Step 1

Rinse and wash 2 rice cooker cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice 3 times and drain well. Place the rice and water in the inner pot of the cooker. Close the lid.

Step 2

Select [Rice] using the [MENU] button and set the steam time to 8 minutes. Press the [COOK] button. When cooking is completed, warming will start. Fluff up the rice with a rice scooper. Tip: Adjust the cooking time and water according to personal taste.

Step 3

Gather all the ingredients. Once we start cooking, we don‘t have time to measure, so make sure to prepare the seasonings ahead of time: 1 piece Japanese curry roux, 1 Tbsp Japanese curry powder, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 Tbsp tomato paste, 1½ Tbsp mango chutney, and 1 Tbsp honey.

Step 4

Dice 1 onion (it doesn’t have to be perfect).

Step 5

Cut 1 carrot into small pieces. I recommend using the rangiri Japanese cutting method to increase the surface area. It’ll help cooking evenly and faster, and absorbing more flavors.

Step 6

Mince 3 cloves garlic and grate 1 knob ginger.

Step 7

Discard the bottom of 1 package shimeji mushrooms. Roughly separate the mushrooms into small clusters.

Step 8

Pat dry 2.5 lb bone-in skin-on chicken thighs with paper towels to remove any moisture. Season the chicken with 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Step 9

Set the cooker to [BROWNING FRY, level 6] for 30 minutes (you can add more minutes later on if you need extra time).

Step 10

Heat ½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil and brown the chicken, skin side down, for 5 minutes each side, or until golden brown. Don’t crowd the pot and brown the chicken in batches, if necessary.

Step 11

After the bottom side is nicely brown, flip to cook the other side. Then, transfer the chicken to a plate and continue with the next batch. Set aside.

Step 12

Add the diced onion and 1 Tbsp unsalted butter. Add ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Sauté until translucent, about 7–8 minutes.

Step 13

Add the garlic and ginger and mix all together.

Step 14

Add the Japanese curry roux, the Japanese curry powder, and the garam masala. Give it a quick stir.

Step 15

Add the tomato paste and sauté until fragrant.

Step 16

Add the honey and mango chutney and mix all together.

Step 17

Gradually add half of the 3 cups chicken stock/broth, scraping the brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Transfer the chicken back to the pot.

Step 18

Add the carrots, shimeji mushrooms, and the rest of the chicken broth.

Step 19

Add 1 Tbsp dry basil and 1 bay leaf. Gently mix all together.

Step 20

Close the lid and set cooker to [MULTI COOK, level 9] for 35 minutes. For Instant Pot directions, see Notes.

Step 21

Once the pressure cooking is done, open the lid and stir. Add 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and 1 tsp soy sauce.

Step 22

Taste and adjust the flavor.

Step 23

Lotus root: Thinly slice 2 inches lotus root (renkon) and soak in water (or ideally in 2 cups water + 1 tsp of rice vinegar) for 10 minutes.

Step 24

Bell pepper: Remove the seeds from ½ red bell pepper and cut into 4 wedges.

Step 25

Okra: Remove the hard corners from 2 okra and cut in half lengthwise.

Step 26

Kabocha: Thinly slice 2 oz kabocha squash (cut in half if it’s too big). If the kabocha is too hard to cut, microwave for 30 seconds or more if it’s still hard.

Step 27

Potato: Cut 1 russet potato into 6–8 wedges and soak in water to remove starch for 10 minutes.

Step 28

Eggplant: Right before deep-frying (otherwise it’ll change color), cut 2 Japanese or Chinese eggplants in half and cut the skin side in crisscross pattern. This creates a nice design and helps to absorb more flavors.

Step 29

Make sure to remove moisture from all the vegetables with paper towel or kitchen towel before frying.

Step 30

Add 1 cup neutral oil in a frying pan (I use a cast iron pan) or pot. Deep/shallow fry the vegetables at 350ºF (175ºC) and drain the excess oil on a paper towel or a wire rack.

Step 31

Serve the steamed rice in a small bowl or plate and the soup curry in a bowl. Top the soup curry with deep-fried vegetables. When you eat, pick up some rice with a spoon, and scoop soup curry. Enjoy!

Step 32

You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for a month.