In a country where you can get everything from hamburgers to lady's undergarments out of a vending machine, it's no surprise that home cooks have many convenient options when cooking a meal. For some dishes like Japanese curry (カレーライス - karei raisu), pre-made mixes have become the norm rather than the exception, and a trip to the supermarket will reveal an entire section of boxed curry mixes.
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Why My Recipe Works
- Good Japanese restaurant curry's comes from caramelizing onions and other aromatics. I build layers of flavors in this recipe, first by browning the chicken, then caramelizing garlic and ginger before going in with onions and carrots.
- The characteristic sweetness of Japanese chicken curry is created by adding fruit and sugar in most recipes. This version uses apple, which provides a nice sweetness and helps thicken the curry sauce. Be sure to choose a sweet variety of apple or your curry will taste sour.
- Japanese curry is usually thickened with flour and fat roux, but my version of homemade curry rice is thickened with vegetables and fruit, making it healthier than most.
- Kakushiaji (隠し味) means "hidden taste," and it's a cooking technique where you add a tiny quantity of a contrasting ingredient to improve the dish's taste. For this Japanese Chicken Curry I add cocoa powder. It may sound odd, but it's one of the secrets for getting an earthy depth of flavor, making it taste like it's been simmering for hours.
Convenience over Flavor
Instant curry mixes usually take the form of bricks that look a bit like bulbous chocolate bars and are loaded with saturated fat, MSG and preservatives. But as much as I want to call this junk food, it's a comfort food I grew up on, and it could easily be called the national dish of Japanese home cooking. That's why I've been working on my recipe for Japanese curry from scratch for the past dozen years. It may take a little more effort than using the packaged variety, but it doesn't require any extra time, and involves only a handful of additional ingredients.
So What Exactly is Japanese Curry?
Like many foods in Japan, curry worked its way into the Japanese culinary repertoire from abroad. The prevailing theory is that the British introduced it as a cheap way of feeding troops en masse and that these soldiers brought their newly acquired taste for this un-Japanese blend of pungent spices home with them.
Today, curry has become a staple of the Japanese home, that's enjoyed by people of all ages. It's thicker and sweeter than most other curries of the world and has a depth of flavor that's unique, thanks to an ample dose of caramelized onions. With big hunks of tender meat, carrots, and potatoes, it's more like a hearty stew than a typical curry.
The Secret to Making Curry
Ask any chef at one of the many famed curry houses in Japan, and they'll tell you that the key to a really great Japanese curry is in the caramelized onions. The onions not only add a ton of umami and flavor to the curry, they also provide the characteristic sweetness without using sugar. For a more detailed explanation on caramelized onions, check out my post on caramelizing onions
Japanese Curry Powder
Also, after years of experimenting with different curry powders and garam masalas, I've come to the conclusion that the most consistent way to get the right blend of spices is to use a Japanese curry powder, such as S&B brand. You can usually find it at Asian supermarkets but Amazon also carries it. A fews years back I cracked the code for making Japanese curry powder from scratch using a curry spice set from Gaban, so if you're curious, you can read about it in this recipe, How to Make Japanese Curry Powder.
Recipe
Japanese Curry from Scratch
Equipment
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
- 550 grams boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 14 grams garlic (~2 large cloves, grated)
- 14 grams fresh ginger (~½-inch piece, grated)
- 500 grams onion (2 large onions, thinly sliced)
- 3 tablespoons Japanese curry powder (Japanese brand such as S&B)
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 300 grams carrots (~ 2 carrots, cut into chunks)
- ½ medium apple (peeled, cored and grated)
- 2 tablespoons chunou sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 350 grams potatoes (~2 medium potatoes cut into large chunks)
- ½ cup frozen green peas
- 1 tablespoon cultured unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Instructions
Why it works- Clean any large bits of fat or tendon from the 550 grams boneless skinless chicken thighs and cut into large chunks. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper and mix to distribute evenly.
- Heat the 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering and then add the chicken in a single layer. Let the chicken brown undisturbed (about 5 minutes). Flip the chicken and let it brown on the other side.
- Turn down the heat to medium-low and transfer the chicken to a bowl using tongs, making sure to leave as much oil in the pan as possible.
- Add the grated 14 grams garlic and 14 grams fresh ginger and fry in the oil until it's not sizzling as much and it reaches a rich caramel brown color.
- Add the 500 grams onion and stir to coat with oil. Cover with a lid and let the onions steam until translucent and limp (about 10-15 minutes).
- Remove the lid, turn up the heat to medium and continue frying the onion, stirring constantly until it's reduced to about ⅛ of its original volume and it forms a shiny caramel brown paste (about 20-30 minutes). If the onion starts to stick to the pan before it's fully caramelized, try scrubbing off the stuck bits with a spatula. If that doesn't work you can add just a bit of water to the areas where things are sticking and then use the spatula to scrape.
- When the onions are fully caramelized, add the 3 tablespoons Japanese curry powder and sauté briefly until very fragrant.
