The FooDorama Challenge: I Watch It, I Try It!

ｵﾒｯﾄﾓﾝｽﾀｰ(ﾉﾟﾛﾟ)ノ ⌒Θ…(((ﾎﾞﾝ!（▼｡･ｪ･｡▼）ﾋﾟｶﾁｭｰ!!

Jdorama Inspiration: Kaibutsu-kun

Kaibutsu-kun is an 11 episode, fantasy show that has just started airing this April on NTV. It is based on the manga story by Fujiko Fujio and became a popular children’s cartoon show in the 1980s. It stars Arashi leader, Ohno Satoshi in the title role of Little Monster, the spoiled bratty prince of the Monster World.  As part of his training to be the successor of the throne, Kaibutsu-kun was forced out of the comforts of his realm and into the Human World and try to find out what it is like to live amongst us.  Along with his 3 companions (Dracula, Wolfman, and Frankenstein), he gets into a series of tests, misadventures and silly battles with other monsters and demons.

Kaibutsu-kun so far looks engaging enough for me to stick around and to watch it.  It is really a show aimed for kids, the young at heart and of course, Arashi fans will not be excluded. The costumes and CGI effects remind me of our very own Lastikman and Enteng Kabisote (meaning, it ain’t Avatar).  I like Satoshi-kun and I’d be glad to support him since he receives so few main roles in dramas; which is a shame because, as proven by his heart-rending performance in Maou, he is remarkable as a dramatic actor (plus it is a well-known fact that he is the best singer in Arashi).

おめでとう Omedetou, Satoshi-kun on your new hit show!!: Ohno as Kaibutsu-kun (Little Monster) with Dracula, Wolfman, and Franken (Left) bringing to life the manga characters created by Fujiko Fujio at right.

Jdorama Food: Kareh Raisu (Curry Rice)

Kare Raisu or Curry Rice is one of Japan’s best-loved yohshoku (recipe with Western origins).  Curry was first introduced in Japan in the late 19th century by the British who in turn, got it from India (so does that make it a recipe of semi-Western origin?).  Simple and easy to prepare, curry rice is Japan’s most common and most popular dish, and consumed by people from all walks of life  – a perennial fixture on dining tables – from the Prime Minister’s to the humblest of all households.

Curry rice is also the food I usually see being served the most in jdoramas (along with ramen and okonomiyaki) so to include it in my foodorama challenges is deemed inevitable.

The FooDorama Connection: In episode 1, brother and sister, Hiroshi and Utako serve their “foreign-looking” guests a humble dish of curry rice.

A Monster Hit: Being a usually grumpy, finicky eater, Kaibutsu-kun surprisingly cries out, “UMAI!!!“ (yummy!) after tasting Curry Rice for the first time, and proclaims it as the best thing in all the world/s (his world included).

Kaibutsu-kun’s favorite Curry Rice: Beef Curry with white rice

Another jdorama that featured Kareh Raisu:

At Home Dad (2004): In Episode 4, Kazayuki-san’s mom-in-law shares her ‘secret’ when  cooking her delicious Curry Rice – she adds a spoonful of instant coffee.

The FooDorama Challenge: My First Kareh Raisu

We, Pinoys, are familiar with curry. However, our taste buds are only relegated to the common Chicken Curry dish (which was my fave when i was a kid) wherein we use yellow curry powder and coconut milk. And that’s just about it with curry.

Even if curry rice was a simple dish, I was still excited since this was my first time to have curry aside from chicken. Recipes on the net say I could use any meat for curry rice but I chose to go for the classic which is beef curry.

To make Curry Rice: saute beef cubes with garlic, onions and oil in a deep pan; then add chopped potatoes, carrots and more onions. Then add water and bring to a boil; let it simmer until the meat is tender.

I would certainly like to make my own curry roux but maybe next time. Besides I already bought a pack of ready made roux in block form (above). This one has a medium hot flavor.

It would be better to chop up the blocks of roux (above left) so it can dissolve faster in the broth. The roux helps give the broth a thick, glazed consistency (above right).

Lunch is ready!!!: Kareh Raisu (Curry Rice) for FDC#8 is done; served with short-grained Japanese rice. Yum!

I had it first without adding instant coffee. But when we had it again for dinner, I heat it up and this time tried it with a teaspoon of the coffee to see if it would make any difference. And yes, I think there was a slightly more intense flavor to it after the coffee was added.

Umai indeed… and simple and spicy, too; Maybe I will try it with pork next time, and I may also add a bay leaf, and bell peppers as well.  It’s also good to make a big batch of it so you can have leftovers because, just like beef stew, it gets better with time.  ^_^

~oishi~ ┳┳ ヽ(^▽^ゞ） ｺﾞﾊﾝｺﾞﾊﾝ♪

My other FooDorama Challenge Links:
Next: FDC#9 – Sekihan (Jdorama Inspiration: Graveyard of the Fireflies)
FDC#7: Zaru Soba (Jdorama Inspiration: Attention Please)
FDC#6: Samgyeopsal (Movie Inspiration: Sikgaek or Le Grande Chef)

—————————————— fodocha

Japanese Curry info source: wikipedia
Recipe source: japanesefood.about
Jdorama info source: dramawiki
Jdorama photo credits: NTV, FujiTV