Wash and cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Slice the onion thinly.

Season the beef with a little salt and pepper. (I accidentally bought thinly sliced beef today, but small beef cubes work better for this curry. I like using well-marbled beef for tenderness.)

Finely chop the ginger and garlic.

Add 1/2 tablespoon of cooking oil to a pan. Heat the oil, then sauté the carrot and potato first since they take longer to cook. Next, add the onion and sauté together.

Prepare a pot for the curry. Add 1/2 tablespoon of cooking oil, heat it, and quickly sear the beef over high heat.

Back to the vegetable pan: when the potatoes are golden and the onions have turned a nice color, add the mushrooms and stir-fry briefly.

Transfer the sautéed vegetables from the pan to the pot.

Add salt or bouillon powder.

Pour in about 3 1/3 cups water (800 ml) and add a piece of bouillon powder or use 1 teaspoon bouillon granules if you prefer.

Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes until the beef and vegetables are tender. Skim off any foam occasionally. While waiting, you can wash the cutting board and knife, tidy up, or enjoy a beer.

Here are the curry roux blocks. You can buy Japanese curry roux at Asian grocery stores or supermarkets.

Cut the 4 curry roux blocks into pieces and add them to the pot. Cutting them helps the seasoning dissolve quickly and blend into the meat and vegetables.

Add 3 tablespoons tomato sauce and stir well. Simmer over medium heat for another 15-20 minutes. (Now's a good time to relax with a beer or watch TV.)

Prepare pickles. I use pickled daikon radish, which has a salty and tangy flavor that goes well with curry rice. You can find it at Japanese stores. If not, I'll share a recipe for pickled daikon next time.

When the beef and vegetables are tender and flavorful, serve with rice and pickled daikon. Enjoy!