Octopus and Umeboshi Keema Curry, made with SN2

The savour of octopus against the sharpness of umeboshi keeps the spoon moving. A deep-flavoured plate seasoned with nothing but salt and soy sauce.

SPICE CURRY SPICE PACK [Spice Curry Spice Pack Symphony No.2 / SN2] makes this Octopus and Ume Keema Curry.

When your spice curry turns out watery Are the whole spices in the starter bag meant to be eaten? Which spice do you add when you want more heat?

Ingredients (serves 4)

• SN2 / starter spices (the bag of whole spices): 1 bag
• SN2 / powder spices (the bag of ground spices): 1 bag
• Minced chicken: about 200g
• Cooked octopus: about 100g
• Onion: 1
• Garlic: 10g grated (roughly 1–2 cloves)
• Ginger: 10g grated
• Umeboshi (salted pickled plum): 3
• Water: 150ml
• Soy sauce: 2 tsp
• Salt: 1 tsp
• Oil: 3 tbsp (use whichever oil you prefer; for this recipe we suggest white sesame oil)
• Lemon: to taste (use as you like if you want more acidity)

Here we finished the plate with kaiware daikon (daikon radish sprouts) on top.

Preparation

• Grate the garlic, then the ginger, in that order
• Finely chop the onion
• Cut the cooked octopus into chunks of whatever size you like
• Stone the umeboshi and chop them with a knife into a paste

Method

1. Pour the oil into a pan, add the starter spices (the bag of whole spices), then set it over low heat.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Once the mustard seeds (the small black ones) start to pop, add the grated garlic and ginger and stir them through the spices. Cook for about 30 seconds.
   
   
3. Add the onion, stir it through, then turn the heat to high and cook until amber, splashing in water as you go.
   
   

   Splashing in water matters. If it looks like catching, add about 1 tbsp of water at a time, several times over, and keep cooking patiently until it is amber.

   
   
   
4. Once the onion is amber, switch to medium heat, add the minced chicken: 200g, salt: 1 tsp and umeboshi: 3 (made into a paste), and cook them together.
   
   
5. Once the meat is cooked through, add all of the powder spices and stir, thinking of it as cooking the powder itself through.
   
   
6. Add all of the water: 150ml and soy sauce: 2 tsp, stir them in and bring it to a boil once.
   
   
7. Once it has come to the boil, lower the heat to low, add the cooked octopus and simmer over low heat for about 4 minutes.
   
   
8. Finally adjust the salt, spoon it onto a plate and serve with lemon or whatever you like.

Inspice spice curry spice sets contain none of the chilli, cayenne or red pepper that usually carries the heat, so add as much as you like to suit your taste.