Easy! Japanese Curry (Karē) Recipe

Easy! Japanese Curry (Karē) Recipe! Japanese Curry (カレー, Karē ) is quick and easy to prepare, a perfect family dish. It is an excellent choice for busy people who want to prepare a simple delicious meal with meat and vegetables. Here is an easy-to-follow step-by-step picture recipe for making Japanese curry from scratch. Japanese curry is usually eaten with rice together as one dish. So, you would hear the term “Curry Rice” (カレーライス, Karē Raisu) mentioned often. “Curry Rice” is considered to be the National Dish of Japan.

What is Japanese curry

Have you ever tried Japanese Curry before? Are you wondering what kind of curry it is? Well, it’s more ‘Japanese’ than you think. Despite its foreign origins, curry is a dish that is hugely popular in Japan today for both home cooking and eating out. And it has become a staple meal of the Japanese and is enjoyed by people of all ages.

Most countries around the world have their own curry and Japan also has a unique curry that they call just curry or karē (カレー). It is different from curries from other countries such as India, Thailand, or Sri Lanka.

The typical Japanese curry is thicker in texture and tastes sweeter but less spicy as it is adapted to Japanese tastes. The mild, bit sweet, and bit spicy nature of this dish draws Japanese people to eat it day after day.

CURRY & RICE (karē raisu)
JAPANESE NATIONAL DISH

Japanese curry is usually eaten with rice together as one dish. So, you would hear the term “Curry Rice” (カレーライス, Karē Raisu) mentioned often.

Did you know that “Curry Rice” is considered to be the National Dish of Japan? No, we are not mistaken. In a survey, it is estimated that the Japanese were eating more curry than sushi or tempura! As both adults and children love it, the whole Japanese people eat it more than once a week.

The British brought curry to Japan from India

Curry is not an original cuisine from Japan. Curry came to Japan in the late 19th century and it was introduced by the British, not by the Indians. When the British arrived in Japan, they brought curry powder* and it was a hit. And the Japanese adapted the dish to suit their tastes.

At the time, the curry was served aboard UK ships. It didn’t take a long time before curry was served aboard Japanese ships. (And until today, every Friday the Japanese navy can enjoy a delicious curry.) And then gradually, Japanese curry has become a staple meal of the Japanese and is enjoyed by people of all ages.

*Curry powder is not an Indian but a British invention. When India was under British administration, the Britons widely accepted curry. Indian curry is adapted to meet Western tastes and the British invented curry powder so that ordinary people could cook curry without mastering the spices.

Typical ingredients used in curry

The usual ingredients added to Japanese curry include potatoes, carrots, onions, and meat, more often pork or beef, but you can also use chicken. It seems that pork is the most popular meat for curry in eastern Japan while beef is more common in western Japan.

However, when it comes to Japanese curry, the sauce is what really matters more than the other ingredients. The sauce is usually made from curry roux. The roux is added to stewed meat and vegetables and then simmered until thickened.

What is Japanese Curry Roux?

When making Japanese curry, rather than using curry powder and making it from scratch, most Japanese people like to use ready-to-use curry roux (カレールー) in the form of cubes of varied spiciness and sweetness levels.

If you visit the aisles of any major supermarket in Japan, you will find dozens of curry roux lined up side by side. You can just buy them for a few hundred yen and then make a delicious curry by just adding the roux to the cooked meat and vegetables in a pot.

But if you want to prepare Japanese curry from scratch, it is not difficult to make curry roux at home adapting the recipe with your choice of the spice mix.

How to make homemade curry roux

Making the curry with store-bought curry roux is so easy and convenient. But if you want to prepare Japanese curry from scratch, It is not difficult to make curry roux at home adapting the recipe with your choice of the spice mix.

I have already shared a separate post with details on how to make homemade curry roux. Here is the easy-to-follow step-by-step recipe for making Japanese Curry Roux from Scratch.
EASY Japanese Curry Roux from Scratch (Step-by-Step)

1/4th of the block is enough for making curry for about 4 people.

What to Serve with

Curry is commonly served with rice (カレーライス, karē raisu). Kare Raisu is one of the most popular dishes in Japan. Sticky Japanese short-grain rice is preferred rather than the long or medium-grain varieties. It is usually eaten with a spoon not with chopsticks because of the liquid nature of the curry. It is often accompanied with a garnish of fukujinzuke (vegetable pickles) or rakkyo (pickled Japanese scallion).

How to make Japanese Curry

This recipe offers two methods to prepare the curry. You can make the curry with either store-bought curry roux or homemade curry roux.

1. with store-bought curry roux

You can easily make this curry with a store-bought curry roux that comes with different levels of spiciness. Yes, of course. it saves you time, but you have less control over the taste compared to making it from scratch.

2. with homemade curry roux

Alternatively, you can make the curry with homemade curry roux. That means you need to make curry roux first. Making curry roux at home has many advantages. You can control the level of spiciness and the proportion of various spices used. And the roux made from scratch is much healthier than the store-bought ones without the MSG and other food additives.

First, make the curry roux

If you want to make the curry from scratch, first of all, you need to make the curry roux from scratch. So, please visit the page below and then make the curry roux according to the recipe.
Here is the step-by-step recipe for making Japanese Curry Roux from Scratch.
EASY Japanese Curry Roux from Scratch (Step-by-Step)
I cut the homemade curry roux block into 4 cubes and used one of them to make this curry. One cube is enough for making curry for about 4 people.

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More Japanese recipes

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Japanese curry
(step-by-step recipe)

PREP TIME 15 minutes
COOK TIME 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME 45 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoon cooking oil
250 g onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon garlic paste, optional
1 teaspoon ginger paste, optional
1/2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
350 g chicken, boneless
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, optional
1 tablespoon ketchup, or tomato paste/sauce
3 tablespoons applesauce or grated apple
1 onion, sliced
2 carrots, cut into wedges
1 large potato, cut into wedges
500 ml water, adjust as needed
1 cube of Homemade Curry Roux*, or 2 cubes of store-bought curry roux

NOTE: *Cut the homemade curry roux block into 4 cubes and use 1/4th of the block

Instructions

Gather the ingredients

Heat oil and sauté the onions until they are slightly brown in a saucepan.

Add salt, ginger, and garlic paste and mix well.

Now, add the chicken and then sauté until slightly brown.

Add Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and applesauce or grated apple and mix well.

Add the diced vegetables.

And then add water and mix.

Cover and cook over low heat until tender.

Once the meat and vegetables are cooked, add the roux and mix well until it is dissolved.

Cook for about 5 minutes until it thickens the curry, stirring frequently.

That’s it, Japanese curry is ready! You can serve it with rice or noodles!

NOTES

• Worcestershire sauce: You can use Tonkatsu sauce.
• Tomato ketchup: You can use tomato puree or paste as a substitute.
• Apple: Apple provides a unique sweetness to the curry. I use applesauce, but you can use freshly grated apples also.
• Some people like to add honey or chocolate to curry.

Easy Japanese curry recipe

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