Japanese beef & kabocha curry

A mild and cozy Japanese-style curry made with tender beef, sweet kabocha squash, and grated apple for natural sweetness. The beef is marinated in shoyu koji and mirin before cooking, which keeps it soft and adds gentle umami. Thickened with additives-free Canyon brand kids’ curry roux, this dish is nourishing, clean, and perfect over fluffy rice.

Ingredients:
Makes around 3-4 toddler meals (easy to freeze)

• 200 g chuck beef, cut into bite-sized cubes

• ½ medium onion, chopped into bite-size pieces

• ½ medium carrot (or 1 small carrot), chopped into bite-size pieces

• 1 slice kabocha squash (~80–100 g), chopped into bite-sized pieces

• 1 heaping tsp tomato paste

• 75 g Canyon mild kids’ curry roux (all 4 cubes)

• 350 ml low-sodium organic chicken broth

• ¼ apple, grated (~3 slices)

• 1 tsp olive oil or avocado oil

Beef Marinade:

• 2 tsp shoyu koji

• 1 tsp mirin

Instructions

1. Marinate beef
   Mix beef with shoyu koji + mirin. Let sit for ~30 min.

2. Cook vegetables.
   Heat oil in a small pot or Dutch oven. Add veggies and sauté until onions soften.

3. Add tomato paste
   Stir in tomato paste. Cook briefly to coat.

4. Add beef + broth
   Add marinated beef, stir to seal outside. Pour in chicken broth, bring to boil, skim any foam.

5. Add roux + apple
   Stir in curry roux cubes until dissolved. Add grated apple and simmer another on low until thickened.

Notes:

• Canyon curry roux is cleaner and milder than most supermarket brands — perfect for toddlers. I got it on HKTVMall.

• Marinating beef in shoyu koji + mirin makes it tender and adds subtle umami.

• Grated apple balances the curry with natural sweetness.

• Kabocha adds soft, sweet chunks that hold up well after freezing.