- Return the chicken to the pot and then add the 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock, 300 grams carrots, grated ½ medium apple, 2 tablespoons chunou sauce, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the 350 grams potatoes, cover and simmer until the carrots and potatoes are very tender (another 15-20 minutes).
- In the meantime, make the roux by adding the 1 tablespoon cultured unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour to a small saucepan over medium heat. Use a spatula to stir constantly until the bubbling subsides and the roux is a light brown color.
- When the potatoes are tender, taste and adjust salt to taste. If you like your curry sweeter, you can add some honey.
- Finish the curry by stirring in the roux and ½ cup frozen green peas and bringing to a boil to thicken the sauce.
- Serve with hot rice, or on top of a bowl of udon.
Nutrition Facts
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Thomas Abraham says
Thank you so much for the advice. The curry was to die for! I finally made it today and it was a huge hit!
Marc Matsumoto says
It will make it less spicy (not chili pepper spicy, but spice spicy) and less sweet. You could substitute extra ketchup in its place.
Thomas Abraham says
Will omitting tonkatsu or Worcestershire make a big difference?
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad to hear it! Good luck with your final year!
Sodamoeba says
Just wanted to let you know how amazing this turned out. I'm new to cooking; I'm a rising senior at college and got sick of the meal plan stuff they feed us. I'm preparing for living in an apartment with its own kitchen during my senior year. Of the 7 or 8 dishes I've prepared so far (mostly big pots of soup), this one is by far the best! And it looks like it will make great leftovers, too! You've certainly gained a follower in me.
DR says
I'm so excited to find this! I have been avoiding the chemical-laden package but wanting to eat this at home...thank you!
Marc Matsumoto says
It depends on how hungry your diners are, but it should feed 4-6.
Suzy says
How many servings will this make?
Marc Matsumoto says
While I welcome a good discussion about the history of food, it would be awesome if you guys could provide some citations or background that explains your thinking. Otherwise you're just expressing an opinion that doesn't move the discussion forward.
s says
no it didn't it came from China and came from India to China.
s says
hey it's not from scratch if you use a pre-made curry powder you gotta do that yourself
Marc Matsumoto says
HI Narry, I haven't had Japanese curry with oxtail, but it sounds delicious. Yep, you should be able to just extend the cooking time with the onions, add whatever spices you like, then when the tail starts getting tender, add the veggies, and finally the roux.
Freshnessben says
Have you ever had Japanese oxtail curry? I want to make it. I think the only variation from this recipe would be to cook the oxtail for a few hours in water with onions (and bay leaf?) which will then be discarded. Thoughts?
Akapavious says
And no MSG (presuming there's none in the tempura sauce). Going to have to try this as it's a great dish, but the MSG makes me fall asleep very quickly.
justme says
I was looking at the bottle of curry powder I used and realized it was missing allspice, oregeno, and cocoa (a few ingredients in Japanese curry powder). Added just a smidgen of those - voila! It was just what it needed. 🙂
justme says
Thanks for posting! I tried this recipe out, but substituted the flour for cornstarch, as I am gluten intolerant. It wasn't too bad tonight, but it did taste a little different than the Japanese curry I was used to before my diagnosis, so I doctored it up a little. 😉 As I made it for my coworkers, I'm letting it sit overnight so all the flavors soak up into the tofu and veggies - it's one of those foods that's better the next day.
Greed says
thanks for this awesome recipe! I didn;t realize it was so easy!
A cheese grater works great for the apples; the shreds dissolve in ~20 minutes.
A few shakes of curry powder makes the flavor complete IMO, but it doesn't need it.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Adrien, substituting oil for butter will effect flavor but it should not effect the texture of the roux. Based on your description I'm guessing one of 2 things happend. The first could be that you didn't fry the roux long enough. Try frying it a little bit longer. The second possibility is that your roux didn't incorporate into the liquid before the flour in it cooked so you ended up with little roux dumplings instead of a smooth curry. The avoid this, it's important to ladle some of the liquid from the meat and veggies into the roux and whisking it together until it's smooth. Once the roux is smooth and doesn't have any lumps you can pour it into the pot with the meat and veggies and stir to incorporate.
Adrien says
Hi Mark!
Thanks a lot for this recipe!
I had not butter in my fridge (I try to avoid dairy products).
So I used oil instead (I heard that is what cajuns do to make their roux).
I turned out a blit floury, not like a thick liquid.
I mean you could feel some little crispy grains of flour or curry.
Any advice?
Thanks again!
Joey Franklin says
Gotta add a few tablespoons of worcestershire sauce, a few shots of okonomiyaki sauce, and substitute broth for the water.
Thomas Abraham says
i made this tonight & it was soo good! i was going to leave out the apple since i didn't have any, but then i remember i had a big bottle of no sugar added apple sauce, so i used that instead. beef instead of chicken, Worcestershire, s&b oriental curry powder (japanese curry powder), & no peas (didn't have any). topped on basamati rice. i will make this again instead of the almost $4 s&b instant curry sauce mix.
