Shop our global foods aisle. You’ll be amazed at what you can find.
Foodie Friday is here again and before I share my recipe let me share some personal things about me. I am from Southern California and I am Asian. While I now call Central Oregon home, and I am happier here, one thing I miss most is having a plethora of ethnic restaurants within walking distance. You can basically take your belly around the world in a day with the diversity of cuisines available to you. (Although, it was pretty hard to find a good Hungarian Restaurant in Los Angeles.)
When I first shopped at Newport Avenue Market, I was actually surprised at the “global foods” aisle. NAM has a pretty good global aisle and that’s coming from me – a hungry Asian! They have Filipino eggroll wrappers, Thai and Japanese Curry bases, Indian Butter Chicken or Masala seasonings, soy sauce galore, and basically everything you need to make sushi at home!
A favorite cuisine my friends and I share is Japanese!! There was a time when we’d go to Ramen Houses multiple times a week! Sushi, Curry, Kaarage, Takoyaki, Sunomono – we love Japanese food! Bend has great restaurants, but let’s face it, sometimes we crave things that we just can’t find here. The next best thing (which sometimes comes out even better than the “best thing”) is to cook it yourself in the comfort of your own home!
Inside Mitsuwa Costa Mesa’s Food Court – Santouka Ramen on the left, Miyabi-Tei on the Right. Either side you choose, you win!
If there’s one thing I would like to have right now, it’s a big plate of Miyabi-Tei’s Katsu Curry. It was cheap and it was filling, but oh so good! Fortunately for me, NAM has what I need to make it at home.
My shopping list included:
1 3.5 oz pack of S&B Golden Curry Sauce (Mild or Hot)
1 – 1.5 lbs chicken
1 onion
2 small red potatoes
1 cup carrots (check out the 12oz pack of rainbow carrots in the produce section!)
2.5 cups water
P.S. Don’t forget the rice!!
- Cook your rice, so it’ll be ready by the time your curry is done.
- Chop up the chicken into bite-sized cubes.
- Wash and peel the potatoes, and the carrots if you wish. Slice the potatoes, carrots, and onion into bite-sized pieces as well.
- Put vegetable oil in a deep pan (a pasta pot or dutch-oven-style saucepan works well) and heat over a medium flame. Add chicken & onions, and saute in oil until the chicken is lightly browned.
- Add carrots and potatoes; continue to stir in oil for 3-4 minutes.
- Add water and bring it to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to cook for 5-10 minutes, this helps soften the vegetables.
- Remove pan from heat, and add the curry sauce mix. Break the block into four pieces and scatter evenly around the pan, stirring until the blocks have completely melted. The water will thicken dramatically, turning into a brown sauce with a stew-like consistency.
- Serve over rice and enjoy!
About our Foodie: Ana Balbin is Newport Avenue Market’s Loyalty Marketing Director and self-appointed “resident foodie.” She spends countless hours reading recipes online and watching culinary shows and documentaries while daydreaming of going to Europe and Asia to extensively learn more about their cuisines. She is a chronic instagrammer and a voracious snacker.
