“Legal” Recipe? Steamed Vegetable Curry in a Tajine Pot (Manga Food DIY)

A while ago, I stumbled upon a viral roundup post featuring a manga titled “Konda Teru’s Legal Recipes” (Konda Teru no Gouhou Recipe). The premise—a young, high-school Yakuza member who gets intensely passionate about wholesome home cooking—was so hilarious and unique that I immediately bought the manga as soon as it was reprinted!

Every dish cooked by this rookie gangster looks absolutely mouthwatering. So today, I decided to recreate one of his signature meals: Steamed Vegetable Curry in a Tajine Pot.

According to the manga, this curry has a “hardcore, combat-ready flavor,” yet it’s super healthy and vegetable-packed. Unlike many cooking manga that gloss over the details, this series actually provides clear, step-by-step instructions.

What is “Manga Food” (Manga Meshi)?

In Japanese pop culture, recreating dishes featured in manga or anime is known as Manga Meshi (Manga Food) or Anime Food. Fans love bringing these fictional meals to life, from Studio Ghibli comfort food to gourmet treats in culinary manga!

Ingredients for Steamed Vegetable Tajine Curry

How to Make It

The preparation is surprisingly simple!

Step 1: Chop the ingredients

Cut all your vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Remove the skin from the chicken thigh to keep it low-calorie, then slice the chicken into bite-sized chunks as well.

Place everything directly into your Tajine pot.

A Tajine is a traditional North African earthenware pot with a cone-shaped lid designed to trap steam and moisture, making vegetables super tender without adding much water!

Step 2: Add seasonings

Add the curry powder, bouillon, olive oil, grated garlic, salt, and pepper right on top of the vegetables and chicken.

The manga didn’t specify exact measurements, so feel free to season according to your taste!

Step 3: Steam on low heat!

Cover the Tajine pot with its conical lid. Channel your inner Yakuza chef and whisper to yourself: “Not letting a single drop of aroma escape…”

Set the burner to low heat and let it simmer gently.

⚠️ Important Pro-Tip: As the vegetables steam, they release a TON of natural juices. If you add too much water or liquid bouillon at the start, the curry soup will boil over the rim! Keep the added liquid minimal.

Remember, lifting the lid during the process lets the precious steam and aroma escape—which means mission failure! (And in the world of Yakuza cooking, a strict punishment awaits…)

The Result!

After simmering for about 10 minutes, take off the lid… and voila!

Look at this gorgeous, soup-like Japanese curry!

Despite being curry, it’s remarkably healthy—even with a side of steamed rice, it comes out to around 630 kcal. The rich, aromatic spice filled the entire kitchen, making me instantly hungry. Time to dig in!

Taste Test & Review

Sweetness: The natural juices from the steamed cabbage, onions, and peppers melted into the broth, creating an intense, natural sweetness—as if sugar had been added!

Flavor & Spice: Even with the sweetness, the sharp kick of the curry spices shines through beautifully.

Light & Healthy: I usually struggle with rich, oily curries, but this steamed version is light enough to sip down to the very last drop of soup.

If making delicious curry is this effortless—just cutting veggies and steaming them with spices and bouillon—I might never go back to heavy roux-based curries!

Plus, thanks to the robust flavor of the spices, you don’t need much salt, making it a great option for anyone watching their sodium intake. What a versatile, “law-abiding” recipe!

More Manga & Anime Recipes Coming Soon!

I’ll definitely be trying out more “Legal Recipes” from this manga in the future!

On my blog OFFICE KAWACHIYO, I love recreating iconic dishes from Japanese manga, anime, and pop culture. Be sure to check out my other recipe guides—you might just find your favorite fictional dish brought to life!