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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Ain says
I tried this last night and it worked perfectly! I didn't have tonkatsu sauce, so I used yakisoba sauce instead -- still, it was so yummy. I'm glad I won't need to spend money on those curry cubes anymore.
Kate says
I found your YouTube video nearly 2 years ago and I just got around to trying the recipe. I waited so long because I thought it would take too long to make for a quick dinner. I shouldn't have waited, it was delicious! I used ground beef in place of the chicken. It worked like a charm. Thank you.
Bryan Montford says
PS. At least a third of the dishes were Asian styled and inspired.
Bryan Montford says
I really like this! The idea of making instead of buying pre-packaged. Oddly though, when I was working over 60 hours a week and raising four kids while still doing all the things an active father and homeowner has to do, I was also cooking all of our meals, and used the exact opposite system. I would buy good quality foods that were mostly pre-cooked and packaged, but then combine them into dishes, so I could go from stovetop to table in 30 min or less and have healthy delicious food, fast. It was mostly being careful and choosy about brands and watching content, then maximising raw and fresh prep, and creating clever solutions to make culinary delights ASAP for those four hungry kids and we adults - things we could all enjoy and eat healthy.
maesaysdoit says
Thanks you for the recipe. After living in Hamamatsu I really miss Japanese Curry. I've purchased the rue block here, but have always wanted to learn to make my own fresh. I also want to thank you for your Yaki Soba recipe.
PegLegMeg says
I am allergic to apple, tomatoes and soy so had to find a way around the apple, ketchup and worstershire: I use apricot nectar instead of water in the curry, and a different fruit jam (often blackberry) in the roux. It's AMAZING.
Brittany says
Great recipe, my go-to when I want to impress somebody. I don't like pureeing the apple with a microplane, though, as it's time consuming and I fear for my fingers. Instead, I like to quarter and core an apple, skin it with a knife, and then slice each piece into razor-thin slices. They cook down to nothing as if they had been pureed in the first place, without all the fuss.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Jean, I'm not sure what regular flour is where you live, but in the US, flour is made from wheat so provided your wheat flour is similar to all-purpose flour found in the US it should work.
Jean says
Hi Marc, Instead of using regular flour can I use wheat flour?
Thanks
sim says
absolutely brilliant recipe. i was sceptical that it would turn out better than those commercial curry blocks. how wrong i was!
Ricky-Tikki-Tavi says
Nevermind. I scrolled down and saw a helpful comment. SERVES 4-6!
Thanks for this, I can't wait.
Ricky-Tikki-Tavi says
I want to make this for my girlfriend for our anniversary. Judging from how much I was salivating from just reading the directions, I may end up going back for seconds. About how many servings does this recipe make?
misty says
I love the idea of making my own roux. I have perfected my curry (hubby was stationed in Oki) and ate at CoCos about 3 or more times a week. He says mine tastes just like it. But I was hoping not to have to use a base anymore. I am going to have to try my recipie with this and I will let you know. If it comes out betted than mine, I will let you know!
London says
Thank you for the authentic recipe with no preservatives that I can make gluten free. Fed 8 people tonight and it turned out wonderfully. You have a cooking talent! Thank you, thank you. Oh, and the video was super helpful for a novice like me.
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! Keep in mind you don't need to use all the roux if it looks like it's getting too thick.
Emily says
This was great! I have tried a variety of Japanese curry recipes over the past year... trying to phase out the boxed mixes/cubes and this is the best I've tried yet. Mine turned out super thick... I actually had to water it down a bit, but that is probably because I used a pot with a lid that doesn't fit tight! Delicious, thank you for sharing!
Levi del Valle says
I want to thank you for this recipe, I never had curry before and I found this to be quite delightful.
Lynette says
I just wanted to say thank you for posting your recipe. I used curry powder instead of the garam masala, other than that I followed your recipe to the tee. As I was eating the curry I had a big smile because it was exactly what I had been craving since leaving Japan 1 1/2 ago. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!
From Brazil: says
Thanks, man, your recipe kicks ass. Did It yesterday and it was a total success.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Carolyna, either there was too much water or not enough roux (the flour, butter, curry mixture). Try reducing the amount of water you add next time, or make more roux.
Carolyna Espinoza says
Hi, this is my first time making curry. It taste great but the sauce came out too thin. Is there any tips you can give me?
Marc Matsumoto says
Actually you're both right. In the western definition of the word "roux" it's a general purpose mixture of flour cooked in a fat, but in Japan "roux" is synonymous with the prepackaged blocks used for curry. As for tonkatsu vs worcester sauce, I usually say a reasonable substitute for tonkatsu sauce is a mixture of ketchup and worcestershire. I didn't mention it since the recipe already calls for ketchup. The reason why I add it is for sweetness and depth.
