What's Japanese Curry?

Curry is a popular dish in Japan, and it is even prepared at home quite frequently. Japanese often add vegetables (including carrots, potatoes, and onions) and meat to the thick, rich curry sauces they prepare.

In Japan, it is common to start with curry roux when preparing curry at home. Roux is made by slowly cooking a mixture of flour, oil, seasonings, spices, and other ingredients until it is reduced (concentrated by cooking off most of the moisture). It is then formed into blocks for use in making curry. The use of curry roux makes it possible to easily prepare a perfect pot of Japanese curry every time.

Note: Roux is a French word for flour and fat, butter, or oil that is sautéed together to make a paste used to thicken sauces, soups, and other dishes.

The roots of Japanese curry can be found in masala, an Indian spice blend. During the colonial period in India, the British brought this spice blend back home, where it eventually became curry powder. This then made its way to Japan in the first half of the 19th century, and Japanese curry was born.