Homemade Japanese Curry Roux + Beef Curry Recipe

Fall is near and that brings back childhood memories of bowls overflowing with Japanese curry. It was one of those meals that my friends saw as foreign, yet after one bowl, they were hooked. It’s still my favorite to this day and definitely making an appearance at my last meal.

Introduced in the late 1860’s by British sailors, curry was modified over the decades to better suit the Japanese palette resulting in a milder, sweeter flavor.

Today, curry is booming. Loved by everyone, it rivals ramen as one of Japanese most popular dishes. There’s a wide range of curry brands with products ranging from powders, ready to eat prepared sauces, and curry roux bricks. The latter of which is one of the most common ways to make the dish and the reason for today’s post.

What follows is an incredible recipe for curry roux bricks, made from scratch, sans preservatives, MSG (which is fine btw),, and loads of sodium. But wait, there’s more! Aside from the literal curry bricks of gold you’ll have in the freezer - ready to use when the craving hits - you’ll also have a mouth watering Japanese Beef Curry recipe to add to your arsenal. I hope you give this a try as it is quite addictive. Feel free to tweak the recipe to your liking, adding more or less of any spice or upping the heat level with chilis or more cayenne. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE JAPANESE CURRY ROUX
1 dried bay leaf
Seeds from 2 cardamom pods
1 two inch cinnamon stick
½ tsp whole cloves
1 TBSP coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 TBSP fennel seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 TBSP mustard seeds
1 star anise
1 2-inch square dried kombu
1 dried shiitake mushroom
2 tsp black peppercorns
1 TBSP ground ginger
1 TBSP ground turmeric
1 TBSP garam masala
1 TBSP chili powder
1 TBSP Kosher salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
1 TBSP hot paprika
1 ½ TBSP dried thyme
Zest of 1 orange
1 cup neutral vegetable oil
1 stick unsalted butter
281.25 g (2 ¼ cups) all purpose flour
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 medium onion, grated

FOR THE JAPANESE BEEF CURRY
1 TBSP vegetable oil
3 ½ lbs chuck shoulder or bottom round cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
1 large onion chopped
Kosher salt
2 ribs celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
6 cups chicken stock
1 large Fuji apple, peeled & grated
⅓ cup sake
⅓ cup mirin
2 TBSP ketchup
6-8 curry bricks
2 large parsnips, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 medium Japanese yams, chopped
¼ - ½ cup soy sauce

For the Japanese Curry Roux:
Place the bay leaf, cardamom seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, and star anise into a large pan. Toast over medium heat until fragrant being sure not to burn the spices.

Grind the spices in a spice blender into a fine powder and reserve to a bowl. Break up the kombu and shiitake mushroom into small chunks and pulse grind slightly. Add in the peppercorns and continue to grind to a fine powder. Transfer the mixture to the bowl.

Add in the ground ginger, turmeric, garam masala, chili powder, Kosher salt, cayenne pepper, hot paprika, dried thyme, and orange zest. Mix to fully incorporate.

In a large pot, melt the butter in the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add in the the flour and stirring the bottom continuously, cook the roux through its blond and light brown stages until it reaches almost a brick red hue, about 30-35 minutes.

In a separate pan, sweat the grated onion in vegetable oil over medium heat. Continue to cook stirring often until the onion has browned & caramelized, about 25 minutes.

Once the roux has reached its brick red to brown stage, turn off the heat and add in the caramelized onion. Stir often to incorporate. Add in the spice mixture and continue to stir until fully combined.

Divide the curry roux between two parchment lined bread loaf pans. Top the roux with another sheet of parchment paper and using another loaf pan, press down and compact the roux into a uniform brick.

Let the roux cool slightly and place into the freezer for for 30 minutes to cool & solidify. Once hard, cut each brick into 18 equal cubes. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Conversely, you can vacuum seal them for even longer storage.

For the Japanese Beef Curry:
Heat a large, heavy bottom pot over high heat for 1 minute. Add in the vegetable oil and brown the the chuck shoulder on all sides working in batches so you don’t over crowd the pan.

Reserve the browned beef to a plate. Add in the onion and a pinch of Kosher salt. Sweat the onions until slightly translucent and add in the celery, beef, garlic, bay leaf, and chicken stock. Scrape the bottom of the pot to remove the brown bits of fond.

Bring to the boil over high heat skimming the top of any foam that rises. Once to the boil, reduce the heat to low, loosely cover with a lid, and simmer for 1 hour. Skim the fat off the top by placing half of the pot over the gas burner on high heat. This will push most of the fat to one side making it easier to scoop.

Finely grate in the Fuji apple and add in the sake, mirin, and ketchup. Dissolve 4 curry bricks into the stew using a mesh strainer and the side of a spatula. Bring back to the boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add in the parsnips, carrots, and Japanese yams and continue to cook until slightly tender. Dissolve another 2 - 4 curry bricks, one at a time, until the stew has a thick yet smooth consistency. Finish everything off with the soy sauce, mixing to fully incorporate. Serve with a side of sticky Japanese rice and assorted tsukemono pickles like asazuke or beni shoga.