I was raised with golden curry.
Japanese curry is the staple comfort food, easy and delicious, the Japanese enjoy curry on rice almost once or twice per month.
The feature of Japanese curry is different color, texture, and flavor compared with South East Asian curry dishes.
It’s probably similar to butter chicken, but, it’s not the same.
Japanese curry is an almost thick brown sauce thickened with wheat flour and packed with a complex Umami and spicy flavor, and commonly, it is served on rice which is called “Curry Rice”.
- What’s Japanese Curry Mix
- Popular Ingredients Of Japanese Curry
- Rice
- A Variety Of Secret Ingredients
- Is Japanese Curry Healthy?
- Golden Curry Recipe With Frozen Seafood Mix
- Easy Tasty Japanese Seafood Curry: Golden Curry Recipe With Frozen Seafood Mix
- How Long Can Homemade Japanese Curry Be Stored?
- Side Dish Ideas
What’s Japanese Curry Mix
Curry rice became the staple food for a long, and as you can imagine, it is introduced to Japan through England, around 1859. The curry dish filled with various veggies made from curry powder at the time has been used to improve students’ health in school, and it became a popular lunch menu.
Around 1950, curry mix cubes called curry roux in Japan began to be manufactured by a major spice company so that anyone can easily make curry rice with simple steps.
Today, a wide variety of Japanese curry roux products are available in Japan, from the staple comfort flavor to the restaurant-grade, as well as, Indian and Thai flavors.
Most popular products that you can find easily in Japanese grocery stores,
・Golden Curry (S&B)
・Kokumaro curry (house food)
・Vermont Curry (house food)
・Dinner curry (S&B SB Foods Co., Ltd.)
・Java curry (house food)
・Premium Juku Curry (Glico)
Also, you can choose the spicy level on each product, thus, curry rice became the staple comfort food since everyone can make it to their liking.
Each product has cooking instructions on its package and they are very similar.
Generally, Japanese curry rice follows these steps.
- Saute vegetables and protein.
- Add water and stew them.
- Turn off the heat, and add curry mix cubes.
- Simmer the curry roux until it gets thicker.
Why Do I Like Golden Curry
Not only my mom simply has been made golden curry since I was a kid but is also tasty.
Roasted 35 spices provide a rich spicy flavor with a savory aroma that you can’t find in other products.
Medium-hot is not so spicy, it’s suitable for the family dinner.
The combination of Garam Masala is the best with golden curry.
Golden curry has a more rich aroma and flavor of various spices, contrary, Kokumaro curry has a rich deep round flavor.
We often mix golden curry and Kokumaro curry when we want a special curry dinner.
By the way, Vermont Curry is sweet and fruity, which is perfect for children or those who don’t like spicy food.
On the other hand, Jave curry is the spiciest of those products listed above and has a rich garlic and onion flavor.
What’s Japanese Curry Powder
By the way, Japanese curry powder (such as S&B curry powder) also has a different flavor from the regular curry powder that you see on a spice rack at your local grocery store.
Japanese curry powder is the powder type of curry mix so that you can make Japanese curry using it.
Also, it doesn’t contain gluten.
Therefore, use this curry powder if you have concerns about gluten contains.
With the hint of the original British curry powder, the first Japanese curry powder was produced by S&B. Today in Japan, curry powder is made of roasted blended a variety of spices (20-30 kinds) for the Japanese taste such as turmeric, coriander, cumin, and chili pepper.
Not only make curry rice with it, but you can also add the curry powder as the finish to the curry made of the curry mix, or use it as a seasoning for stir-fry, deep-fry, and salad dressing.
Add Garam Masala For Spicy Japanese Curry
If you like spicy curry, it is good to get a Japanese “Hot” curry mix.
In fact, I recommend using “mid-hot” curry mix cubs and adjusting the spicy level with Garam Masala.
In this way, Garam Masala can keep the complex umami flavor while adding exotic hot spicy flavor.
Besides, this way is suitable to enjoy curry dinner with your family together.
Just sprinkle Garam Masala into the mild curry on your plate.
Popular Ingredients Of Japanese Curry
The very common curry rice ingredients are potatoes, carrots, onions, and meat (beef, pork, and chicken).
The Japanese can find out what’s dinner tonight when we see these ingredients on the kitchen counter.
Besides, you can use any seasonal vegetables for the Japanese curry such as…
- Okura
- Celery
- Eggplant
- Zucchini
- Radish
- Japanese kabocha squash
- Turnips
- Tomato
- Bell peppers
- Spinach
- Kale
- Peas & Beans
- etc…
Rice
Needless to say, we use Japanese short-grain rice for Japanese curry.
However, there is no rule like you have to use it.
It is OK whatever is available to you.
Sometimes, the flavored rice is served with Japanese curries such as butter rice or turmeric rice.