Thomas Abraham says
Finally, I can make the curry from a scratch! All the other recipes I found used the granules, which are impossible to buy in my country... I love you!
Marc Matsumoto says
This will comfortably feed 4, it may feed 6 if they have smaller appetites (or there are other dishes).
Thomas Abraham says
how many servings did this make?
I'm cooking for six in a few nights and I can't remember if this recipe did my husband and I for one night or two last time i made it 😕
TSuisei says
I too grew up loving a big bowl of hot Japanese-style curry -- But now I just can't abide the fat content of the ready-made roux blocks. Tonight I made some from scratch and it was close but missing something. I searched and found your recipe. The only ingredients I was missing were the ketchup, worcestershire, and apple. I look forward to trying it again! Thank you!
Shane_charleson says
I just made this recipe (minus the apples) and my lords, was it tasty.
Marc Matsumoto says
Yep unsweetened apple sauce would be perfect!
Thomas Abraham says
What about organic apple sauce with no sugar? Yes matter of fact I do have a cheese greater and I did not think of that thank you!
Marc Matsumoto says
Do you have a cheese grater? If so just grate it as small as possible. Otherwise you can dice up the apple and throw it in when you sautee the onions.
Thomas Abraham says
I always wanted to try Japanese curry and this recipe looks so freiking Delicious!! But is it possible to switch out the pureed apple for something else because I do not have the abillity to puree!
Storyhunter says
I made this, and it was great. I'm never using store-bought curry roux again.
Jessica Webb says
I just saw the video on you tube of this recipe and I cannot wait to make it for dinner tonight! My husband and I currently live in Japan and we're terrified that when we leave we won't be able to find our favorite Japanese foods so I'm thrilled to learn to make this from ingredients you can find in any country! THANK YOU!
Grace Leung says
I have literally been searching for a recipe like this for years after our favorite Japanese restaurant who served amazing curry noodles closed down. I looked all over the web and in bookstores and nothing ever came close.
I made this last night for my husband and I and we thought it was absolutely delicious. Our search is finally over. Thank you!!
Anna Maria says
Mmm! I am eating this right now... sort of. My little boy asked me to replicate a Tofu Curry Don recipe that we love eating when we're in town. I took your recipe, added 1c vegie broth to the roux, substituted tofu for chicken (skipped the apple), added a little curry powder instead of garam masala and once it was simmering nicely, I turned up the heat and poured in the egg. Et voila.... Tofu Curry Don. My little man says it tastes just like the restaurant one. Yay! Mummy suceeds.
I am looking forward to making your recipe as is during the week sometime (still with tofu though as we are vegie). Thanks so much. I just found your site and am looking forward to perusing the rest of it tonight :).
Marc Matsumoto says
Hmm I'm assuming that means you're intolerant to all members of the Allium genus (garlic, shallots, leeks, scallions, etc?). If so, I can't think of anything that will substitute in for onions. You could try to add in a couple different kinds of tomatoes (stewed, tomato paste, and sun dried) which should taste good, but it's obviously not going to give it the same flavor.
Eatingganesh says
And now I see that tomato would be a good substitute from below. Ok... How bout onions?
Eatingganesh says
That's what I get for posting from my iPad!
There = there
Opinions = onions
LOL
Eatingganesh says
I love Japanese curry...i discovered it in Denver at a wonderful place called Kokoro. It took forever to figure out there recipe, but I used to live on the stuff. Recently, I discovered that I am intolerant of wheat, onions, and apples. Do you have any suggestions for substitutions? I can use cornstarch,of course, but I am at a loss over the opinions and apples. Any ideas?
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad to hear you like it:-) I think I figured it out one day when I was making curry and got all the way up to the step of adding the roux and realized I didn't have any packaged roux in the cupboard.
Kristy says
I love this recipe. I've been making it for over a year and a half now and it is sublime. Blissful, exquisite, perfect...enter any adjective here. How on earth did you figure this out?
Fadia Dewanda says
Thank you!! This is just what I need!! I love it ^^
Thomas Abraham says
I made your curry recipe last night and it was phenomenal..so good I'm going to design a PDF version of the recipe so I don't have to stupidly rewatch your YT video over and over again when I miss steps LOL. The tomato substitute worked perfectly by the way!
Dave says
Curry came to Japan from the UK believe it or not!
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks! You could substitute just about any fruit that has a fairly neutral flavor. Peaches, pear, and tomatoes would all work:-)
Thomas Abraham says
What would you recommend substituting for the apple? I'm horribly allergic to apple, but I assume it's a key ingredient in Japanese curry =(. By the way, your blog is fantastic!
Marc Matsumoto says
Add them in when you saute the onions.
Alexbrinker95 says
if i wanted to put ginger and garlic in this dish how much would i put
Marc Matsumoto says
You should be able to freeze it, maybe in ice cube trays so it's easy to divide up like the store bought blocks.
Brokeback Hogwarts says
I make this almost complete by heart. It's great. But is there anyway to preserve the roux?
Marc Matsumoto says
Take about 2 cups of liquid from the chicken and pour it into the roux with a large spoon.