I absolutely love this recipe because it somehow satisfies my nostalgia for the hearty beef stew I had camping out with my dad as a kid while also satisfying Chi Chi’s craving for authentic Japanese curry rice. Japanese curry rice was one of the first recipes I learned how to make when I was first dating Chi Chi. Back then, I was new to Japanese food, and curry and rice was a bridge of comfort for both of us.

Japanese curry rice is a savory veggie stew

You might be asking yourself what is Japanese curry rice? It reminds me of the beef stew that I ate growing up. Japanese curry has the same kind of hearty gravy that classic beef stew has, only with a spicy curry kick to it. I think it’s actually safe to say that Japanese curry is a stew, which makes it a perfect fall or winter meal. You can find all of the ingredients for my curry roux, including the Oriental Curry Powder and Katakuriko Potato Starch from an Asian grocer or online.

Gluten free curry roux can be made with Japanese potato starch

My recipe for curry rice has adapted and changed over the years to be gluten free for those who which to avoid gluten and can be made vegan or with meat. Making the curry roux from scratch results in an authentic Japanese curry that can compete with the best curry restaurants out there.

Japanese curry made from scratch is packed with nutrition

Japanese curry rice is absolutely the best thing for a cold weekend afternoon. It warms the belly and is packed with nutritious and healthy ingredients. I pack my curry rice with tons of veggies as well. You can also experiment with different types of veggies to add to this curry. The Japanese curry veggies that I like to use include potato, carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato, eggplant, corn, peas, and mushrooms. The most common, and I would say essential, veggies to include are potato and carrot. This recipe calls for potato and carrot to make it simple and easy.

Serve Japanese curry over Japanese style short grain rice

Japanese curry served over Japanese short grain rice. I highly recommend cooking your short grain rice in a rice cooker for the most authentic taste. Japanese people take their rice very seriously. Rice, as it is in many cultures, is the foundation of Japanese cuisine. Indeed, the word for rice in Japanese is “gohan” which also means “food”. At our house you will often hear Chi Chi call out to the kids when lunch is ready: Gohan! Gohan! To which, you hear the pitter patter of their feet hitting the floor and running over to the table.

Caramelized onion makes vegan curry rice pop!

When we make Japanese curry rice vegan style, it’s important to add layers of flavor. One of best ways to do that is to add caramelized onion. This recipe calls for 2 yellow onions, which sounds like a lot (and it is), but when the onion is slowly caramelized it adds a sweetness to the curry rice that is absolutely delicious. In addition, adding some tomato paste and gluten free tamari just brings in a bit more umami flavor. Love vegan stews and soup? Try my Creamy Vegan Broccoli Soup with Miso. I use the same method of caramelized onions to create umami flavor.

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Homemade Japanese Curry Rice With Gluten Free Curry Roux

Recipe by BeckiCourse: Dinner, Weekend Meal, LunchCuisine: Japanese

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• 4 cups rice cooker short grain white rice

• 2 cups chopped onion

• 3 tbsp grapeseed oil

• 2 large potatoes, peeled and quartered

• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped

• 1/2 c ground chicken (optional)

• 6 1/2 cups water

• 2 tbsp gluten free Tamari

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

• Gluten Free Curry Roux

• 3 tbsp grapeseed oil

• 2 tbsp Oriental Curry Powder

• 1/3 Cup Katakuriko Potato Starch or corn starch

• 1 cup stock from Step 5

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

Directions

• Cook rice in rice cooker (or on stove according to package instructions).
• Heat oil in large sauce pot. Add onion and sauté, stirring frequently until onion browns and caramelizes. Be careful not to burn the onion.
• Add ground chicken to pot and stir frequently until fully cooked.
• Add water and bring pot to boil. Reduce heat and simmer veggies until cooked through (about 15 minutes).
• Add carrots, potatoes and any other additional veggies you desire along with the Tamari and sesame oil. Sauté veggies for 3 minutes.
• Make the curry roux while the veggies are cooking. To make the curry roux, heat a separate sauté pan over medium heat, then add 3 tbsp grapeseed oil. Once oil is hot (you will know its hot enough when it runs quickly from side to side of the pan). Reduce stove to low heat. Add curry powder, starch and tomato paste. Whisk curry mixture vigorously to create a paste and avoid allowing potato starch to lump. If it does lump see note below for a quick fix. Ladle one cup of stock from the simmering veggies (see step 5) and add to curry mixture. Whisk all ingredients until smooth and thick.
• Add curry roux to pot of veggies and mix together.
• Serve curry over white rice.

Recipe Video

Notes

• If your curry roux comes out lumpy, add the rest of the water from the simmered veggies and then put the mixture in the blender to smooth out before adding it to the pot in step 7.