Ryuji's "Waterless Slimming Keema Curry," Simmered Without Oil Using Only Ground Pork and the Moisture from Vegetables

The ingredients are ground pork, onion, zucchini, garlic, ginger, and canned tomatoes. Last time fresh tomatoes were used, but Ryuji says canned whole tomatoes are good enough this time. The approximate quantities are 1 large onion (about 300g), 1 zucchini (about 200g), 1 can of tomatoes (400g), 15g each of garlic and ginger, and 350g of ground pork. The ground meat is 350g only because Ryuji loves meat, and any amount you like, such as 300g, is fine.

If you don't have zucchini, you can substitute eggplant. With eggplant, about two smallish ones are a good guide for the same weight. According to Ryuji, though, eggplant turns soft and mushy when simmered, while zucchini has more moisture and also retains a bit of texture. Ryuji's explanation is that when texture remains, you chew more, which stimulates the satiety center and helps you lose weight. It also came up that zucchini is often thought to be related to eggplant but is actually a member of the squash family. When a staff member asked whether mushrooms could be added, Ryuji said they could, and added that they'd like to make a mushroom curry sometime.

The ingredients only need to be roughly chopped. The onion is added for sweetness and to give the dish substance, and the garlic for a spicy aroma. The ginger is chopped with the skin on, about 15g. The amount is on the generous side because Ryuji likes ginger. Indian curries use quite a lot of ginger, so Ryuji thinks that while you can make it without, it is definitely better with it. When the topic of whether cooked ginger warms the body came up, Ryuji answered, "I think it does make you sweat."

The pot used this time is one that became popular after a woman used it on TikTok. You don't need this particular pot. However, Ryuji explains that because you can see the vegetables change as they cook, it is fun to watch and educational too.

The ingredients go into the pot in this order: onion, zucchini, garlic, ginger, whole tomatoes, with the ground meat placed on top. As for the layering order, Ryuji thinks it is best to put the meat on top. With the meat on top, its savory flavor flows down into the vegetables below as it heats.

Pot size also matters. Ryuji says a waterless curry is better made in a small pot. In a wide pot like a frying pan, more of the surface is exposed to the heat, so too much moisture evaporates and the amount of liquid in the finished dish changes. Even in a smallish yukihira saucepan, it is said to turn out almost the same.

The initial seasoning is 2/3 teaspoon of salt (about 4g) and fish sauce; the recipe section lists 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. If you don't have fish sauce, you can use 1 teaspoon of salt instead, but Ryuji says fish sauce adds umami, so it is definitely better with it. The one used is Tiparos, which Ryuji always recommends, with a note that this is not a sponsored mention. Ryuji says that with this, you don't need any umami seasoning.

In many waterless curries on other accounts, the curry powder is added at this stage. Ryuji believes curry powder should be added later, so it is not added yet. With no oil at all, the pot goes straight onto the heat with the lid placed loosely on top and simmers for about 30 minutes.

As soon as it starts cooking, the ingredients shrink in volume, and red liquid from the tomatoes keeps coming out. The liquid, which at first was only at the bottom of the pot, rises toward the top after a while. Showing this, Ryuji explained that vegetables shrink this quickly. Once it starts bubbling, you can turn the heat down to around medium-low.

Ryuji named three advantages of this curry: it uses little oil, you get plenty of vegetables, and the ingredients are cheap. Whole tomatoes, zucchini, and onions are inexpensive whenever you buy them. Zucchini is cheapest in summer, but greenhouse-grown zucchini is available in winter too. If you can't find it, you can make it with eggplant.

While it simmers, basmati rice, the Indian rice also used for biryani, is prepared. According to Ryuji, to give the conclusion first, basmati rice is the one that helps you lose weight. Because it is boiled, carbohydrates (starch) are lost, making it a rice that is satisfying yet low in carbs.

To boil it, use salted water at about the same salinity as for pasta, or about 1.2% by Ryuji's preference. Ryuji says basmati rice tastes better with salt. Since the rice itself absorbs the salt, the curry served with it doesn't need to be that salty. It is said that the rice should properly be soaked, but you can boil it without soaking for about 15 minutes and drain it in a colander while still slightly firm. When a staff member asked whether it didn't need rinsing in water, Ryuji replied that rinsing it would turn it into cold rice. If left in the colander, the steam stays trapped and it won't cool down.

When the lid was opened after about 30 minutes, the ingredients were tender enough to fall apart, and there was plenty of liquid even though no water had been added. The zucchini had softened too, but unlike eggplant it kept its shape.

Now 2 tablespoons of curry powder are added. This thickens the slightly runny curry. When a staff member asked whether the curry powder was for thickening, Ryuji answered that it is added to make it a curry, and the thickening is a byproduct. Ryuji said it's fine even if it stays runny, since it still goes well with basmati rice.

On tasting, it was good but lacked salt, and Ryuji wanted a bit more curry flavor, so the curry powder was increased to 3 tablespoons and 1 more teaspoon of fish sauce was added. Ryuji says that when adding fish sauce later, bringing it to a brief boil drives off the fishy aroma and makes it milder. Ryuji also offered the view that the reason many Japanese people dislike fish sauce is usually that they use it without heating it. Ryuji added that the flavor changes depending on how much moisture remains in the vegetables, so you should adjust while tasting. No more salt is needed, but you can add some to taste.

This small pot makes 3 to 4 servings. When asked about the calories, Ryuji answered, "Super low." The reason given is that it is low in fat and contains only the calories of the pork, tomatoes, and vegetables.

First, it was eaten over Japanese rice. Ryuji was surprised that it tasted this good with only those seasonings, saying it was hard to believe it was diet food, and said this was much better than the slimming chicken curry made before.

A staff member who hadn't liked the previous healthy chicken breast curry much also tried it. That staff member praised it, saying the vegetables were concentrated and delicious, and that it was more satisfying than last time. Other participants said the melted-down zucchini was delicious, and that the umami of the fish sauce really came through.

Next, it was eaten with basmati rice, and several participants, including Ryuji, said this was better. Ryuji explains that basmati rice is fluffy and separate and not heavy, and because it was boiled in salted water, the flavor has an edge. One person said they also like Japanese rice and it doesn't feel off, but once they eat basmati, they prefer it. It was also said that biryani uses a lot of oil, but since this curry uses none, the qualities of basmati rice come through even more. The fact that the rice cooks in 15 minutes without soaking while the curry simmers for 30 minutes was also praised as faster than cooking rice the usual way.

On the other hand, one staff member said they preferred regular curry, but that as a healthy diet curry, it works. Ryuji said it ranks quite high among healthy curries and that they really like it. Finally, Ryuji wrapped up by saying that anyone interested can make it with basmati rice, but it is plenty delicious with Japanese rice too, so please give this waterless curry a try.