Recreating 100-Year-Old Navy Curry for Home Cooks: Ryuji's "Curry in Return" for Makoto Sakurai

The starting point is the navy curry by Chef Takabayashi, a head chef with a shaved head (introduced in the subtitles as head chef of the "Creighton Bay Hotel"), which was showcased once before on Ryuji's channel. Ryuji was so impressed that they say they kept making it every day from the next day on. Because the chef's recipe included hard-to-find ingredients such as chutney and coconut milk, Ryuji had developed and been holding onto a simplified "Buzz Recipe version." Ryuji explains that they got permission from the chef the day before.

The ingredients are one chicken thigh (for 2–3 servings), a Japanese leek, 1⅓ onions, garlic, ginger, red pickled ginger, and a small amount of heavy cream. Ryuji frames navy curry as a flour-thickened curry that came over from Britain, which makes it Western-style. Ryuji usually makes Western-style curries, but says this one ended up not overlapping with either of the two curries Sakurai made last time.

The first step is to slice 60g of Japanese leek into thin rounds and cook them in 1 tablespoon of rice bran oil to make charred leeks. Ryuji calls this "the key to the flavor." Last time, Sakurai used raw leek, while Ryuji uses charred leek, and the two were amused by the contrast. When Sakurai remarked that leeks aren't usually used in curry, Ryuji replied that the 100-year-old recipe actually calls for them.

As for why charred leeks are used, Ryuji pointed to shelf life. Cooked leeks keep longer than raw ones, so they can be made in large batches ahead of time. Ryuji added a guess that since the navy probably ate this on submarines, the recipe relies heavily on ingredients that keep well. Because charred leeks can be made largely unattended, Sakurai took charge of this step as "Charred Leek Captain." Ryuji's instruction was that it's fine to push it right up to the point of burning.

The one onion that goes into the curry is sliced against the grain. Here Ryuji recalled a conversation with a curry expert in which they discussed whether mincing is really necessary, or whether slicing would do. Sakurai responded that this is a familiar debate in curry circles.

Ryuji's own sense is that minced onion dissolves less readily into the sauce, and that sautéing slices and then simmering them seems to produce more thickness. Near the end, Ryuji confirmed this, saying, "Slices really do give it that thick, silky body." Ryuji also explained that the sliced onions don't need to be browned, because the charred leeks provide the depth. Ryuji says navy-style curry seems to use a lot of onion because onions were widely used as an ingredient that keeps well.

The onions used were from Awaji Island. Ryuji said that ordinary onions have a sugar content of about 7–8%, while Awaji onions have about 10%, so they aren't harsh even without soaking in water. Ryuji added, however, that regular onions are perfectly fine. This led to a bit of small talk about the onion crane game at a roadside rest stop on Awaji Island, which they say is nearly impossible to win.

The remaining ⅓ onion is minced to use as a garnish. Ryuji says they'd prefer to cut it by hand if possible. A Bunbun Chopper would work, but Ryuji feels it brings out unwanted harshness. Sakurai agreed, saying they understood, and that depending on the use, cutting by knife is better. The chopped onion isn't soaked in water; leaving it exposed to the air is said to take out the sharpness. Since a generous amount of garnish makes it tastier, they prepared plenty.

Incidentally, the knife that day was so sharp that the two were surprised more than once. When they asked why, it turned out the staff had sharpened it in advance.

Chicken thigh cut into bite-sized pieces is cooked skin side first, then the sliced onions are added and cooked until soft. The charred leeks go in next.

The original recipe adds chutney at this point. However, jarred chutney is rarely sold in supermarkets. Ryuji explained that when they tasted the chutney the head chef had left behind, it tasted almost exactly like Worcestershire sauce, so this time Worcestershire sauce is used as a substitute. The amount is a generous 2½ tablespoons of the concentrated type. Since chutney is solid, Ryuji's thinking is that cooking the Worcestershire sauce down along with everything else to evaporate the liquid achieves a similar effect. Once the liquid cooks off, the mixture becomes almost like a roux, and Sakurai reacted, "This looks like it would be good to eat as is."

