This rich and flavorful Japanese curry sauce is a game-changer for any meal. Perfect with rice, crispy katsu, or veggies, and so easy to make at home!
I break it down step by step, showing you how to make this 5 ingredient curry sauce from scratch with Japanese curry roux.
Filmed with Momoko in Goa, who was so gracious to share her home recipe with us. We have prepared a set of Japanese recipes together with you might find useful.
TL;DR
Japanese curry is a spicy sauce. It is most commonly served with rice and fried chicken katsu in Japan and the people there make it rather frequently.
The dish itself was highly influenced by Indian food, but interestingly the basic spice blend roux follows French food preparation methods.
Japanese people hardly ever prepare the curry roux from scratch, instead they buy it ready-made so that they can whip up this curry sauce in a jiffy.
Ingredient Notes
- Oil — a neutrally flavored oil such as vegetable oil, sunflower oil, canola oil.
- Onion — we use purple/red onions, but you can get white or yellow onions too.
- Water — to build the curry
- Curry Roux — you can prepare curry roux at home or buy curry roux. You get mild, medium hot or hot curry roux in stores. The S&B golden brand is the most popular one in japan because they literally invented the curry roux blend.
- Salt (optional)
- Soy Sauce — Japanese Kikkoman soy sauce is most suitable.
Process Overview
Step 1
Quarter and slice your onion.
Sauté onion in your pan until reduced golden-brown.
Step 2
Keep on a medium-high heat setting and simultaneously pour in water.
Skim off foam if any.
Step 3
Place curry roux powder, or break curry roux cubes into small pieces, into a small bowl with 1-2 Tablespoons water and combine to a smooth paste.
Step 4
Pour the curry paste into the water and whisk it all smooth. The curry will thicken instantly, so control the heat if it's getting too hot.
Reduce the curry to your preferred consistency.
Step 5
Take from the curry from the heat and pour and mix in soy sauce.
Serve your curry sauce hot.
📖 Recipe
Japanese Curry Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Medium Onion
- 1 Tablespoon Oil vegetable, sunflower, or canola oil
- 4 Cups Water to build your curry
- 1 Cup Japanese Curry Roux
- 1 Tablespoon Water to mix into your curry roux
- 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
- Salt optional, taste
Instructions
- Cut onions into quarter and slice them.2 Medium Onion
- Heat your pan with the oil and sauté onions over a medium-high heat setting. Cook down the onions until they are golden brown and somewhat, a bit crisp.1 Tablespoon Oil, 2 Medium Onion
- Pour in your water and bring to a rolling boil. Keep over a medium-high heat setting. The water needs to infuse with the onion flavors, so simmer down for 5 minutes or so. Skim off foam from the surface and discard the foam.4 Cups Water
- In the meanwhile, place the curry roux seasoning into a small bowl, crumble it if it's in cubes, and add the water to that. Mix it all together to a smooth paste.1 Cup Japanese Curry Roux, 1 Tablespoon Water
- Pour the curry roux into the cooking onion water and quickly combine everything well so that no lumps are formed. Reduce the heat a bit if it's bubbling too vigorously.
- Simmer down your curry to the desired consistency. I like it a bit thicker too so that it coats the rice well enough.
- When it looks ready, take from the heat and pour in the soy sauce. Adjust the seasoning with salt if needed. Mix it all well.1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce, Salt
- Serve your curry sauce hot over steamed rice and katsu chicken or vegetables.
Equipment
- Medium Pot with Lid (5 qt) to cook curry sauce
- Wood or Bamboo Spatula to mix
- Stainless Steel Mesh Skimmer or a Tablespoon, to get rid of excess foam
- Small Whisk or Spoon
- Small Bowl to mix in the curry roux with the water
- Silicone Spatula to help pour and clean out the curry roux bowl
Nutrition
Serving
The curry sauce comes handy when you are running late with dinner preparations.
Just cook and mix the sauce as per the recipe instructions and pour it over hot steaming rice. This is known as karē raisu in Japan.
Add to that some steamed or roasted vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, or cauliflower and you have a meal.
I like to add to the vegetarian serving version a boiled egg to make it a complete meal.
Japanese most frequently prepare chicken katsu, which is panko fried chicken thighs, and they cut the fried chicken in slices to serve over the rice with the curry sauce as a base.
The alternative to chicken is pork tonkatsu, which is the same thing, just with deep-fried panko coated pork.
Leftover curry sauce can be added to an udon curry udon noodle soup, but you can get creative by pouring some into your ramen noodle bowl for a special flavor kick.
Storing
This curry sauce can be prepared in advance and stored in batches in the freezer or leftovers can be refrigerated.
In the freezer it's good for 2 months at least, in the fridge for a week or so.
Keep frozen curry sauce overnight in the freezer to thaw or reheat in the microwave or oven gradually before you use it over your food.
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