Cheesy Japanese Curry Chicken Rice Bake

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A weeknight take on doria, the Japanese rice gratin: buttery soy-seasoned rice on the bottom, chicken thighs and vegetables in a mild curry sauce in the middle, and a lid of melted cheese and crisp panko on top. Everything goes into one baking dish raw and comes out bubbling 50 minutes later. Leftovers reheat beautifully.

Ingredients

• 5 cups cooked short-grain or jasmine rice, preferably day-old
• 3 tbsp butter, melted, plus more for the dish
• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 4 cubes Japanese curry roux (about 100 g, half a standard box)
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 medium carrots, cut into thin coins
• 1 cup frozen peas

• 2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. In a bowl, toss the cooked rice with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and the soy sauce, breaking up any clumps, then press it into an even layer over the bottom of the dish.
2. Put the curry roux cubes in a large heatproof bowl, pour over the 1 1/2 cups boiling water, and whisk for about 1 minute until the cubes fully dissolve into a smooth, glossy sauce. Whisk in the milk.
3. Add the chicken, onion, carrots and frozen peas to the bowl and stir until everything is coated in the curry sauce. Spoon the mixture evenly over the rice layer, spreading the chicken out so it sits in a single layer rather than in clumps.
4. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (165°F / 74°C at the centre of a piece) and the carrots are tender when pierced.
5. Uncover. Scatter the mozzarella over the top, then toss the panko with the remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter and sprinkle it over the cheese.
6. Bake uncovered for another 12 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling at the edges and the panko is deep golden. If the top is still pale, run it under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely.
7. Let the bake rest for 10 minutes so the sauce settles into the rice, scatter with the scallions, and serve in squares scooped down to the rice layer.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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