Some recipes hit all the notes but take hours to make and produce a veritable mountain of dishes. If you love to cook and have the time to devote to one of those recipes, then they are absolutely worth the time and effort. Those are the recipes that make you feel like a chef, that challenge you to become a better home cook, that give you an opportunity to use that oddly specific kitchen gadget you impulse-purchased on Black Friday.
This is not one of those recipes.
This is a recipe that hits all the notes and takes almost no time to make. It uses one pot, a cutting board, and a knife. This is a recipe that you can start and finish before your rice cooker is done, which makes it a great candidate for dinner on the days that absolutely drain you of your humanity. This recipe optimizes for convenience and ease of clean-up but does not miss out on flavour, and more and more, this is the type of recipe that I really value.
Make no mistake, this is not a health-forward dish, as it uses a boxed curry product: a classic Japanese curry roux that you can find at any Asian grocer or many Western grocers that have a decent international aisle. I often have at least one package stashed in my pantry. They come in pre-portioned blocks, kind of like a giant chocolate bar, and you can break off individual portions as you need. Can you make your own Japanese curry roux instead? Of course you can, but on the nights I reach for this recipe, I only have one or two spoons left to give, and I know that from-scratch curry is not going to happen.
The other ingredients in this recipe are also ones that I often keep on hand. I get frozen fish balls from the Asian supermarket and store them in the freezer. They’re great for hotpot and also provide an easy way to add protein to soups and stews. I also tend to keep shallots in the pantry, simply because I like shallots, but if you don’t have shallots, then a regular onion will do just fine.
And finally, let’s talk about the tofu. I use fried tofu puffs, and they are the star of this dish. That’s why the recipe is called Quick Curry Tofu and Fish Balls, not the other way around. The tofu puffs are basically sponges that soak up all that curry flavour, and they are the only ingredient I would go out of my way to visit the Asian supermarket to get. If you don’t have them and can’t get them, then I feel sorry for you. But you could definitely substitute some firm tofu, which is more readily available in grocery stores.
The resulting dish ends up somewhere between a classic Japanese curry and a Hong Kong-style curry fish ball (the kind they serve on a stick). I highly recommend serving this dish over a bowl of plain white rice, and because I am someone that needs a green vegetable with every meal, I like to pair this curry with a light vegetable side. Depending on what I have in the fridge, that could be anything from an Asian leafy green (such as bok choy or Chinese broccoli) simply blanched and drizzled with oyster sauce or a fresh cucumber salad dressed with vinegar and sesame oil. In the spirit of optimizing for convenience, choose a side that will be quick and easy to prepare, and you’ll have dinner done before your fancy Japanese rice cooker sings.
Recipe
| Yield | Total Time | Pots Dirtied |
|---|---|---|
| 4-6 servings | 45 Minutes | 1 |
Ingredients
- 60 g Japanese curry roux1 (2 portions from a package of S&B Golden Curry)
- 227 g fried fish balls2 3
- 160 g fried tofu puffs, cut into halves
- 3 shallots (or 1 medium/large onion), minced
- 1-2 scallions, sliced very thin
- 2 cups chicken stock or water
- 1 tbsp neutral oil, such as canola
Notes
- I normally buy the Extra Hot S&B Golden Curry, which I would compare to a mild Thai curry. Most Japanese curry brands come in mild, medium, and hot varieties. Choose the spice level you prefer. ↩︎
- After a few trials, I personally prefer the fried fish balls for this dish. However, if you can’t find the fried ones or you already have plain fish balls (or cuttlefish balls or shrimp balls or whatever balls) in your freezer, then by all means use those. ↩︎
- If you’re looking for a vegan alternative, you could either try some store-bought veggie/plant balls (I wonder if the Ikea ones are any good) or simply double the amount of tofu. ↩︎
Directions
- Add the oil to a medium pot or saucepan, and heat over medium. Add the shallots and cook until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
- Add about a 1/2 cup of the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the curry roux; it should quickly dissolve, but you will want to stir it to ensure it dissolves evenly. As the roux mixes into the water, everything in the pot will thicken. Slowly add all the stock until you have a thin sauce.
- Add the fish balls and tofu, mixing to combine and ensure that everything is coated in the curry sauce. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes. You will want to give everything an occasional mix. I find the fish balls tend to sink to the bottom, so after the first half of the cooking time, I deliberately push the tofu puffs under the fish balls to ensure they get time to soak up the sauce.
- Uncover and increase the heat to bring the mixture back to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. I find the boxed curry contains a lot of salt as it is, so I don’t normally add any more, but your experience may differ. Finish with the scallions, and serve over white rice.