Cozy Curry Night after Christmas

The Sunday after Christmas, I visited the home of a long-time family friend to do a trial Cozy Curry Night. It wasn’t a formal client engagement, and because it was a trial, I allowed myself to bend a few of my own rules. Looking back, that flexibility ended up shaping the evening in a good way.

Through the text and phone conversations, I came to know their son was a big fan of curry, so a curry-centered meal felt like a natural choice. Since this was a trial, I cooked for a party of eight rather than a smaller group. I also decided to prepare the curry in two styles. One was a classic Japanese home curry using the S&B roux cubes. The other was a gluten-free version made with S&B oriental curry powder.

Instead of simmering the chicken in the sauce, I prepared it separately in karaage style and served it as a topping. This allowed everyone at the table to adjust the balance of rice, curry, and chicken to their own taste. Some preferred the richness of the roux, others leaned toward the lighter, spiced gluten-free version. The table naturally became a place of choice rather than rules.

Although it wasn’t planned that way, the group turned out to be a great mix of genders, generations, and gluten preferences. It was a good reminder of how adaptable Japanese home cooking can be, even when the meal is shared.

For a side dish, I kept things simple. I prepared a cabbage salad in the style of sunomono. Light, crisp, and gently acidic, it worked well as a palate cleanser, especially for those switching to try the two different curry sauces.

As a small bonus, I cooked a bit of soba noodles and showed how leftover curry sauce can be turned into a warm bowl of curry soba. It’s one of those everyday transformations that doesn’t require extra effort, just a slightly different way of looking at leftovers.

Cooking in someone else’s kitchen always comes with a little uncertainty. Different burners, different pots, unfamiliar rhythms. I was mildly concerned at first, but everything came together smoothly, on time, and as flavorful as I had imagined.

For the curry base, I used a total of four pounds of onions. Partly because they were on sale for two dollars, and partly because I wanted to leave enough leftovers for the family. That plan didn’t quite work out. This group turned out to be enthusiastic eaters, especially the curry-loving son and grandson, who went back for five servings.

By the end of the night, there was no karaage left and only about a serving each of curry sauce remaining. If the amount eaten is any indication, the meal landed exactly where it needed to.

After dinner, their son pulled out his CAD drawings of a radio-controlled car he’s been building. I used to be into RC cars myself, so we exchanged a few thoughts on components and design. It was a small moment, but a telling one. When someone starts talking about something they truly enjoy, the energy in the room shifts.

Good food opens the door, and what lights a person up naturally follows.

This is the kind of evening I hope Cozy Curry Night continues to create. Not just a meal, but a shared table where food, curiosity, and moments of ikigai gets blended together.