Simple One-Pot Recipes: Japanese Curry Orzo

This one-pot recipe is made using the Le Creuset Round Casserole in their latest collection colour, a stunning green ‘Thyme’. The Veggie Wifey subscribers based in Hong Kong are offered a special 15% off from their online store using the code VEGGIE15 upon checkout. Offer ends 15th May 2024.

Japanese Curry Orzo

This is a perfect one-pot meal for those lazy weeknights when you’re too tired to cook and do the dishes. This recipe is inspired by the thick, roux-like, mild and savoury Japanese curry. Normally, Japanese curry is served with rice or udon. I’ve made this like a risotto but with orzo (a type of pasta), and paired this with some pickled radish. Even though I have made this vegetarian, this can be made with any kind of meat in a multi-diet home. This Japanese curry orzo is an incredibly easy and adaptive one-pot meal.

What Is Japanese Curry?

Japanese curry (カレー, karē) is traditionally made with curry powder, turmeric, flour, soy sauce and a sweetner (often apples or pears). The recipe varies from home to home or restaurant to restaurant. However, what makes Japanese curry stand out from other curries, is the fact that this curry is a lot more thicker and milder in taste. It has a roux-like texture, rich in colour and not spicy at all. Often, Japanese curry is made with chicken broth but I’ve made this recipe vegan and the curry recipe is gluten-free. Instead of broth, I’ve used non-GMO miso paste for the umami. So, this recipe can be adapted to any diet in a multi-diet home.

What Is Orzo?

Orzo is short type of pasta shaped like long-grain rice. It looks similar to basmati rice but is a little wider. It’s often made with flour, but can be made with whole grain or semolina. Orzo is not gluten-free, but you may find options of orzo that are gluten-free that are made with quinoa, corn or rice. I’ve chosen to use semolina based orzo instead of risotto rice such as Arborio, Carnaroli and Vialone Nano for this dish because, orzo is a lot faster to cook AND it has a higher protein and fibre content than risotto rice. When you come home exhausted and hungry, the last thing you want is to wait more than 30 minutes for your dinner. This is why I have made this.

The Pickled Radish

I’ve paired this dish with a side of pickled radish. This technique is called Amazuzuke (甘酢漬け) in Japanese. It’s a method of pickling fresh vegetables in sweet vinegar. You can start to prep the radish before you begin making the orzo, and it will be ready by the time you finish the orzo. The pickled radish is made with small round red radish, vinegar and sugar. Over the hour that you soak the radish, it will turn pink as the pigment from the skin will bleed through the water, and turn the white flesh of the radish, bright pink. This side-dish makes a beautiful condiment for this curry and tastes insanely good.

My One-Pot Recipe

So now that you know what is in this dish, it’s time for you to make it following the steps below. Do rate the recipe and comment below if you have made this! It is always lovely to hear from you.

Simple One-Pot Recipes: Japanese Curry Orzo

The Veggie Wifey

This recipe is inspired by the Katsu-style Japanese curry, that is infused with the orzo and garnished with pickled radish. This is a perfect one-pot meal.

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Servings 4 people

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Equipment

• 1 Le Creuset Round Casserole (22cm) Discount Code: VEGGIE15

Ingredients

For The Curry

• ▢ 150 grams Orzo semolina based or whole grain
• ▢ 1 tbsp avocado oil
• ▢ 1 medium sized onion minced
• ▢ 1 clove garlic minced
• ▢ 1 tbsp ginger minced
• ▢ 1/2 cup edamame seeds
• ▢ 1/2 cup carrots diced, 1cm by 1cm
• ▢ 2 tbsps curry powder Japanese or Chinese curry powder will do
• ▢ 1 tsp turmeric
• ▢ 2 tbsps non-GMO soybean paste or miso paste mixed with
• ▢ 500 ml hot water
• ▢ 200 ml coconut milk
• ▢ 1 tbsp dark soy sauce a gluten-free option is ok also
• ▢ 1 tbsp agave syrup or any sweetener of your choice

For The Pickled Radish

• ▢ 50 grams red small radish halved, then sliced into 2mm thick slices
• ▢ 1/4 cup water room temperature
• ▢ 2 tsp brown sugar
• ▢ 3 tbsp rice vinegar non-sweetened or added sugar

Instructions

For The Pickled Radish

• Mix all the ingredients in a 250g/ml jar and set aside to 'pickle'

For The One-Pot Japanese Curry Orzo

• Using the Le Creuset Thyme Round Casserole (22cm), heat up the oil and and stir in the onions, garlic and ginger
• Once the onions turn translucent, stir in the carrots.
• Let the carrots soften, then add the edamame and stir on medium heat for 1 minute.
• Add the curry powder and turmeric and mix it altogether for 2 minutes.
• Add the miso mixture with water, and stir that in for 1 minute
• Pour in the coconut milk and stir again for another minute
• Now you can stir in the orzo
• Cover the Le Creuset Thyme Round Casserole with the lid for about 10-15 minutes
• Take the lid off, and let the orzo cook for another 15 minutes until the most of the liquid evaporates and you're left with a creamy sauce covering the orzo.
• You can finish by seasoning with the dark soy sauce and agave. You may add more sweetener if you wish.
• Serve in the pot, as it keeps it warm and when you place the lid on, it stops the orzo from drying out.

Notes

1. Keeping the lid on the Le Creuset Round Casserole blocks any steam from escaping, so be sure to keep an eye on the orzo when cooking with the lid on. There may be a case that the orzo sinks to the bottom and burns. Periodically, during that 15 minutes with the lid on, be sure to check and stir. 
2. If you have cooked the dish for a total of 30 minutes and you believe it is still quite watery, you can cook it for another 10 minutes on a higher heat until it reaches that desired consistency. 
3. If you’re gluten-free, you can replace the orzo with a gluten-free alternative like any of the risotto rices mentioned above. 

This one-pot recipe is made using the Le Creuset Round Casserole in their latest collection colour: Thyme. The Veggie Wifey subscribers based in Hong Kong are offered a special 15% off from their online store using the link above and the code VEGGIE15. Offer ends 15th May 2024.

Terms and Conditions for the Le Creuset Discount:

• The coupon code offers 15% off to all the orders with any purchase of a Thyme item.
• This coupon cannot be used in Le Creuset offline stores
• The coupon is only applicable once and is valid from the 23 February 2024 to 15 May 2024
• The coupon is only applicable to Le Creuset official website
• In case of cancellation or return, the coupon cannot be refunded or reused
• The discount is not applicable to Special priced items and Licensed items
• The discount does not apply to shipping fees and shopping bags
• In case of problems, Le Creuset HK Ltd have the right to make the final decision