Japanese curry

Got two packets of Japanese curry powder from Mark. Recommended by Rika and bought by Mark while he was in Japan. With Yoshi's instructions in English, I was able to prepare this Japanese curry that Sunday evening when the guys came over for dinner. The previous time I cooked Japanese curry powder, I added everything in the pot...the ingredients, water and curry powder. Felt kinda weird stirring the mixture, got a feeling that that was not the right way of cooking it. This time round, followed Yoshi's instructions of stir frying the ingredients first with garlic and then poured in the water. The curry powder is added in only after the water in the pot is boiling and I think the ingredients should be about eighty percent cooked by then. Great! I would say it's a success! Phew, was worried that I may turn the whole curry into a disaster and one packet of curry powder would have gone to waste :P The kitchen is really like my cooking laboratory, a place to try, experiment and fail :P Oh well, small successes too :) ...I also prepared salted vegetable with duck soup (my second attempt for the month I think). I must say I still wasn't satisfied with the soup even though Mark said that it's good enough. The plums were added but I think maybe I should add more. I may have soaked the salted vegetables for a little too long, taste wasn't as strong as the first time. And peppercorn needed to be 'smashed' more :P Anyway, haha, another lesson learnt again.