Learn how to make Japanese Curry Roux from scratch. Only 5 ingredients! This easy recipe will have you cook up many delicious pots of Japanese curry.
Japanese curry (also known as Curry Rice/Kare Raisu/カレーライス) is the ultimate comfort dish. It is the staple meal for many Japanese households because it’s so easy to make at home. The convenience comes from the readily made Japanese Curry Sauce Mix or curry roux (カレールー), which allows you to cook up the stew-like curry consists of meat & vegetables in the shortest time.
Watch How to Make Japanese Curry Roux
Learn how to make Japanese Curry Roux from scratch. Only 5 ingredients! This easy recipe will have you cook up many delicious pots of Japanese curry.
What is Japanese Curry Roux?
Curry roux refers to a mixture of sauce, made with fat, flour and curry spices as the base flavor.
These days we can even find many varieties of instant Japanese curry roux in the Asian aisle at the American supermarkets.
The boxed curry roux often comes in a distinctive block that resembles a thick chocolate bar, where you break off individual cubes for the portion you need to make. Some of the common brands include S&B’s Golden Curry, House’s Vermont Curry, Java Curry, and Torokeru Curry.
Homemade Japanese Curry Roux
Although the boxed stuff may spare you some time in the kitchen, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to make your own Japanese Curry Roux at home. And just like all curries, curry roux is best made from scratch. The other good reasons for homemade roux?
- No MSG, artificial flavors and other food additives that are commonly found in boxed mixes.
- You can customize the flavor, spice level and thickness to your preferred taste each time you make it.
My recipe for Japanese curry roux requires only five ingredients that you will have in the pantry. They are unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, curry powder, garam masala, and cayenne pepper.
The butter gives a rich sweet flavor, while the flour helps to thicken the mixes when you combine the curry powder, garam masala, and cayenne together. Feel free to adjust the amount of the spices until the flavor is to your liking. The roux can be made ahead and store in the refrigerator or in the freezer for 3-4months.
With the homemade curry roux, you will be eager to start cooking a myriad of Japanese curry dishes at any time. Here are some delicious recipes you can make with homemade curry roux:
- Instant Pot Japanese Curry
- Soup Curry
- Japanese Chicken Curry
- Japanese Beef Curry
- Japanese Seafood Curry
- Katsu Curry
- Curry Udon
- Cold Curry Udon
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Learn how to make Japanese Curry Roux from scratch. Only 5 ingredients! This easy recipe will have you cook up many delicious pots of Japanese curry.
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter (42 g)
- 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour) (30 g; You can use gluten-free flour for GF)
- 1 Tbsp curry powder (6 g; I use S&B brand or curry powder from a local Indian grocery store.)
- 1 Tbsp garam masala (6 g)
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (1-2 g; optional for spicy)
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Gather all the ingredients.
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In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
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When the butter is completely melted, add the flour. Stir to combine the butter and flour.
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Soon the butter and flour fuse and swell. Keep stirring because the roux will easily burn. Cook for 12-15 minutes on low heat.
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After 15 minutes, the roux will turn to light brown color.
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Add the garam masala, curry powder, and cayenne pepper.
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Cook and stir for 30 seconds and remove from the heat. Use the curry roux in your curry recipe. Make sure to taste and season with salt after you add the roux to the dish (as the roux is not salted).
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If you don't use it immediately, let it cool in an airtight container with lid and store in the refrigerator for a month or freezer for 3-4 months.
Curry Roux: This recipe yields 1/3 cup roux; enough for your curry recipe that requires 4 cups liquid. If you're not sure, make double portion as everyone prefers different consistency for curry and you may like it thicker (requires more curry roux).
Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe in your own words and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.
Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on March 18, 2013. The video and new images were added in August 2018.
Hi Nami,
Do you use the Thai’curry powder or Indian’curry powder?
Or it doesn’t matter what type. Thank you!
Hi Hana! I have been using (Japanese brand) S&B curry powder that I can get at a Japanese supermarket, but this one was from curry powder from Indian store (much cheaper!). Hope this helps. 🙂
Thank you for the recipe! I have omitted MSG from my family’s diet and I absolutely LOVE S&B curry. I grew up on it and my kids love it. I am so excited to try this and add it to our meal planning weekly. Thank you for the healthy recipes!
Hi Suzan! I’m glad this recipe will work out for you and you can still make curry! Hope you enjoy! 🙂
I’m wondering if Suzan found that the JOC curry recipe from scratch closely duplicates the S&B curry. I, too, have eliminated MSG from my diet and I, too, love S&B curry. All the curry bricks available at the stores have MSG.
Question: Why do so many Japanese products use MSG? It’s hard to find anything without it. I’ve checked Korean products….there doesn’t seem to be the same prevalent use of MSG.
Hi Elaine! Unfortunately homemade curry will NOT duplicate the S&B curry. Like you said, it lacks “MSG taste” and all the ingredients that I don’t know what it is are included… So the taste is something similar but not exactly same.