Arsh says
Mike is incorrect.
The point is not to use the pre-packaged bricks of Curry you can buy from a store.
A roux is merely the base for the sauce made from flour and butter. Look roux up on Wikipedia if you need more information. You can make many sauces out of a roux. This is how you make a Curry sauce from one.
I also make Curry from scratch (as above) but I just want to add that I've never used ketchup or Tonkatsu sauce. (Tho I am surprised the author compared Tonkatsu sauce to Worchestershire sauce. To me, Yakisoba is Worchestershire, but Tonkatsu sauce? Not so much.)
For curry sauce just use a roux and add as much curry as you like along with cayenne if you want to add some heat. I never use cayenne in mine. I like mild curry. It's just a matter of taste.
More curry than 2TBS will make the curry flavor stronger, which I prefer. And you can add a little curry powder to your meat and veg as you're cooking them also for extra flavor. I always cook my meat with a little olive oil and a little curry powder. Also, I use pork for mine which wasn't added to the list of potential meats.
Pork curry with carrots and potatoes is a staple in my house. It's delicious over rice, but be sure you're serving a good Japanese styled rice and not the Western crap like Minute Rice. That stuff isn't worthy of Curry. 😉
Mike says
The whole point of this recipe is to not use roux. He's making the part where normally roux is used from scratch.
Chris Her says
Hi there, I live in New Zealand and our local Sushi place makes this for me (well sells it) and I am soo addicted to it but it costs $10 each time, and my lunches are starting to get really expensive, so I googled Japanese Curry online and saw your picture and it looks like the one I buy. I also remember the owner saying they use a roux...which you do too. I cant wait to try and make this, thank you so much for sharing this with all of us!!!!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Baboyizm, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the curry. I've never eaten at Coco Ichiban, so I'll have to eat there first before giving it a go.
baboyizm says
Any chance you can duplicate the recipe for the curry at Coco Ichibanya? I've been on my search for their recipe and have never been able to come close.
baboyizm says
I tried your curry recipe when I made katsu last year. I did not have the correct curry powder, so it wasnt as tasty as the boxed bricks. I tried it again a month ago using S&B curry powder and its so much better. It tastes just like the boxed curry minus all the msg. The base for your roux recipe is fantastic and have used it many times this month. It goes good with veggies and potatoes, hamburger, and my all time favorite katsu curry. Now I dont feel bad guilty eating boxed curry and just use this. Thank you so much!
Dude says
Made this today (minus the apples) and it tasted awesome! will definitely be making it again. I kinda went overboard with the garam masala though, i'll be putting in less next time. still good though!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Sheila, the serving size is up to you and how hungry the people you're feeding are.
sheila says
whats the serving size for this recipe?
Marcella says
Hi, I'm new to your blog, and I just tried this recipe. I don't know what I did, but mine taste only a bit like the instant block curry, BUT SOMEHOW...it is still good, I actually like it better than the instant one hahaha It taste rather light too. I ate it today for lunch, and it's one of the BEST lunch break I've ever had. Thanks for the recipe lol
Sylvia says
I just made the dish tonight, with some Painted Hills ground beef, pink lady apple, 2tbs garam masala + 1tsp curry powder. I, too, also forgot to add peas at the end. None the less, curry came out scrumptious! This recipe is a keeper. Thank you Marc!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Chris, thanks for the suggestions. I made the video after this post, so I guess you could say the video supersedes this recipe. I've left this up mainly for the list of ingredients. Will update the instructions as you suggested.
Chris says
Hi Marc! Awesome-sauce recipe! I watched your video on youtube and noticed that a couple of your steps are not in this document - - which i think would help your readers greatly:
+++++++++++++++++
Overall
Serves 4-6
Curry
1. Cover Pot when brining onion, carrot, chicken (meat) mix.
2. Cover Pot when simmering all ingredients (potato, carrot, chicken, apple sauce, meat, etc).
Note: Covering the pot keeps a little more moisture in, some readers might think to leave the pot off and they'll loose some liquid on evaporating (you show the lid on in your YouTube video).
Roux
1. Put butter and flour in pot and stir as butter melts and fully mixes with flour.
2. Once butter and flour are mixed, add spices
3. Add tonkotsu + ketchup (tomato sauce)
4. Stir until mix starts to crumble
This worked much better than melting the butter on its own (also in your YouTube video)!
+++++++++++++++++
For my personal preference, I prefer the creamier/smoother curry, so I threw the caramelized onions (only the onions) into the food processor to make it more like a sauce!
Overall, I loved your recipe! I'm a huge fan of making things from scratch so the steps for making roux made for an awesome adventure!
