Easy Pressure Cooker Japanese Beef Curry Recipe

While searching for a recipe to satisfy my cravings for Japanese curry, I came across this fantastic recipe from Amy & Jacky that recreates one of Tokyo's most highly rated Japanese Curry Beef Stews. If you have time, but not the means to travel to Tokyo yourself, their original recipe is definitely worth trying!

As a busy parent, though, I've got all the love and none of the time, so I made some changes to fit our hectic schedule. The final result still delivers on umami, and requires 30 minutes or less of active prepping and cooking time. I can do all the steps leading up to pressure cooking the meat ahead of time and set a delay start* so that it will be ready for the finishing steps when we walk in the door.

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Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 2 pounds beef chuck roast (~2" thick)
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• Optional: 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted beef or chicken stock
• 2-3 Japanese curry roux cubes (you can find Golden Curry cubes at most Asian grocers)
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) light soy sauce
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Prep the pressure cooker: Heat up Instant Pot on Sauté mode until the indicator says "HOT"
2. Brown the beef: Pat the beef chuck dry, lightly season the beef with kosher salt. Coat the bottom of the pot with about 1 tbsp of cooking oil. Add beef to the pot and brown for 6-8 minutes on each side without flipping. Remove and set aside on a chopping board. If your chuck roast is too big to lie flat in the pot, you may need to cut it in half and brown in two batches.
3. Sauté onion and garlic: Add the chopped onion to the pot and sauté for 5-7 minutes until caramelized. Add in chopped garlic and stir until fragrant (about 30 secs).
4. Deglaze the pot: Turn off the heat. Pour in 1/2 cup of unsalted beef or chicken stock and completely deglaze the pot by scrubbing all flavorful brown bits up with a wooden spoon.
5. Pressure cook the beef: Cut the beef into ~2 inch cubes and place them along with any meat juices back to the pot. Add 1 tbsp soy sauce. Mix well. If adding potatoes for a heartier stew, add them to the pot now. Close lid and pressure cook at high pressure for 20 minutes with at least 10 min natural release. Release remaining pressure. For delayed starts, set it to start about 45 minutes to an hour before you want it to be finished, this should give it enough time to come to pressure, cook, and natural release.
6. Steam the carrots: While the beef is cooking, cover and steam the chopped carrots in the microwave with a teaspoon of water and some salt (high 2 min). If you prefer very tender, mushy carrots, add them to the pot at the same time as everything else.
7. Add the Japanese curry: Gently stir in the steamed carrots and Japanese curry roux cubes one by one while tasting for the right balance of flavors. The broth will thicken as you stir in the curry roux. Taste and add more curry roux or soy sauce if needed.
8. Serve over rice: Once the Japanese beef curry is ready, serve it hot over a bowl of rice.

So if you're craving a delicious and hearty meal, look no further than this pressure cooker Japanese beef curry recipe. The beef is tender and juicy, the curry is flavorful and comforting, and the carrots add a nice crunch to the dish. It's perfect for busy weeknights or lazy weekends when you want something satisfying without spending hours in the kitchen. Let us know when you've tried it for yourself!

*The Instant Pot is very safe to use, but it is still not recommended to leave your house when your Instant Pot is cooking. If you must leave it alone, make sure it has gotten up to pressure and no steam is coming out.