Japanese Curry with Rice: Easy and Delicious!
Japanese Curry is a rich, savory stew filled with slightly sweet, spicy, and umami flavors. It’s a staple in Japan, and it’s so easy to make with the curry roux mix that’s available in many grocery stores now. You can make it with any type of meat (chicken, beef, pork, or seafood), although chicken and beef seem to be the most popular variations. The standard vegetables tend to be onions, carrots, and potatoes, but you can choose to add any vegetables you like. Follow along as I show you how easy and delicious Japanese Curry with Rice can be!
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Many grocery stores in the US now carry at least one version of the boxed curry roux. If not, check the Asian markets in your area, or you can buy it online. I’ve tried both Golden Curry and Vermont Curry brands. The spice level ranges from mild, to medium, to hot. I don’t like many spicy foods, and I don’t find the medium version to be too spicy for me. Here’s a tip: If you can’t find boxed Japanese Curry roux, or if you want to try making it yourself, here’s a terrific recipe: Japanese Curry Roux (I love this blog for Japanese recipes, definitely browse through her site when you have a chance!)
The curry roux is pressed into bricks. These are broken up and placed into the simmering stew to provide the rich, delicious, complex flavors and thickness. And it’s so convenient to keep on hand in your pantry when the craving strikes. All you need is common ingredients you most likely have on hand, and in 30 minutes or so you have a filling meal your whole family will love!
Ingredients for Japanese Curry
- Curry roux mix
- Your choice of meat: chicken, beef, pork, or seafood
- Broth: Use chicken broth with chicken and beef broth with beef
- Onions
- Carrots
- Potatoes: You can use small potatoes with the peel on, or peel and chop larger potatoes
- Rice
Optional Ingredients
- Apples: You can add peeled and chopped or shredded apples for a hint of sweetness
- Vegetables: While not the most common way to make Japanese Curry, you can always add vegetables such as peas, broccoli, mushrooms, green beans, bell pepper, celery, the list goes on!
- Sauces and Seasonings: There are many things you can add to the curry according to your tastes. Soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, red wine, chili powder, chili sauce, honey, sugar… However, keep in mind that the curry roux mix is already heavily seasoned, so you won’t want to go overboard with the extra seasonings. Go slow, a little at a time, and taste it.
How To Prepare Japanese Curry with Rice
Follow these steps to prepare easy and delicious Japanese Curry:
Step 1: Saute the onions.
In a medium high dutch oven, saute the onions (and bell peppers or celery if using) until soft and fragrant. The longer you saute the onions, the more flavor you will bring to the dish. If you have time, try caramelizing the onions a bit. This will add a rich and savory sweetness to the stew.
Step 2: Add the other vegetables.
Once the onions are cooked to your liking, add the carrots and potatoes. You can also add the other vegetables here. You’re just going to briefly saute them together for about 5-10 minutes to bring out their flavors a little.
Step 3: Cook the meat.
Here I’m using ground beef, so I simply pushed the vegetables aside and added it to the pot. If you’re using any beef other than ground, or if you’re using chicken or pork, you’ll want to saute the meat separately and add it to the vegetables at this step.
Step 4: Add optional ingredients and some of the roux.
Here is where I add shredded apple if I’m using it. You can add other vegetables here or sauces and seasonings as well. I also add one or two blocks of the curry roux here as well. This way, it can start to dissolve and will flavor the meat and vegetables as it’s cooking.
Step 5: Add the broth and simmer.
Now it’s time to add your broth of choice. If using beef, add beef broth. For chicken use chicken broth. If I were going to use pork or seafood, I’d most likely use vegetable broth. You can also choose to use water since that’s what the recipe on the box calls for. However, I prefer to use broth for more flavor.
Step 6: Add the remaining curry roux bricks.
Once the curry has simmered enough to cook all the vegetables (about 15 minutes), go ahead and add the remaining curry bricks. Let them dissolve and simmer for about 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. You’ll love seeing how thick and rich the stew becomes during this step.
Enjoy your Japanese Curry!
Once the stew is ready, serve it up over rice and enjoy! You can also serve it over your favorite type of pasta as well. For variety and crunch, try adding crunchy chow mein noodles, or chopped peanuts or cashews on top. Like most soups and stews, Japanese Curry always tastes better the second day, so plan to make enough to have leftovers!
I hope this post helps you learn how easy and delicious Japanese Curry can be! If you’ve never tried it, please do and let me know how it went. Do you love Japanese Curry? Please share any tips or tricks in the comments below.
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Easy and Delicious Japanese Curry
Ingredients
- 1 box Japanese Curry roux mix 8.11 oz
- 1 pound Meat of choice Chicken, beef, pork or seafood
- 1 onion, large diced
- 1 pound potatoes chopped
- 1-3 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 tbsp oil
- 6 cups broth of choice may use water (use 5 1/2 c if covering pot)
Optional Ingredients
- 1-2 apples peeled and shredded
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 1/2 cup Vegetables of choice: peas, mushrooms, green beans, broccoli, etc
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Heat a dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add oil until heated.
- Add onions and bell pepper if using. Saute until onions are soft. For more flavor, saute longer until onions start to caramelize.
- Add remaining vegetables and saute for about 5-10 minutes.
- Add ground beef if using and brown. If using chicken, pork, or seafood, separate pan and add to pot when ready. Drain any excess fat that forms.
- Add shredded apple if using and 1-2 curry bricks. Allow to dissolve while stirring.
- Add broth, bring to boil, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Add remaining curry bricks. Stir until dissolved.
- Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until curry is thickened.
- Serve over rice.
Notes
- If using any of the optional ingredients, such as the sauces, be sure to go slowly and add one at a time to taste. The sauce is very flavorful on its own.
- If adding other vegetables, add them at the same step as the shredded apples. Be sure they’re chopped small enough to cook in the same time as the carrots and potatoes.
- You can serve the curry over rice or pasta, although rice is most traditional.