Japanese Curry Rice without store-bought roux
Pork belly curry rice made from scratch with green pepper and blended in Japanese radish
Who would have thought that my most popular TikTok recipe would be homemade Japanese curry rice? This comforting dish, usually made with store-bought roux, is actually easy to make from scratch! Here’s how to create a Japanese curry rice with deep, rich flavors—without relying on pre-made blocks.
What Is Japanese Curry, Really?
Japanese curry rice (kare raisu, カレーライス) is one of Japan's most beloved comfort foods. The dish is considered Yōshoku (洋食) or a Western-style dish in Japan. It's a curry powder-flavoured variety of European or British stew served over white rice. Most people make it using store-bought curry roux blocks. Still, it can be made without one, using curry powder and a basic roux-based stew-making method.
Curry Powder Is Less Indian Than You Think
It's true that the spices found in curry powder—like turmeric, coriander, and cumin—are commonly used in Indian cuisine. But the pre-mixed blend known as 'curry powder' itself? That was a British invention created to cater to the British market at the time as a convenient way to replicate Indian flavors. Curry powder, as a standardized blend, is not traditionally used in Indian cuisine. Indian cooking relies on various spice blends, like garam masala, sambar powder, and panch phoron, which are mixed fresh depending on the dish. These days, pre-mixed Indian spice blends are also readily available in the markets.
The key differences between Indian spice blends like garam masala and curry powder:
Curry powder contains more turmeric and coriander, giving it a milder, earthier flavor. It also has far less chili or other intense spices.
Garam masala is usually added at the end of cooking, whereas curry powder is often used earlier in the process.
British-style curries (including Japanese curry) often rely on mirepoix—a base of celery, carrots, and onions—while Indian curries lean more on garlic and/or ginger and other aromatics to define different varieties.
The thickening method also differs: Japanese and British curries use a roux (flour and fat), whereas many Indian curries rely on vegetables or beans cooked down into a thick sauce.
What Counts as "Curry" Anyway?
In most countries today, curry refers to dishes with curry powder flavor profiles. But in many places where spice-based stews have long existed, people don't even use the word curry to describe their spice-based dishes.
For example:
In India, people don't call their curries 'curry'—each dish has its own name, with terms that refer to how it was made, region, or consistency, such as dal, korma, saag, vindaloo, etc.
In Thailand, dishes like red curry (Gaeng Phed), green curry (Gaeng Keow Wan), and yellow curry (Gaeng Luang)—basically all dishes that are called 'curry' in English—don't use curry powder and have entirely different flavor profiles. And no, we do not consider them 'curry'.
I realized how confusing this could be when I took a Korean classmate to a Thai restaurant in Tokyo. She ordered Panaeng curry, and after one bite, she said, "This doesn't taste like curry at all!" That was when I had to explain to her that we don't actually call these dishes curry in Thailand—they were just labeled that way in Japanese because of English translations.
This might not be as confusing for English speakers since they've likely encountered many different types of "curry" beyond just the British-style version. However, in places where curry primarily refers to dishes made with curry powder, there can be a lot of misunderstanding.
Spice Curry: A New Trend in Japan
Recently, a new style of curry has emerged in Japan called "spice curry" (スパイスカレー). Unlike traditional Japanese curry, which relies on a roux, spice curry is made by layering whole and ground spices to resemble more Indian curries, resulting in a lighter, more aromatic dish.
My recipe sits somewhere between traditional Japanese and spice curry recipes. While I don't make my spice mix entirely from scratch, I build on store-bought curry powder by adding spices and adjusting them based on the protein I'm using. This gives it a richer flavor depth than standard Japanese curry but still retains the thick, stew-like consistency that makes curry rice so satisfying.
How to Make Japanese Curry From Scratch
Before we dive into the step-by-step process, here's a quick overview of what we're doing:
Cook the protein
Prepare the mirepoix and vegetables
Make the roux
Combine everything into a thick, rich sauce
It might look like a long recipe, but at the end of the day, it's just another type of stew!
Why Make Japanese Curry From Scratch?
While store-bought curry roux is convenient, making it from scratch allows you to control the ingredients, adjust the spice level, and avoid additives like palm oil or dairy. Plus, you can customize the flavor profile to suit your taste!
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
Pork belly (or protein of choice) – 1kg
Japanese radish (optional)
Celery – 1 stalk
Carrot – 1
Onion – 1
Ginger – 2-inch piece
Garlic – 3-4 cloves
Tomatoes – 3
Seasonings & Condiments
Salt & pepper (to taste)
Worcestershire sauce – 4 tbsp
Tomato paste (optional) – 2 tsp
Fond de veau (or any stock of choice)
Roux Ingredients
Flour
Neutral oil
Spices
Japabese curry powder – 3 tbsp
If you cannot find Japanese curry powder (I’m using GABAN; other brands are S&B or House), based on GABAN’s website, the curry powder consists of the following:
Main base spices: Turmeric, coriander, cumin, and black pepper.
Flavoring spices: Ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, tangerine peel
Heat source: Chili pepper
Coriander – 1 tbsp
Cumin – 1 tbsp
Gochugaru (Korean chili powder) – ½ tbsp
Habanero chili powder – 1 tsp
Thai chili flakes – 1 tbsp
Step-by-Step Instructions
A. Cook the Protein
Cut pork belly into 1.5- 2-inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper.
Sear all sides in a sauté pan.
