When we went to Japan over the summer, one of my favorite meals was Japanese curry. I’d never had (or even heard of) Japanese curry before this trip and oh. my. goodness, was it YUMMY! One of the things I loved about Japan was the wide variety of traditional foods we got to try. I thought we’d be sick of sushi by the end of the week, but that could not have been further from the truth.
Here’s what it looked like…
So I set out to make a homemade version of this yummy dish with more veggies and less deep frying. I tried it all different ways and even consulted our cooking teacher from when we were there (via email—thanks Keiko!). Here’s the final version I came up with… very similar to what we remember! I did use chicken stock when testing, but I think subbing beef stock would make the sauce even darker in color like the original. I love how this comes together quickly enough to be a one-dish weeknight dinner. Enjoy. :)
Homemade Japanese Curry
Ingredients
For the meat and veggies
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 onion, minced
- 6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into small dice
- 1 Yukon Gold potato, cut into small dice (no need to peel)
- 1 1/3 pounds pork tenderloin or boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1" cubes
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
For the sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 cups chicken broth, or beef
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- salt, to taste
For serving
- brown rice, cooked
Instructions
To make the meat and veggies
-
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrots, and potato while stirring until the onions begin to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
-
Season the pork with salt and pepper to taste and then add to the pan along with the garlic and ginger. Cook while stirring until the meat is cooked all the way through (no longer pink in the middle) and the veggies are soft when pierced with a fork, 5 to 10 minutes.
To make the sauce
-
In a medium saute pan, melt the butter over low heat. Whisk in the flour and continually stir until the mixture darkens in color but does not burn, 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the spices until well combined.
-
Pour in the broth/stock and whisk vigorously until the sauce comes together. Turn the heat up to medium and lightly simmer while whisking occasionally until the sauce thickens to the consistency of a gravy.
-
Whisk in the soy sauce and simmer for another couple minutes to regain the thick consistency. If needed, salt to taste.
To serve
-
Evenly distribute the brown rice in bowls (or on plates), spoon a serving of the meat and veggie mixture next to it, pour the sauce over top, and serve warm.
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
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What can Be substituted for the whole wheat flour.
I’m allergic to wheat products
I was taught by a Japanese friend to make a curry just like this (full of veggies) when I lived in Japan 30 years ago. We used potato starch or cornstarch when making the curry sauce.
Corn starch or arrowroot powder
I use arrowroot powder to thicken sauces and it’s gluten free. Just mix with water and form a paste and stir in at the end rather than at the beginning. Sauce should be simmering when you add the mixture and it will thicken very quickly.
Tried it very delicious!
Corn starch or arrowroot powder
This looks delicious. Japanese curries get forgotten too often, they are such a unique flavour! Interesting that they often use the crispy chicken as well, I don’t know any other cuisines that do that with curries.
It is very delicious!
It is spicy, sweet and delicious .
Hey there Lisa!
Try some Bangladeshi and Indian Cuisine also. Sure you will love them! :D
I made this for dinner this week using chicken thighs and added some raw broccoli to the carrots, onions, and potatoes. It is a delicious dinner and also reheats beautifully as well.
What are your best suggestions for a single person doing this. I freeze portions, etc but cooking so much for one can get old.