Japanese Curry Rice (Kare Raisu with Boxed or Homemade Roux)
カレーライス
https://japanese-kitchen-brothers.com/pages/recipe-japanese-curry-rice-kare-raisu-with-boxed-or-homemade-roux
A thick, mild curry over rice. Use boxed roux, or toast your own from butter and flour.
👨🍳"My mom made a huge pot every Sunday. Monday lunch was even better."
Ingredients
Serves 4Curry Base
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400 g (~14 oz)cut into 3 cm chunks
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Sweet Yellow onions2sliced thin
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Color Carrot1 (~150 g)cut into 3 cm chunks
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2 (~300 g)cut into 3 cm chunks
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Neutral oil1 tbsp
Local Sauce
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Water700 ml (3 cups)
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100 g (about half a box)mild or medium
Authentic Sauce
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Umami Low-sodium chicken broth700 ml (3 cups)
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Sweet Apple1/2peeled and grated
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Fat Unsalted butter40 g (3 tbsp)
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All-purpose flour40 g (1/3 cup)
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Spicy Curry powder2 tbspJapanese style if you can find it
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Umami Soy sauce1 tbsp
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Sour Ketchup1 tbsp
To Serve
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4 servings (~800 g)
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Color Fukujinzuke pickles optionalto tastesweet soy pickles
Taste & Texture Profile
The boxed roux tastes sweeter and smoother. The homemade roux has brighter spice and a fruity edge.
Taste Profile
Texture Profile
Sensory Notes
Mild curry spice with a sweet, buttery smell from the roux.
A slow blup, blup as the thick sauce bubbles.
Deep, even brown with a soft shine.
Best very hot over warm rice. It thickens as it cools.
Toasted flour and butter, then cumin and coriander from the curry powder.
The roux hisses and sizzles when the hot broth hits it.
Reddish brown and a little less glossy than boxed roux.
Warm, not boiling, lets the spice aroma come through best.
Instructions
Cut the chicken, carrot, and potatoes into 3 cm chunks. Slice the onions thin.
Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the onions for 10 minutes. Stop when the edges turn light brown.
💡 Ten minutes turns sharp onions sweet
Raw onions taste sharp from sulfur compounds. Heat breaks them down in about 10 minutes. Then the natural sugar comes forward. The light brown edges add a toasty base note.
Can I skip this and just boil everything?
You can. But the curry will taste thin.
So the onions build the body first.
Add the chicken and cook until the outside turns white. Add the carrot, potatoes, and 700 ml water. Boil, skim the foam, then simmer 15 minutes with the lid ajar.
Add the chicken and cook until the outside turns white. Add the carrot, potatoes, broth, and grated apple. Boil, skim the foam, then simmer 15 minutes.
In a small pan, melt the butter on low heat. Stir in the flour. Keep stirring for about 8 minutes until light brown. Add the curry powder for the last minute.
💡 How butter and flour thicken the pot
Butter coats each bit of flour. So the flour spreads out and does not clump. In hot liquid, the starch swells and thickens it. Cook it past 8 minutes, and it thickens less.
Low heat. Never walk away from a roux.
What happens if it gets dark brown?
More flavor, but a thinner curry. Stop at peanut butter color.
Turn off the heat. Break the roux blocks into the pot. Stir until they melt with no lumps.
💡 Why the heat goes off before the roux
A roux block is flour, fat, and spice. In boiling liquid, its outside thickens too fast. That skin traps dry powder inside as lumps. Off the heat, the block melts in about 2 minutes.
The box says to turn off the heat. Is that important?
Very. Boiling liquid makes lumps.
Melt first, then heat again. Got it.
Ladle about 1 cup of hot liquid into the roux pan. Whisk until smooth. Pour it back into the pot. Add the soy sauce and ketchup.
Simmer on low for 10 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pot often. Taste, and add salt if needed.
💡 Why curry tastes better the next day
As curry cools, the starch keeps setting. The sauce gets thicker and rounder overnight. Warm pots can also grow bacteria. Cool it fast and chill it within 2 hours.
Can I leave the pot on the stove overnight?
No. Split it into small boxes and chill it.
Better tomorrow, and safe too.
Spoon rice onto one side of each plate. Pour the curry beside it. Add pickles on the side if you like.
FAQ
Why is my curry thin and runny?
There may be too much water for the roux. Simmer 5 more minutes on low. It also thickens as it cools.
Can I use beef or pork instead of chicken?
Yes. Use the same weight of stew beef or pork shoulder. Simmer it 20 minutes longer until tender.
Is Japanese curry spicy?
Most home curry is mild and a little sweet. Boxed roux comes in mild, medium, and hot. Kids usually love the mild one.
How long does leftover curry keep?
Keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat until it bubbles all the way through. Freeze it without the potatoes for longer.
Can I make Japanese curry gluten-free?
Boxed roux contains wheat. For the homemade roux, use rice flour instead. Check that your curry powder is wheat-free too.
