Sapporo soup curry

Step 1: Heat the oven to 425°F (400°F fan). Toss 10 ½ oz kabocha squash, 4 small potatoes, 1 carrot and 3 ½ oz lotus root with 2 ⅜ tbsp vegetable oil and ⅓ tsp salt on a large tray and roast for 30–35 minutes, turning once, until golden at the edges and tender when pierced.

Step 2: Meanwhile, start the broth. Warm 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-low heat and add 1 onion. Cook gently for 12–15 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden and jammy. This browned onion gives the broth its body, so don't hurry it.

Step 3: Add 3 garlic cloves and ½ oz fresh ginger and stir for 1 minute until fragrant. Sprinkle in 2 tbsp mild curry powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp ground cardamom and 1 tsp chilli powder and stir for 30 seconds over low heat, until the spices smell toasty but not burnt.

Step 4: Tip in 7 oz chopped tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, mashing, until thick. Pour in 4 ¼ cups kombu-shiitake dashi or vegetable stock, add 2 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tsp sugar, and simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Taste and add ½ tsp salt: it should taste bold, as it will dress plain vegetables.

Step 5: While the broth simmers, heat the rest of 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry 1 aubergine, 1 green pepper and 8 okra in batches for 3–4 minutes, turning, until blistered and soft. Season with the rest of ½ tsp salt.

Step 6: Common mistake: simmering the vegetables in the broth. They go soft and the broth turns cloudy and sweet. Keep them apart until serving.

Step 7: Ladle the hot broth into wide, deep bowls. Stand the roasted and fried vegetables upright in it so they poke above the surface. Serve 1 ⅓ lb cooked Japanese short-grain rice on a separate plate with 4 lemon wedges; eat by dipping spoonfuls of rice into the broth.