Homemade Japanese Curry Roux | Sudachi (2024)

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Featured Comment:

“After having to eliminate dairy and gluten from my diet, one of our family’s staples that I’ve missed most was Japanese curry. I’ve tried several other homemade roux recipes to try fill that void; but none have measured up to our favorite box version… until now!

Thank you so much Omura, for this delightful recipe. It was totally worth the extra work, and will be my new go-to recipe for our roux.

I didn’t change much, but did use gf flour and avocado oil in place of the cake flour and beef fat. I also added 1/2 tsp of Garam Masala to add a bit of heat. It was perfect! Thank you again!”

– Bernadette S

What is Japanese Curry Roux?

Curry roux (カレールー) is a mixture of fat, flour, and spices in a block form resembling a thick chocolate bar. The fat is a binding agent; the flour helps thicken the curry, while the spices give it a distinct flavor. To put it simply, curry roux makes it easier to prepare fail-free Japanese curries quickly with little effort.

Although Japanese curry roux is known for its iconic “chocolate bar” shape that can be broken into blocks, I will be making a thick curry roux paste in this recipe. The paste works exactly the same as regular roux cubes, just with a softer texture.

Creating a complex and flavorful curry roux from scratch can be time-consuming, which is why many brands, such as Golden Curry, Vermont, and Java, offer premade boxed curry roux. Even Japanese curry restaurants use the wholesale version of premade roux! If you want to learn more about Japanese boxed curry roux, including details about each brand and its unique features, check out my How to Use Japanese Curry Roux post.

A Brief History

Roux is a French cooking technique that involves mixing flour and fat over heat and using it to thicken sauces while adding a richer taste.

While curry originates from India, Japanese curry actually began as a mixture of roux and curry powder, which was believed to be introduced to Japan from the UK. Due to this interesting history, Japanese curry has many similarities to European-style gravy and is actually considered as “yoshoku”, which is the Japanese term for Western style dishes.

Initially, the term “curry roux” was used by chefs to refer to the simple base of the curry, which consisted of butter, flour, and curry powder. However, as time passed, more ingredients were added to create a more complex curry roux, incorporating the essence of meat and vegetables.

Nowadays, curry roux has evolved into concentrated curry, and the Japanese loan word “curry roux” (kare ru or カレールー) is used by both everyday people and restaurants to refer to both the cubes and the curry itself.

Benefits of Making Your Own Curry Roux

You might wonder why not just buy the curry roux cubes and save all the time and effort. That is true, but there are benefits to making it yourself!

• It’s highly customizable, meaning you can leave out the spices you don’t like and add the ones you love! You can make your own perfect curry spice combination!
• More accessible. Spices are easier to find than Japanese curry roux in some countries, so making curry roux from scratch is more accessible in this sense.
• It’s cheaper in the long run. The initial cost of buying all the spices might be expensive, but it works out cheaper than the premade roux in the long run. The spices will make countless batches of curry roux.
• No added preservatives or chemicals.
• You can make it to suit your dietary needs. Japanese curry roux is not usually vegetarian/vegan. Vegetarians can swap beef fat for butter, and vegans can use coconut oil or vegan butter in my recipe. Bouillon can be replaced with vegetable stock too.

Visual Walkthrough & Tips

Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Japanese Curry Roux Paste at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.

STEP

Toast the spices

Add the curry powder and cumin to a dry pan and stir them over a medium heat until fragrant and slightly darkened. This process helps release the flavors and bring the spices to their full potential.

STEP

Fry the Aromatics

Heat a pan on medium and add your choice of fat. (I used beef fat, but you could use lard, butter or a plant-based alternative.) Once melted slightly, add the finely diced garlic and ginger and fry until fragrant. Mix continuously to prevent it from burning.

STEP

Caramelize the Onions

Add thinly sliced onions to the pan and fry until golden. Tip: the thinner you cut the onions, the quicker they will cook!

Once golden, lower the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until dark and caramelized. This will take 20-30 minutes. Be sure to mix occasionally to prevent burning. I also recommend adding water to stop the onions from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

STEP

Add Dry Ingredients

Once the onions are caramelized, remove the leftover beef fat (if using) and mix in the flour and toasted spices until evenly distributed.

STEP

Add the Stock

Prepare a jug of beef stock (or stock of your choice) and add a small amount to the pan to loosen up the roux.

In this recipe, I used maggi bouillon cubesmixed with water. Since the stock cubes already contain salt, there is no need to add extra salt to the roux or curry (unless you want to of course). If using your own homemade beef stock, add more salt accordingly.

Mix until smooth and then gradually add the rest of the stock while whisking.

STEP

Add More Spices and Simmer

Next, add coriander powder, marmalade, ground cloves, cardamom powder and ginger powder. Whisk until well incorporated.

Add a bay leaf and simmer without a lid for about 2 hours or until reduced to a thick paste. Stir occasionally to prevent a film forming on the top and scoop out any foam that forms around the edges.

STEP

Cool

Once the liquid has evaporated and you are left with a thick paste, transfer the roux to a container and leave to cool.

STEP

Store

You can use your homemade curry roux paste straight away, but I recommend leaving it in the fridge overnight to allow the flavors to develop further. If storing, cover with a lid and refrigerate for up to one week. (See below for more storage options.)

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements

How to Use Homemade Roux to Make Curry

You can use this homemade curry roux just like the premade boxed versions! I’ll break it down into steps.

• Sear the meat to improve the texture of the surface. You don’t need to cook it all the way through as it will be simmered in the curry.
• Add the vegetables. If you’re using onions, add them first and then fry for a few minutes with the meat before adding the other vegetables.
• Add your homemade roux and 600-700ml of liquid. (This can be water, but I like tea or dashi. Something with flavor but no additional salt.) Note: don’t use a salty stock for the liquid because there’s already concentrated bouillon in the roux.
• Simmer and thicken for 15-20 mins.
• Serve with rice!

If you want to check the detailed recipe, check out my Beef Curry Rice Using Homemade Roux post!

How to Store

Since my homemade curry roux contains fresh ingredients like onions, ginger and garlic, it is not advised to keep it at room temperature. It’s best to refrigerate or freeze it for storage instead. If kept in an airtight Tupperware in the fridge, it should last 3-4 days. I recommend using stainless steel or glass containers to prevent staining.

For more extended storage, freezing is a better option. Simply divide the roux into convenient portions, wrap and store it in Tupperware or Ziploc bags to protect it from freezer burn. Typically, frozen roux can be stored for up to a month.

The advantage of freezing is adding the roux to the soup while it’s frozen. In summary, we recommend freezing over refrigerating for better results overall.

FAQ

I hope you enjoy this Homemade Japanese Curry Roux recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers.Thank you!