This homemade Japanese curry roux recipe is my signature that I have developed over the years. This recipe was originally developed for Japanese people living abroad. Instant curry roux is surprisingly expensive overseas, but you don’t have to buy it anymore! You can make your own roux that tastes even better than that. Once you have the soy sauce, all you have to do is make it using seasonings you can find anywhere! This recipe is guaranteed by many Japanese and also foreigners.
Many Japanese say it tastes much much better than instant roux, but what made me happiest was when my foreign friends who ate my curry said it’s soooooo delicious! I was so pleased to find out that this curry roux is loved by many foreigners as well, that I decided to make it into an English recipe.
Begin to stew the ingredients before making the roux!
This is a curry roux recipe, so it tells you how to make the curry roux. However, it is actually recommended that you start simmering the curry ingredients in a pot before you start making the curry roux. While the ingredients are simmering, the curry roux will be ready, allowing you to make it in less time.
This link will take you to a recipe for “How to Make Signature Japanese Style Chicken Curry with Homemade Roux.” Using this recipe as a guide, first stew the ingredients. After that, come back to this recipe to make the roux. Then, when the ingredients are cooked, add the roux and adjust the flavor to your liking.
You can use any curry spice you like!
You can use a store bought curry powder or have it blended with your favorite spices. I use a curry powder from a German organic spice manufacturer called Lebensbaum. My 3 and 6 year old children also eat it, so I use sweet curry powder to make a roux and the adults add chili powder to it.
The key to making a homemade Japanese curry roux is BUTTER!
It is actually “butter” that plays a very important role in this curry roux recipe.
In order to retain the flavor and texture of a storebought curry roux, butter is absolutely necessary. I made many, many trials, but I couldn’t make it without butter. If you are not allergic or dairy-free, please try to follow the recipe exactly.
If you are allergic, vegetarian or vegan, you can use vegan butter or even all olive oil or coconut oil instead of butter. However, the depth of flavor will not be the same as the original.
A variety of curry recipes using homemade curry roux
- Curry with ground meat and chickpeas
- Beef curry udon
- Pork curry
Information
Instant curry roux can be expensive overseas, but you don’t have to buy it anymore! You can make your own roux that tastes even better than that. Once you have the soy sauce, all you have to do is make it using seasonings you can find anywhere! This recipe is guaranteed by many Japanese people.
| PREP TIME: 0 mins | COOK TIME: 30 mins | TOTAL TIME: 30 mins |
| COURSE: Main Course | CUISINE: Japanese | SERVINGS: 12 people |
Ingredients
A
- 130 g flour rice flour is available
- 60 g unsalted butter
- 40 g olive oil
B
- 35 g salt
- 45 g cane sugar
- 45 g curry powder your choice
- 2 cloves grated garlic
- 1 clove grated ginger
- 80 g ketchup
- 35 ml soy sauce
Instructions
- Place ingredients A, flour, unsalted butter, and olive oil in a deep frying pan or pot over medium heat, and mix well with a wooden spatula to blend the oil and flour.
- Stir until it smells fragrant. Keep stirring so as not to burn (about 10 minutes so far). I used whole wheat flour, so it has a grainy texture, but if you use regular flour or rice flour, it will be a bit stickier.
- After turning off the heat, add the ingredients in B (salt, cane sugar, curry powder, grated garlic, grated ginger, ketchup, and soy sauce) one by one in order, mixing well each time.
- When all the ingredients are added and mixed well, the texture changes to a kind of miso paste.
- Stir-fry over medium heat again to evaporate the water from the roux. The key is to use a wooden spatula vertically to mash the roux while frying. After a few minutes, the roux will be crumbly as shown in the picture. Be careful not to over-fry or the roux will burn.
Notes
- The roux can be immediately used.
- Leftover roux can be stored in a jar in the refrigerator for a few weeks to age and develop a deeper flavor.
- The roux can also be frozen.