A Variety Of Secret Ingredients
Japanese cooking doesn’t stop exploring the deep rich Umami taste in any dishes.
No exception for the curry rice.
Although we use umami packaged curry mix cubes, we add somehow secret ingredients to the curry.
Strangely enough, these ingredients help to combine flavors while enhancing the curry taste.
- Instant coffee
- Dark chocolate
- Milk/ coconut milk
- Soy sauce
- Japanese Worcester sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Miso paste
- Japanese bbq sauce
- Tomato ketchup
- Mirin
- Condensed milk
- Fruit Jam
- S&B Curry powder
You don’t need to add tons of them, just add a tablespoon of one of the secret ingredients.
Personally, I always add instant coffee or dark chocolate.
Is Japanese Curry Healthy?
Relatively, Japanese curry is not considered healthy, I mean, low-calories, low-carb, food.
Although Japanese curry mix is made of various spices, it contains wheat flour, fats, starches, and sodium.
Moreover, the sticky rice is served with Japanese curry and they are so good.
It varies depending on the amount of rice, the type of ingredients, and the amount of curry roux, one serving of Japanese curry rice is considered to have around 600 to 900 kcal.
It’s easy to have unlimited rice with savory curry. Even just being careful not to eat too much rice can significantly change the total calories.
You may need to change the rice to cauliflower rice/ tofu.
Choose lean meat or seafood as protein, wait for adding potatoes. Add low-calorie and high-fiber veggies such as celery and mushrooms.
Also, cut ingredients into large chunks to satisfy your appetite visually and physically.
Japanese curry is also popular with its toppings such as pork cutlet, ebi-fry, Karaage chicken, potato crocket, Yakiniku beef…
Well, it’s better to keep away these addictive toppings until your special occasion.
Golden Curry Recipe With Frozen Seafood Mix
Well, there are many Japanese curry recipes today and moreover, there is the instruction on packages.
So, I introduce easy seafood curry with golden curry.
I use frozen seafood mix, of course, you can use fresh seafood.
When using fresh seafood, saute them with white wine and set them aside.
Cook onions and other ingredients in another saucepan and make curry roux, then add sauteed seafood as a finish.
Thaw packaged frozen seafood mix in cold salted water to reduce fishy flavor and enhance the original tasty flavor.
It’ll be sauteed with white wine so you don’t need to wait until it is completely thawed.
In this recipe, I don’t use many veggies, but, you can add your choice of veggies if desired.
(Adding tomato is one of the recommendations for seafood curry.)
Easy Tasty Japanese Seafood Curry: Golden Curry Recipe With Frozen Seafood Mix
Ingredients
- 10.6 oz seafood mix
- 1 TSP salt *for thawing frozen seafood mix
- 1 quart water *for thawing frozen seafood mix
- 2 tbsp white wine
- salt & pepper to taste
- 3.2 oz Golden curry *½ package of 7.8-Ounce golden curry
- 2 or more cup water
- 1 onion, minced, sliced, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 0.4 oz dark chocolate
- chili peppers *optional
- 2 cups cooked rice *I use cauliflower rice on the image
Instructions
- Thaw Frozen Seafood Mix: In a bowl, add 1 quart of water and 1 TSP of salt. Combine well until the salt is dissolved.Soak frozen seafood mix in the salt water until they are half-thawed. Rinse lightly, and drain.
- Add vegetable oil and sliced onion in a saucepan over medium heat. Add a pinch of salt and saute the onions until tender.
- Add minced garlic and chili peppers (optionally), and continue sauteing, over medium/ medium-low heat, until the onion turns to light brown.
- Add the seafood mix and turn the heat up to medium-high heat. Add white wine, salt & pepper to taste, and saute for about 3 minutes. It doesn't need to be fully cooked.
- Add water, and place a lid on, bring the water to a boil over medium heat.
- Turn the stove off. Add the golden curry mix and place the lid on. Allow the mix to melt, about for 10 minutes.
- Turn the heat to medium heat. Stir the mix to combine the soup. Add dark chocolate and stir constantly since the curry roux easily burns on the bottom, about for 5-10 minutes. Although the curry roux looks soupy in the beginning, it'll be condensed and thicker, so don't be rash to add additional water.
- Adjust the consistency of the curry roux to your liking while adding water.
- Meanwhile, prepare the rice in a bowl or a plate.
- Pour the curry roux on the rice, serve and enjoy.
Video
Notes
How Long Can Homemade Japanese Curry Be Stored?
Homemade Japanese curry will be stored in a fridge for 3-4 days.
Especially, in the summertime and contains potatoes, it’s better to consume in 1-2 days.
Heat the curry up every day even if it is refrigerated.
Homemade curry can be stored in a freezer.
Remove potatoes, carrots, or eggplants, or mash those veggies before freezing.
Consume the curry within a month.
