Umeboshi and Takana Chicken Keema with Myōga, made with SN1

A lantern procession of savoury depth 🏮.

SPICE CURRY SPICE PACK (Spice Curry Spice Pack Symphony No.1 / SN1) — a chicken keema with umeboshi and takana, topped with myōga.

Picture it: the sharpness of umeboshi (salted plum), the savoury depth of takana (pickled mustard greens), the freshness of myōga (Japanese ginger) and the scent of the spices, all drawn into one. It is a dish worth making for anyone. Eaten slowly, a little at a time, it is also excellent alongside a drink.

Ingredients (serves 4)　　

• SN1 / starter spices (the whole-spice sachet): 1 sachet
• SN1 / powder spices (the ground-spice sachet): 1 sachet
• Onion: 1
• Garlic: 2 tsp (about 1–2 cloves)
• Ginger: 2 tsp
• Chicken mince: 300g
• Takana (pickled mustard greens): 3 tbsp
• Umeboshi (salted plum): about 4–5
• Myōga (Japanese ginger): as needed (to serve)
• Nam pla (Thai fish sauce): 1/2 tsp
• Salt: 1/2 tsp
• Black sesame oil: 4 tbsp
• Water: 150ml
  
  

Preparation

• Grate the garlic, then the ginger, in that order
• Chop the onion finely.
• Stone the umeboshi and chop them to a paste with a knife.
• Chop the myōga (Japanese ginger) finely.

Method

1. Put the “black sesame oil: 3 tbsp” into a pan and set it over a low heat. (Keep 1 tbsp back for the finish.)
   
   
2. Add the “starter spices (the whole-spice sachet)”.
   
   
3. When the mustard seeds start to crackle, add the grated “garlic and ginger” and stir them through the spices. Keep stirring for about 30 seconds.
   
   
4. Add the “onion”, stir it in, then turn the heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes, until it is a good deep golden brown.
   
   

   If it looks as though it might catch, add a splash of water and keep cooking gently. In this recipe the point is to cook the onion thoroughly and bring out that toasted note.

   
   
   
5. Once the onion is deep golden brown, add the “chicken mince: 300g”, the “salt: 1 tsp” and the “nam pla: 1/2 tsp” and fry them in.
   
   
6. When the chicken is cooked through, add all of the “powder spices” and stir them in.
   
   
7. Add the “takana: 3 tbsp” and the “umeboshi: about 4–5” and stir them in.
   
   

   You can put the umeboshi stones in as well while it fries, but take them out at the end — before the calcium crystals inside them break up.

   
   
   
8. Add the “water: 150ml”, bring it to the boil, then turn the heat to low and add the “black sesame oil: 1 tbsp”.
   
   
9. Adjust the salt, plate it up with the “myōga (Japanese ginger)” on top, and it is done.

Inspice spice curry spice sets contain none of the usual sources of heat — chilli, cayenne pepper or chilli powder — so please add heat to your own taste.