Japanese curry (aka kare) is one of my favourite Japanese dishes and the star of the recipe is the curry sauce or gravy. You can buy premade curry roux, a block that melts into the curry, or you can make your own roux with a store bought curry powder and it’s also super easy to make your curry powder! Japanese curry powder is a simple blend of spices inspired by Indian style curries and modified for the Japanese palate. One of my favourite store bought curry powders is the s&b oriental curry powder and this recipe is based on the ingredients in it. There are a lot of spices in this blend but it’s as easy to make as mixing them. You can use pre-ground spices or you can grind the ingredients yourself in a spice grinder. I often have coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, cinnamon, and star anise in whole form and I like to lightly toast them in a pan, to bring out even more of their flavours and aromas, before grinding them into powder. I like to make a large batch of this Japanese curry powder and keep any leftovers in a sealed jar for quick use whenever I get a craving for Japanese curry!
Homemade vs store bought:
Japanese Curry Powder
A warm and aromatic Japanese style curry powder that’s easy to make.
ingredients
- 2 tablespoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
- 1 teaspoon ground orange peel
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground fennel
- 1 teaspoon ground star anise
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
directions
- Mix everything well, optionally grinding any whole ingredients.
Tip: Lightly toast any whole form of ingredients, such as cumin seeds, fennel seeds, coriander, etc. before grinding them.
Option: Make curry roux cubes by lightly browning 1/2 cup butter, mixing in 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup curry powder and simmering, whisking, until the it turns a nice golden brown and smells nutty, about 2-3 minutes, before pouring into a bowl to cool and solidify. Store in the fridge or freezer until ready to use.
Option: For a spicier/hotter curry, add more cayenne.
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