Recipe-1 › Curries of the world › Japanese curry
A thick, mild, slightly sweet curry that reached Japan through the British in the late 1800s, which is why it is thickened with a flour roux like a British stew. Today most homes use curry roux blocks from the shop.
Different technique MildRecipe-1 is one simple curry recipe in nine steps: fry onions and green chillies, add your vegetables or meat, add chilli powder and turmeric, then water and salt, and boil. With small changes the same nine steps make curries from all over the world.
This page takes those nine steps and shows what to change to make Japanese curry. You don’t need to read anything else first: every base step is written out below. The changes are worked out on paper from what is typical for this dish; not yet kitchen-tested. Cooked it? Tell others how it went.
Green: the base recipe step (crossed out = do not use it for this dish)Red: what to do instead for Japanese curry
See the full base recipe (with timers and tips) · See all curries on the world map
The amounts change with the number of people; cooking times stay about the same (use a bigger pot for more). Taste as you go: you can always add more chilli or salt, but you cannot take it out.
Main ingredient: 400 g Chicken, pork or beef.
Where a step has a red line, do the red line and not the crossed-out green base step. Steps with only green are done just as in the base recipe.
Base step: do not useCut onions and chillies.
Japanese curry: do thisCut the onions into wedges; skip the chillies.
Base step: do not useFry in some oil for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.
Japanese curry: do thisFry the onions in oil; 8–10 minutes makes them sweeter.
Base step: do not useCut the vegetable(s) of your choice.
Japanese curry: do thisUse the meat, plus carrots and potatoes in chunks.
Add them and fry for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.
Base step: do not useAdd red chilli powder and turmeric.
Japanese curry: do thisSkip the chilli powder, turmeric and spices: the roux has them.
Keep frying until just before they start browning.
Base step: do not useAdd some water.
Japanese curry: do thisAdd enough water to cover.
Base step: do not useAdd salt.
Japanese curry: do thisAdd only a little salt; the roux is salty.
Base step: do not useBoil until the gravy is as thick as you like.
Japanese curry: do thisBoil until the vegetables are tender. Turn off the heat, stir in the roux blocks until they melt, then simmer a few minutes until thick and glossy.
Serve: Over short-grain rice, often with a pork cutlet (katsu curry).
For meat and seafood, make sure it is cooked through: chicken until no pink remains inside; mutton, goat and beef need long, slow cooking.
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