Japanese Curry

When you’re craving something thick, hearty, and soul-soothing, there’s really nothing better than a Japanese curry. Unlike Thai or Indian curries that are thickened with yogurt or coconut milk, Japanese curry gets its richness from a deep, dark roux.

If you’re unfamiliar, a roux is a binder made from equal parts fat and flour. It’s what makes recipes like bechamel sauce or seafood gumbo SO good, and can be used to improve anything from 3-cheese mac & cheese to chicken cordon bleu. We’ve got lots of extra tips for how to make roux, but our main one is: don’t turn your back on it, or it WILL burn. If all this sounds too intimidating (or you’re looking for a super quick weeknight dinner), try a store-bought curry bouillon instead. S&B Golden Curry makes a good one (in varying levels of spice)—if you do go that route, use 5 cubes of curry bouillon in place of the roux here.

No judgment from us if you skip making your own roux, but there are a few ingredients we think are important to take the extra time for. Caramelizing onions might seem like an unnecessary addition to a curry, but trust us, the added flavor (and only an additional 5-10 hands-on minutes) is worth the effort. Ditto the grated apple—it helps offset the spice level of the recipe, and adds an unexpected sweetness you’ll love.

You’re going to want to serve this with something that can sop up the delicious sauce—try it over white or brown rice, udon noodles, or with thick slices from a hearty bread. Any of our katsu recipes—tofu katsu, Southern-fried catfish katsu, or chicken katsu—would also be nice served atop this curry.

Made this? Let us know how it came out in the comments below!