Perfect Curry for When You Have No Appetite

When You Want Something Other Than 3-Minute Curry!

There are a few foods that should always be stocked as emergency rations in every household. For me, those are curry and jjajang (black bean sauce). I'm sure anyone living alone can relate. When you have no appetite or nothing suitable to eat, these allow you to quickly and easily have a meal. As usual, I stopped by the curry section to buy a 3-minute curry, but I was captivated by the wide variety of curries neatly displayed on the shelves. Without resistance, I bought a unique and delicious curry as if spellbound. Let me introduce it.

Ottogi Vegetable-Filled Curry

Ottogi’s ‘Vegetable-Filled Curry’ was released in line with the vegan trend. It is the first product launched by Ottogi’s vegan brand ‘Hello Veggie.’ Instead of meat or other animal ingredients, it contains vegetables and has received vegan certification.

It has a much deeper and richer flavor than 3-minute curry. It’s somewhat like a sweet and savory hayashi rice. It contains plenty of large-cut vegetables, and even after microwaving, the onions retain a crunchy texture, which is very appealing. The portion size is quite generous. The flavor would pair well not only with rice but also with noodles, so you could try adding udon noodles or tofu noodles to make curry udon.

TiAsia Chicken Makhani Curry

Chicken Makhani Curry, a representative Indian curry, is a dish cooked with tomato sauce, butter, cream, and chicken. I used to think this dish was only available at Indian restaurants... but now you can enjoy that taste at home. TiAsia’s ‘Chicken Makhani Curry,’ which offers exotic curries from India and Southeast Asia, is the second featured product.

Although it says ‘authentic Indian style,’ it has less buttery richness and fewer chunks than the chicken makhani curry you’d eat at a restaurant. This is a bit disappointing, but I like that it doesn’t have a strong spice flavor that can be polarizing, so it’s easy to eat without burden. It also captures the smooth umami flavor typical of chicken makhani curry well. For a tastier experience, I recommend pairing it with warm, freshly baked naan.

Curry Queen Mango & Banana Curry

While the two products introduced earlier are pouch types that you open and microwave, Cheongjeongwon’s ‘Curry Queen Mango & Banana’ is a type you cook by chopping vegetables and boiling them in a pot. One package contains enough for four servings, and ingredients to adjust the spiciness are included.

I tried cooking curry with grilled tofu and sweet potatoes. The color and thickness are similar to Japanese-style curry, but perhaps because mango and banana puree are added to the broth, the taste is sweeter. It’s even suitable for children! The sweet sweet potatoes and savory grilled tofu blend well without any awkwardness. I expected the spicy seasoning to deliver dramatic heat, but it wasn’t very spicy, which was a bit disappointing.

I love hot, steaming curry ♪

Photo by Bomi Kim

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.