cauliflower Japanese Curry. Quick weeknight dinners growing up in Hawaii included Hamburger Curry with frozen mixed vegetables. When the only vegetables I had were onions and cauliflower, this recipe was born and is now on the regular dinner rotation.
My family is in love with this adapted version using cauliflower instead of frozen mixed vegetables. The traditional Hawaii-style curry uses curry powder, which is like the Japanese curry powder, but the flavors are a little milder and have more salt, probably to suit the American palate. Instead of using curry roux bricks, the fat to thicken the Hawaii-style curry comes from the meat being cooked for the curry. Dishes of beef curry, hamburger curry, or chicken curry were more like a thin stew but thicker than a soup and made for a budget-friendly family meal. I could eat these on a regular basis, but my son likes the Japanese-style curry more, so this version is now our go-to dinner when I don’t know what to cook.
What makes this curry recipe so great
This home version has a little less fat than any Japanese curry you would get out at a restaurant. The restaurants will use more curry roux which means more fat and salt. At home not only will you save money, but you will have a lighter curry sauce that still tastes like curry but is not thin and watery.
Don’t worry about cooking this recipe for a smaller family, or even just for yourself. Just cook the entire recipe as is and freeze any leftovers into small portions. It’s also great for meal prep if you are the type that can eat the same meal 3 or 4 days straight.
How to cook this recipe using frozen everything
If you didn’t have time to plan, or just simply forgot to defrost your ground beef, you can cook this using frozen ground beef. Just take out the meat as soon as you remember and let it defrost on the counter while you prep your vegetables. Add the frozen ground beef to your pan first before the onions, regularly flipping the meat and scraping off the cooked meat from the frozen meat and breaking it into pieces. After about 8 to 10 minutes, you should be able to break the frozen meat into small enough pieces to cook with the onions.
Frozen cauliflower can also be used with this recipe. Adding frozen cauliflower while you are cooking the frozen ground beef and onions will result in mushy and unappetizing cauliflower. Instead, add the cauliflower with the water and curry seasonings. Just bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium and cook just long enough for the cauliflower to be warmed through. This recipe is very forgiving, especially on those days where you feel like you just can’t keep it together.
When using frozen spinach, use chopped spinach instead of leaf spinach. Leaf spinach is often comprised of regular sized spinach, not baby spinach, so it can be difficult for kids to chew. Add ½ a cup of frozen chopped spinach when you add the curry seasonings if you plan to use it.
If your family loves beef like mine does, don’t forget to look at these other recipes so you don’t get tired of eating the same beef recipes over and over again.
Hamburger Cauliflower Japanese Curry
Equipment
- 1 large cutting board
- 1 chef's knife
- measuring cups and spoons
- 1 5-Quart pan or 11" chicken fryer
- 1 small stainless steel mesh strainer (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 small cauliflower or ½ extra large cauliflower, cut into small florets (5 to 6 cups)
- 2 tbsp olive oil or canola oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 4 cups water
- 4 blocks Japanese curry paste
- 1 tsp Japanese curry powder (add more for more spice)
- 5 ounces fresh spinach about 7 cups, packed (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the pan on medium high heat. Add oil and onion to the pan and saute for 2minutes, stirring frequently, until onions start to soften.
- Add the ground beef and cook for 3 to 4 minutes while breaking up the meat and stirring.
- Add cauliflower to the pan and stir until the ground beef is almost cooked through, about 2 minutes.
- Add water, cover, and turn heat up to high. Once the water is boiling, stir, lower the heat to medium, and cook for 3 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is softened to your preference.
- Add curry paste, and curry powder to pan. Stir to incorporate curry paste as it melts into the water. (Optional: you can place the curry blocks into a stainless steel metal strainer and lower it into the water. Using chopsticks or a spoon, stir the water and curry block inside the metal strainer until the curry is melted into the pot and repeat with each block.)
- Optional: 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).
- Serve with your favorite cooked rice.
