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Short Rib Japanese Curry

Short Rib Japanese Curry

Japanese Curry Short Ribs with Coconut Richness

Short ribs become impossibly tender in this warming Japanese curry that strikes the perfect balance between spicy and sweet. The coconut cream adds a luxurious finish that mellows the curry's heat while potatoes and carrots soak up all those deep, savory flavors.

JapaneseDinnerComfort FoodOne PotSlow CookerBeef
Prep15 min
Cook1 hr 30 min
Total1 hr 45 min
Servings3
Difficultymedium

Ingredients

  • 400 gbeef short ribs, cut into 3-4 cm chunks (bone-in preferred)
  • ½ medium onion
  • 3 clovegarlic cloves
  • 50 gJapanese curry mix (such as S&B Golden Curry)
  • 1 tsptomato paste
  • 1 tspgranulated sugar
  • 60 mlcoconut cream (the thick part from chilled can)
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1 medium potato (waxy variety works best)
  • 600 mlwater
  • ½ tbspneutral oil (vegetable or canola)

Instructions

  1. Warm the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Pat the short ribs dry and brown them thoroughly on all sides — you're building flavor here, so don't crowd the pan and let each side develop a nice crust before flipping. Transfer the browned ribs to a plate and set aside.
    ⏱ 8 min
  2. Drop the diced onion into the same pot with all those lovely browned bits. Cook until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the curry mix and tomato paste, working them into the aromatics until everything forms a thick, fragrant paste.
    ⏱ 4 min
  3. Nestle the browned short ribs back into the pot and toss them with the curry paste until each piece is well coated. This step ensures every bite will be packed with flavor.
  4. Pour in the hot water and bring everything to a vigorous boil. Once bubbling, reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and let the curry simmer gently. The ribs need this long, slow cook to become properly tender.
    ⏱ 40 min
  5. Cut the potato and carrot into bite-sized chunks and add them to the pot. Bring back to a boil, then cover and continue the gentle simmer until the beef practically falls apart when prodded with a fork and the vegetables are tender throughout.
    ⏱ 40 min
  6. Stir in the coconut cream and sugar, which will round out the curry's edges and add a subtle richness. Let everything bubble together for 3-5 minutes to marry the flavors, then taste and adjust the seasoning as needed — you might want a pinch more sugar or salt depending on your curry mix.
    ⏱ 5 min