Japanese Curry Arancini

Crispy, gooey, cheesy Japanese curry arancini are the most comforting and delicious appetizers. These Japanese-Italian fusion crispy rice balls are infused with a Japanese curry broth and stuffed with mozzarella cheese for the most irresistible bite.

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Snack

Cuisine Asian Fusion, Japanese

Keyword arancini recipe, Japanese arancini

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Chilling Time 3

Total Time 4

Servings rice balls

Calories 264kcal

Author Megan

Equipment

Ingredients

Broth

4 ½ cups low sodium chicken stock
2 oz Japanese curry roux
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon honey

Risotto

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 ½ cup Arborio rice
½ cup sake
1 block Mozzarella cut into 1/2 inch cubes or shredded

Frying and Breading

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 large eggs whisked
2 cup Panko bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for frying

Serve and Garnish

Shredded cabbage
Pickled Radish
Tonkatsu sauce
Parsley chopped

Instructions

Cook the Risotto

Create Japanese curry broth. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add chicken stock, soy sauce, mirin, and honey, and mix until combined and bring to a low simmer. Next, add the roux and mix until dissolved. Simmer for 10 minutes, then cover and remove from the heat to keep warm.
Cook the risotto. In a large deep pan, add two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until hot. Then add the onion and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and toss until everything is coated and the rice is slightly toasted, about 1 minute. Next, add the sake, stir, and cook until it cooks down, about 3 minutes.
Add the broth. Add the broth about 1 cup at a time, stirring intermittently every 30 seconds, and allow each addition to be absorbed before adding the next. Cook until the rice is creamy and al dente. It should take about 18 minutes total.
Chill the risotto. Spread the risotto over a baking pan, bring it to room temperature, cover it, and chill it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.

Prepare and Fry the Arancini

Assemble the arancini. Take about 3 tablespoons of cold risotto, flatten it with your hand until it forms a disk, add the cube of cheese, top with about 2 more tablespoons of risotto on top, and roll until it forms a tight ball. Repeat with the remaining rice. Chill for 15 minutes.
Heat the oil. Heat about 2 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot until it reaches 350°F (175°C).
Bread the arancini. Assemble a flour, salt, and pepper bowl, a whisked egg bowl, and a panko bread crumb bowl. Roll the ball in flour, then dredge in egg and coat in panko, pressing to coat. Repeat with the remaining balls.
Fry the arancini. Working in batches, gently add 3-4 balls into the pot using a spider strainer. Fry the arancini, turning periodically, until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining balls. Make sure the oil is back up to 350°F (175°C) before each batch.
Cool. Remove the balls with a spider strainer and place them on a paper towel-lined baking tray to drain.
Serve. Garnish with parsley and serve with a side of shredded cabbage, pickled radish, and tonkatsu sauce. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

See the Expert Tips section for more guidance.

Nutrition