Yvette says
I really love making this. When I first tried it I couldn't find garam masala and I personally don't care for the turmeric in the store bought curry powder so I found using a search engine that there are some very simple mixes for garam masala that work really well. Very easy to find the individual spices in a regular supermarket and mix your own.
Hannah says
Ohhh, i made this today and boy was it yummy. The sauce was unbelievably creamy and had so much flavour. I made a few changes here and there but ultimately this recipe is a winner, tastes a bit like the packaged stuff but is much more flavoursome and without the preservatives etc. Thanks and i cant wait to try some of your other recipes 🙂
Marc Matsumoto says
No worries, I figured it was something like that. Weight out 325 grams of rice. Wash the rice until the water runs almost clear. Add the drained rice to a pot with 400 ml of water. Bring it to a boil, then turn down the heat and cover with a lid. Cook for 15 mintues, turn off the heat and let it steam undisturbed for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice and serve.
cvaldonedo says
Hi Marc, so sorry for the misunderstanding, it was not my intentiion, it was a case of laziness of writing the complete word.
Im actually from Panama (central america) if you are ever arroun, let me know.
Now regarding rice, i know wher eto find "sushi rice" is there any particular methos to the cooking of this specific kind of rice or the same as regular white rice aplies?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Carlos, the rice served with japanese food, is a type of short grain rice. It's unique to Japanese and Korean cuisine and is often sold in other countries as "sushi rice". I'm assuming you live in Italy? I don't know of any Japanese markets there, but ask around and you should be able to find some place that carries it. You can also try checking online. Also, I'm sure you meant no offense, but the term "Jap" is a derogatory racial slur where I come from akin to using the "n" word to refer to black people.
cvaldonedo says
Hi I'm a guy that enjoys good food and am a fan of asian food specially jap. In my country there was this one little restorant where the owner was the cook and she was jap/italian mix and she made delicious curry, giozas and katsudon (thees where my favorite plates) for some reason she had to close shop and I havent been able to find any other place that could compare in favor to her cooking.
I have found recepies for the curry and katsudon in your site the sound exactly like what i tasted and even the presentation is similar.
Im not a chef, i will say maybe a beginner cook, but i will risk doing this recipes to see whats what.
I want to say 2 things: 1st Thank you for posting this recipes and 2nd do you hace a recipe for that stiky rice, its kind of a signatre thing in jap dishes and I know the texture will not be the same with regular rice
thanks again
Elaine Bohlz says
I made this with both an Indian blend curry powder I maade at home and regular curry powder. It was so wonderful both ways! My aunt got me hooked on the Indian version of curry about two years ago. I was completely out of coconut milk and anything I could substitute but had some chicken thighs and a craving. I looked for a recipe without coconut milk, but only found ones that substituted cream(we were so poor that week we didn't have that either!) I remember a friend ordering curry at our local Chinese restaurant (support the mom and pop ones, the best we've been to are family run!) There was no way it could have coconut milk in it with the color it had... I decided to try looking for a Japanese recipe first, however, since I keep more Japanese ingredients around. This was the first one I came across. Not only did I luck out enough to have everything I needed for this one except potatoes (we substituted sweet potatoes instead, cutting back on apple to compensate for the sweetness ) it was also very simple looking. Best curry I have ever had. I made it following the recipe closer the second time, with regular Idahos. Still amazing, though I prefer sweet potatoes as well, which is similar to the Thai version a woman sold at a stall in our grocery store, but didn't make it often because it made more than she could sell in the day her stall was open. This is a wonderful and cheap recipe. Thank you so much for sharing!
Marc Matsumoto says
Yep, any potatoes will work, but I like using Yukon Golds or plain ole Russets.
Hannah Faed says
OMG thank you so much for this recipe! We love Japanese curry but haven't made it in years because of the high use of Palm Oil in all brands of the prepackaged flavour blocks. This is on the menu tonight at our house once again, thanks to you.
moonclaw says
I really reallly want to cook this does it matter what kind of potatoes you use?
Marc Matsumoto says
That would be fine. Garam masala is a spice blend that's the Indian equivalent of curry powder (which is a british spice blend). It tends to have a different blend of spices, but curry powder will work.
Des says
If you cannot find garam masala(which I don't know a lot about except that I read that it is spicey) in any of your local grocery stores do you think that using curry powder would work?
louise banton says
im a filipino.. and i like your recipes.. 🙂 and my family likes it too..thanks
Marc Matsumoto says
Ahh, sorry, you'd also need to make the roux in another pot as it gets added in at the end. Here's the link to the caramelized onions recipe: https://norecipes.com/blog/caramelized-onions-recipe/
Allene Lowrey says
Thanks! I was actually more worried about how the roux would work, but it sounds like I shouldn't have been. Guess I'll give it a try soon.
Tried to follow the link you gave just now, but I keep getting a 404 error. I remember seeing that post before, though.