Deglaze the pan with water and save the liquid.
Simmer the pork at 60-85°C (140-185°F) for 40 minutes. (Add the meat when the water is still cold, once it's simmering, times 40 minutes or more)
You can also use a slow cooker, pressure cooker, or sous vide.
In the video, I used grated Japanese radish (daikon) mixed with water to cook the meat. This is optional. I only did it because I had so many, and since daikon is a natural meat tenderizer, I wondered if it would make any difference. It did make the pork sweeter, but as a tenderizer, marinating with it would make a better result than cooking with it.
B. Prepare the Mirepoix & Vegetables
Finely dice celery and carrots (keep these together).
Finely dice onions (keep this separate).
Finely dice garlic and ginger (keep these separate as well).
Blanch tomatoes for 15-20 seconds, peel, and roughly chop.
Caramelize the onions and set aside.
Fry ginger and garlic until golden, then set aside.
C. Make the Roux
Fry wheat flour with neutral oil in a thick-bottomed pot over medium heat.
Once it darkens, lower the heat and stir constantly until a dark roux forms (like a copper penny).
D. Assemble the Curry
Continue from Step C (Making the Roux)
First, add the fried garlic and ginger to the roux in the pot, followed by the chopped celery and carrot.
Add a small pinch of salt and sauté over medium heat, sweating the vegetables (soften them without browning) to release their sweetness.
Prepare and Add the Spices
While the vegetables are cooking, measure out your spice mix.
Once the vegetables have softened and the celery has turned slightly translucent, add back the caramelized onions.
Stir in the spices from the previous step, mixing thoroughly until everything forms a fragrant, thick paste.
Incorporate the Liquid & Simmer
Add the reserved pork cooking liquid from Step A.
Add additional liquid as needed—for 1kg of meat, you'll need about 600 ml of total liquid.
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
Add the Pork Back to the Pot
Return the pork belly to the sauce, allowing it to soak in the flavors.
Let it simmer for 12-15 minutes, ensuring the meat is fully coated in the thickened sauce.
Blend the Sauce
Remove the pork and set it aside.
Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, then turn off the heat.
Add the chopped tomatoes once the temperature drops to about 70°C (160°F).
Use a hand blender to blend everything together until smooth. (Alternatively, you can strain the sauce if you prefer a silky texture, but I like to keep the fiber for extra depth.)
Final Touches & Serving
Return the pork belly to the blended sauce, letting it absorb the final flavors.
Serve the curry over Japanese white rice, cooked with slightly less water than usual for a firmer texture.
Optionally, serve with grilled green chili peppers on the side for extra heat.
I hope this guide helps you make your own Japanese curry from scratch! If you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out—leave a comment below or tag me on social media. Happy cooking!
Japanese Curry Rice from Scratch
Who would have thought that my most popular TikTok recipe would be homemade Japanese curry rice? This comforting dish, usually made with store-bought roux, is actually easy to make from scratch! Here’s how to create a Japanese curry rice with deep, rich flavors—without relying on pre-made blocks.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cut pork belly into 1.5- 2-inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Sear all sides in a sauté pan.
- Deglaze the pan with water and save the liquid.
- Simmer the pork at 60-85°C (140-185°F) for 40 minutes. (Add the meat when the water is still cold, once it's simmering, times 40 minutes or more)
- You can also use a slow cooker, pressure cooker, or sous vide.
- In the video, I used grated Japanese radish (daikon) mixed with water to cook the meat. This is optional. I only did it because I had so many, and since daikon is a natural meat tenderizer, I wondered if it would make any difference. It did make the pork sweeter, but as a tenderizer, marinating with it would make a better result than cooking with it.
- Finely dice celery and carrots (keep these together).
- Finely dice onions (keep this separate).
- Finely dice garlic and ginger (keep these separate as well).
- Blanch tomatoes for 15-20 seconds, peel, and roughly chop.
- Caramelize the onions and set aside.
- Fry ginger and garlic until golden, then set aside.
- Fry wheat flour with neutral oil in a thick-bottomed pot over medium heat.
- Once it darkens, lower the heat and stir constantly until a dark roux forms (like a copper penny).
- First, add the fried garlic and ginger to the roux in the pot, followed by the chopped celery and carrot.
- Add a small pinch of salt and sauté over medium heat, sweating the vegetables (soften them without browning) to release their sweetness.
- While the vegetables are cooking, measure out your spice mix.
- Once the vegetables have softened and the celery has turned slightly translucent, add back the caramelized onions.
- Stir in the spices from the previous step, mixing thoroughly until everything forms a fragrant, thick paste.
- Add the reserved pork cooking liquid from Step A.
- Add additional liquid as needed—for 1kg of meat, you'll need about 600 ml of total liquid.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- Return the pork belly to the sauce, allowing it to soak in the flavors.
- Let it simmer for 12-15 minutes, ensuring the meat is fully coated in the thickened sauce.
- Remove the pork and set it aside.
- Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, then turn off the heat.
- Add the chopped tomatoes once the temperature drops to about 70°C (160°F).
- Use a hand blender to blend everything together until smooth. (Alternatively, you can strain the sauce if you prefer a silky texture, but I like to keep the fiber for extra depth.)
- Return the pork belly to the blended sauce, letting it absorb the final flavors.
- Serve the curry over Japanese white rice, cooked with slightly less water than usual for a firmer texture.
- Optionally, serve with grilled green chili peppers on the side for extra heat.
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