MTLNOVEL Chapter 140.1
Curry Rice That’s Delicious Even With Meat Added Later
Curry, a captivating spice dish that enchants many.
Originating from India, it made its way to Britain and, through various twists and turns, arrived in Japan as a splendid dish. Now, it’s so deeply ingrained in Japanese culture that one might suspect it has become a soul food for the Japanese, despite its Indian origins. That’s curry for you.
What? Exaggeration? No, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration. At least, there aren’t many children who dislike curry rice. The fact that mild curry for kids comes packaged with images of superhero teams or transforming heroines should tell you enough. Curry is a beloved dish among the Japanese. No objections allowed.
Now, this curry, so popular among the Japanese, is also a big hit in this other world. In the royal capital of Draheln, curry is spreading as a modest luxury for the common folk. The reason? Yuuri made curry roux using an alchemy pot. The curry roux sold at Haros’s shop was a huge hit.
So, that’s the story of curry.
While it’s fine to buy it from Haros’s shop, Yuuri usually makes the curry roux himself by purchasing the ingredients, unless he’s in a hurry. Making it simply involves tossing spices, flour, and other ingredients into the alchemy pot and flipping a switch. It’s hardly any trouble. Given the number of people, Yuuri prefers to buy the ingredients and make it himself. The store-bought version includes labor costs, making it slightly more expensive. That’s fair compensation for the effort put in by those who make it, so Yuuri has no complaints.
Moreover, Yuuri makes his own curry roux to tweak the spice mix and experiment with different flavors. However, since Yuuri lacks deep knowledge of curry, he relies on the ultimate appraisal cheat, the [God’s Eyes].
“Maybe I’ll try making a meatless curry this time.”
Curry is a dish everyone loves. Every time it’s made in a large pot, it’s almost gone in one sitting. Yuuri would like to try curry that’s been left to sit overnight, but that rarely happens. Curry made for dinner is usually finished at dinner. The allure of curry, where whatever is made is devoured, is truly fearsome.
Usually, Yuuri makes curry with meat, and he experiments with various types of meat. Beyond the basic combination of carrots, potatoes, and onions, he also tries mushrooms and eggplants. Pretty much every variation is guaranteed to be delicious, so Yuuri is impressed by the power of curry roux.
So, this time, he decided to change things up with a meatless curry. The reason is that tonight’s dinner group has fewer big meat-eaters. Without meat, Lelei might sulk, and Brook, who casually eats three servings, isn’t here either. So, Yuuri thought it might be nice to try a meatless curry.
…Yuuri believes that meatless curry is delicious in its own way. Without the fat from the meat, it doesn’t get greasy even when cooled. Even without meat, or with meat added separately, curry can still be delicious.
“Anyway, Magg probably won’t say anything.”
As a broth enthusiast, Magg is more concerned about the presence of broth than the presence of meat. In fact, choosing to make it without meat means using granulated broth to add richness and umami, which might even make him more excited.
In fact, he might react more to a curry with extra broth than usual. But worrying about that would make cooking impossible, so Yuuri deliberately doesn’t worry. Or rather, worrying would be pointless. Magg reacts to even hidden amounts of broth, so there’s nothing to be done.
Today, the apprentices aren’t excluding Magg, so there shouldn’t be any fights. Magg usually charges at broth, but unless it’s a large dish, he doesn’t touch others’ food. …The only exception is Urgus, but that’s more like playful banter, so everyone lets it slide.
With fewer people for dinner, Yuuri thought he might not need to make as much, but he decided to cook as usual. While the big meat-eaters are fewer, the broth enthusiast might still make up for it. Running out would be the worst.
“…Dinner prep?”
“Ah, Magg, you’re back. Yeah, let’s get dinner ready.”
“Okay.”
A small voice reached Yuuri’s ears as he was deep in thought. Turning around, he saw Magg standing there, who hadn’t been there moments ago. It seemed he had finished today’s tasks. After washing and drying his hands at the sink, Magg came over to Yuuri and stared intently. …For some reason, Yuuri felt more like he was dealing with a cat than a human. Maybe he wasn’t entirely wrong about Magg.
The reason was Magg’s habit of coming close on his own but quickly moving away when Yuuri reached out. He would come over or pester on his own, but when attention was given, he would distance himself. He was a capricious one.
“…Curry?”
“Yeah, I thought we’d have curry rice today.”
“Curry, delicious.”
“Haha, curry is delicious, right?”
“Delicious.”
Yuuri smiled at Magg’s nodding response. …By the way, Magg certainly appreciated the spices in the curry, but the fact that Yuuri’s curry roux contained a small amount of broth was the real clincher. Yes, the curry roux had broth in it. At that point, the broth enthusiast couldn’t possibly deny it. Magg was very straightforward.
So, the two began making curry. The first and most important task was the onions. Slowly caramelizing the onions until they turned amber made the curry incredibly delicious. While Yuuri peeled and roughly chopped the onions, tossing them into the large pot, Magg silently peeled carrots beside him. Long live the peeler.
Yuuri drizzled olive oil over the onions in the pot and covered it, cooking on low heat. Ideally, constant stirring would be best, but with other tasks at hand, Yuuri preferred to cover it and check occasionally. After all, curry wasn’t the only thing to prepare.
Even if the main dish was curry rice, Yuuri thought a salad was necessary for balance. While Magg chopped carrots, Yuuri shredded cabbage at lightning speed. His culinary skills were in top form today.
“Yuuri.”
“Hm? What’s up, Magg?”
“Meat.”
“Today, the meat is separate.”
“Okay.”
Magg, who had quietly prepared thin slices of orc meat with salt and pepper, obediently returned the meat to the fridge upon Yuuri’s reply. Whether the curry had meat or not didn’t bother him. That was just like Magg.
Once the onions turned translucent and slightly amber, water was added. Considering the carrots and potatoes, the water level was kept just below the brim to avoid overflow.
While waiting for the pot to boil, Yuuri shredded cucumbers and carrots for the salad. Beside him, Magg diligently peeled potatoes. Somehow, Magg had gotten used to making curry. Cooking with someone who understood the process was very convenient.
When the pot boiled, Yuuri took out a certain seasoning. Instantly, Magg’s eyes lit up. …But when Yuuri asked him to handle the potatoes, Magg quietly returned to his task. He knew his job well.