This week, I was craving a comfort food from home, but a lot of my South Korean childhood dishes are challenging to make, so I usually wait until I go home on breaks to eat them. But there’s one dish I never expected to be so easy to make on my own. 

Korean Curry is simple, warm, affordable, filling and yields at least one day of leftovers, so it’s perfect for a college student looking to try new foods or revisit familiar flavors. It’s easy to adjust it to your preferred spice level, so don’t let that scare you away. 

I spent a total $15.49 on the ingredients and little over an hour on cooking. It usually takes 45 minutes at the most to prepare this dish, but culinary chaos is the perfect way to describe how the process went this time around. 

This recipe is based on how my dad made it for me when I was younger. Ironically enough, my dad made Korean Curry the same day I did without us even having talked about it.  

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound of stew meat (I used beef, but you can easily substitute this for chicken or omit meat products completely to make it vegan) 

• 1 box of S & B curry mix or one 100-gram package of Ottogi curry powder (easiest to find at an Asian grocery store) 

• 4 cups of water 

• 2 cups of short or medium-grain rice 

• 2 russet potatoes cut in thick slices 

• 4 large carrots cut into thick, coin-sized slices 

• ½ a yellow onion, diced 

• 1 tbsp. olive oil 

• ½ tsp. sesame oil 

• Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste  

Directions: 

Start by cooking your rice in a rice cooker or on a stovetop according to the cooking directions on the package and set aside. This typically takes 25-30 minutes to cook.  

While the rice is cooking, boil carrots and potatoes in a medium pot for 10-15 minutes to soften. 

In a separate large pot, add oil and one tbsp. of water. Heat before adding beef and onions. Sautee for about five minutes until the meat is browned on all sides.  

Add water, vegetables and curry mix to the pot. Stir to combine, briefly bring to a boil, then turn heat down to medium-low, cover and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. Once the sauce is thickened, take off heat, add seasoning to taste and serve over steamed rice. 

Afterthoughts: 

This dish is simple and quick as long as you start cooking your rice well in advance, which is why I highly recommend investing in a rice cooker. It’s been a lifesaver since I started college. 

Sometimes I eat this dish with buchu-kimchi (garlic-chive kimchi) and/or baeuchu-geotjeori (fresh Napa cabbage kimchi). Curry and rice alone are so satisfying, but the richness of curry with the spicy kimchi brings it to a different level. 

The curry sauce is thick and savory with a hint of sweetness and spice. The carrots, potatoes and onions soak in the flavor alongside their earthy, starchy flavors while the tender meat adds its own depth. The rich umami of the sauce, vegetables and meat if you choose to add it balanced with the mild flavor of rice will leave you full and satisfied.  

Graphic via The Scribe archive.