Japanese Beef Curry Recipe With Homemade Curry Roux

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Japanese Beef Curry Recipe With Homemade Curry Roux

Japanese beef curry features a beautiful balance of sweet and savory flavors in a richly spiced curry stew that's typically served with rice. The curry has a few "secret" ingredients that create depth and give it its signature flavor, but curry roux is where the real complexity comes from.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword Beef Curry Stew, Curry Roux, Japanese Beef Curry, Japanese Beef Curry Recipe, Japanese Curry Roux

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 1 15

Servings servings

Calories 455kcal

Author Faith Gorsky

Ingredients

Curry Roux:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground anise
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Japanese Beef Curry:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pound chuck roast large pieces of fat trimmed off and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
2 medium yellow onions chopped
6 large cloves garlic crushed
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
7 cups beef stock divided into 4 cups + 3 cups
3 cups chopped carrot
1 pound yellow potatoes chopped (I leave the peel on but you can peel them if you like)
1 sweet-tart apple peeled and shredded (such as Honeycrisp)
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf

Serving Suggestions:

Steamed white rice
Sliced scallion

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Curry Roux:

Add the butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the spices and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute more. Remove from the heat (TIP: it will harden as it cools).

For the Japanese Beef Curry:

Cook the beef. Add the vegetable oil to a 5-quart Dutch oven or equivalent pot over high heat. Add the beef cubes in a single layer and sear on both sides, about 3 minutes per side (TIP: cook the beef in batches if necessary so you don’t over-crowd the pan). Stir in the onion and cook until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute. Add 4 cups of beef stock. Bring up to a boil, then cover the pot, turn the heat down slightly, and boil until the meat is almost fully tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Cook the veggies. Add the carrot, potato, apple, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, honey, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, black pepper, bay leaf, and remaining 3 cups beef stock to the pot with the beef. Stir, and bring up to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot, turn the heat down slightly, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Add the curry roux. Once the vegetables are tender, stir in the curry roux (TIP: it will be hard; you can crumble it in). Continue to cook while stirring frequently until the curry roux is completely mixed in, about 5 minutes (it will thicken).

Serve:

Serve the curry garnished with sliced scallion along with steamed white rice.

Notes

Nutrition Information: The nutritional information for this recipe was calculated without the serving suggestions.
Storage: You can store homemade curry roux in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Store leftover beef curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. (TIP: This meal is great for meal prep! Use 2-compartment single-serving glass meal prep containers to portion out the beef curry and rice before freezing.)
Substitute for Homemade Curry Roux: Instead of making Japanese curry roux from scratch, you can use store-bought curry cubes. S&B Golden Curry is a popular brand, and they make it in mild, medium, hot, and extra hot spice levels, which are all available for purchase on Amazon. You will need one 8.4 ounce/240 gram box to make this recipe.

Nutrition