The heat is turned off briefly, 10g each of grated garlic and ginger are added, and the heat is turned back on. Next, 20g of butter is melted, and 70g total of 35g cake flour and 35g curry powder is added. The curry powder is Indian Curry, the same one Sakurai used last time, and the two were delighted to have chosen the same product. Hearing that the flour and curry powder are equal amounts, Sakurai was surprised: "That much goes in?" Ryuji laughed that the number 35 has no particular significance.

According to Ryuji, the original uses Hachi Curry (shown in the subtitles as "蜂カレー," "Bee Curry"), the first curry powder made in Japan. Because it is hard to get, Indian Curry was used instead this time. Ryuji also said that those who want to be particular should order it.

The head chef used the classic approach of cooking the flour and butter first, but Ryuji cooks them together with the curry powder all at once. Since it's cooked without browning, the result is a yellowish curry, Ryuji says.

Over medium heat, 200cc of water is added in three portions, dissolving and thinning the mixture each time. The original uses a concentrated chicken stock, but since that isn't commercially available, 2 tablespoons of chicken bouillon powder are used instead. That's quite a lot, but Ryuji says it tastes better with this much. When Sakurai suggested that because this is food for working people, it must need strong umami, Ryuji shared their own view. Ryuji tends to add umami on the strong side, but doesn't think more umami always means better; restrained versions can be delicious too. On top of that, Ryuji said their recent "independent research findings" are that people who are foodies and have eaten widely tend to keep umami restrained, while people with less interest prefer food where they can taste the umami.

Another 30g of butter is added. Ryuji said the head chef actually used about this much, and that without this amount it wouldn't be the real thing. In addition, 2 pinches of salt ("pinch of salt") and 1 teaspoon of sugar are added for richness. Four shakes of Hi-Me were also added to reinforce the umami. Ryuji explained that this is optional, but they felt it brought the flavor closer to the head chef's.

The head chef finished the curry with coconut milk. However, some supermarkets carry it and some don't. So Ryuji substituted heavy cream. The amount is about 50cc, and Ryuji says it doesn't need much. Ryuji said adding it gives richness and strengthens the Western-style character of the curry.

The curry is poured over rice and finished with generous amounts of chopped raw onion and red pickled ginger on top. The only ingredients in the curry are chicken and onion, keeping it simple. Sakurai was surprised that raw onion goes directly on top, but Ryuji explained, "This goes incredibly well." Sakurai took it as the leek and onion linking together. The red pickled ginger, too, was something that in the navy curry Ryuji learned from Chef Takabayashi could be added in fairly generous amounts.

Sakurai's first reaction was "Super delicious." Sakurai particularly emphasized how well the red pickled ginger works, saying they had never thought of pairing curry with red pickled ginger before. The base is rich and heavy, but eaten with the pickled ginger, it becomes refreshing. Sakurai described their way of eating it: first enjoy the richness of the sauce, then every two or three bites, take some onion and pickled ginger. Keep repeating that, and before you know it the plate is empty.

Sakurai also said that European-style curries like this are often heavy, but this one makes good use of the fruitiness and acidity of the Worcestershire sauce and the acidity of the pickled ginger, so it isn't heavy. Sakurai added that band members travel by car a lot and often eat curry at highway service areas, but many of those curries are similar, so if a curry like this were at a service area, everyone would eat it. Ryuji also felt it had a depth that's hard to believe for something made in such a short time.

The reason Ryuji was so moved by this curry is that it let them feel that people 100 years ago really were eating curry like this. Ryuji summed up that it has the energy of a stamina meal for working people, yet for eating at home, the onion and pickled ginger garnishes keep it from being too heavy. Asked whether it was close to the head chef's flavor, the two agreed that it was quite close. Sakurai remarked, "Everything has a reason. There's a reason for the leek, and there's a reason for the onion." Ryuji said they would let the head chef know they made it out of respect for them, and with talk of doing festival food next time, the filming came to a close.