My Souperinspiration: Japanese Style Sweet Potato Curry
Comfort food means different things for different people. For some, it’s a big bowl of noodles. For others, it’s ice cream with chocolate sauce. During my Souperchefannatravels, I asked Junko-san, the lead host and the director for our trip, what her comfort food is, and what she would make at home when she is feeling under the weather. I was really surprised to hear – curry! I also learned about Karaimo (“potatoes from China”; “Kara” refers to China, “imo” is Japanese for potatoes) or satsumaimo, which means sweet potato in Japanese. This understated vegetable has been tagged as the poor man’s food in Asia. No one would have guessed that this root vegetable with such humble beginnings is rated as the most nutritious of all vegetables when it was evaluated in the United States, scoring a whopping 582 points, with carrot coming in at far 434 for the USRDI (Recommended Daily Intake) measuring 6 nutrients (Vit A and C, folate, iron, copper and calcium) plus fibre. And it is virtually fat-free. Ever since I got back from Japan, I have been working on perfecting this favourite comforting dish using paleo-friendly sweet potato chunks, combining them with made-from-scratch curry roux paste, roasted red apples, and adding barley to make it a simple yet delicious dish representing the best of Kagoshima in a vegetarian manner. It is thick and creamy, fruity, sweet and spicy at the same time. Adding a little coconut cream adds a touch of richness and tames the warming spice. Enjoy!
Click here to read more about this soup from my SouperchefannatravelsxJapan adventures
I hope I would do Kagoshima proud! My inspiration from SouperchefannatravelsxJapan combining the best of sweet potato with curry, a comfort food for all Japanese.
The volcanic ashes from Sakurajima creates rich fertile soils for sweet potatoes
The city of Kagoshima is also known as the Hawaii of Japan. The view from Shiroyama Park of the city. The red and white structure is the Kagoshima transmitting tower.
Sweet potatoes from Kagoshima
Japanese sweet potato
Ingredients: Japanese purple sweet potato, orange sweet potato, carrots, barley, honey, roasted red apples, oyster mushroom, garlic, onions, curry spices.
Condiment: edamame, a swirl of coconut cream, toasted black and white sesame seeds
(Vegetarian/Dairyfree/Eggfree/Spicy/Contains gluten)