Well, MSG is used in many products in all Asian or American products if you carefully look at each product. However, American products started to avoid MSG more seriously and that became a sales point. While in Japan, “No MSG” is not commonly labeled and I also read some documents saying that MSG is not actually a bad thing scientifically or something like that. So the whole culture about MSG is very different, I guess. Lots of Japanese kids eat snacks that contain MSG and most moms don’t seem to even check the label (they are major and popular brands of Japanese snacks), while here at least where I live moms are very careful about feeding “healthy” snacks (but eat lots of sugary desserts while in Japan desserts are less sweet). I assume what people think “bad for you” is different? It’s a good question though!
One more thing. We have more “mutenka” (無添加) – no MSG, preservatives etc – products available in Japan, and they are not imported to the US yet. Such as Dashi powders. Most of Japanese uses “mutenka” dashi powders these days, but here in Asian markets they only sell one with MSG (Japanese supermarkets sell “Mutenka” version for dashi). Hopefully we get more MSG free products will come to the US.
Hope this helps! 🙂
Thank you for the information about “mutenka.” … a term I’ve never heard of. I have been finding more and more “no MSG” dashi available here.
As for MSG being “bad”….. As I have gotten older, I now react with terrible headaches that pain remedies do not fix. I’ve found though, that antihistamines help. I have friends who also react badly with severe swelling of the joints. So, it’s apparent that these are allergic reactions.
I’m so sorry to hear about allergic reactions to MSG. I heard from someone else who has similar condition. It’s too much trouble to consume MSG if you don’t feel well. Hope your favorite food doesn’t include MSG. 🙂 I’m glad to hear about no-MSG dashi! 🙂
I live in California Bay Area. I found that Nijiya Japanese market here carries Japanese products like dashi powder with no MSG or preservatives under their brand name. Hope to see more Japanese products made with natural ingredients coming like you said. What brand of garam marsala do you use? I look forward to try this recipe. Thanks a lot.
Hi Gaga! Yes I go to Nijiya and they have their own brand as well as Yamaki brand that has Mutenka (No MSG). But this one is imported from Japan, so if you go to Asian markets, they don’t carry non-MSG products… Luckily, Amazon carries this Yamaki brand. 🙂
I buy garam masala from an Indian grocery store, and it comes in a bag. 🙂
Here is a list of ingredients that contain MSG.
https://www.livestrong.com/article/377482-other-names-for-msg-or-monosodium-glutamate/
(Nami, if you don’t want the link, you can delete this.)
Thank you Tess!
Boiled Kelp flakes in water or tamari can provide umami ‘taste’ without msg. But you need to add to the final curry at serving time, not the roux .Hard boiled Eggs simmered in curry sauce is my choice .
Great idea, arrow! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I love curry! Thanks for posting this recipe on how to make Japanese Curry Roux at home. I’ve used the box kind from S&B before, but I’m sure it’s not too healthy. I’ve also made my own curry using just curry powder bought from an Asian (e.g. 99 Ranch) or Indian market and chicken broth to make curry fishballs or chicken. I do find that Chinese curry is less sweet than Japanese curry. I wonder why?
Hi Candice! You are comparing with store bought Japanese curry roux right? I think the box says sugar and caramel. Maybe that’s why? I like to add honey and apple to make it more mild and natural sweetness. 🙂
Hi there,
Nice recipe. I remember looking for one similar for hours without success!
Is it possible to store the roux for any length of time, so it could be used in a later time – 1 month, etc.? Is it better to store in the fridge?
Thanks.
Hi Guindilla! We can store the roux in air tight container and keep in the fridge for 1 month, and 3 months in freezer. 🙂 I updated the recipe. Thank you for asking!
Thanks for sharing the recipe. I love Japanese curry, and this would definitely be a healthier alternative than the instant packed japanese curry.
Will most definately make it.
Hi Rochan! Hope you enjoy this recipe! 🙂
Thanks for this recipe! For step 4, is it really 20-30 minutes? If so, should ithe roux be constantly stirred?
Hi Vic! Yes. When I make recipes, I usually measure how long I cook. However, each stove top heat can be little different, not to mention the different kinds of pots… but it should take some time to brown, and shouldn’t be too quick. And yes, constantly stirring, because you don’t want to burn the roux! Hope that helps. 🙂
Hi Nami, just had curry rice with chichen for dinner, i followed your receipe and made the curry roux at home, it’ s delicious!! Thank you so much for you ” cookbook” within all the pictures that help me a lot! I’ m italian so your receipe are totally different from my tradional food and meals, but I honestly had yummy Japanese’s meals following your receipe step by step, thanks again for you sharing that make this possible for me too. It wouldn’t possible for me to learn to cook by myself your traditional dishes without your so easily to follow receipe.
Hi Antonella! Thank you for letting me know! I’m really happy to hear that you enjoy my blog, and that you are making Japanese food at home! You made my day! 🙂
THANK YOU!!! Much healthier than the brick ingredients 🙂 yay
Thank you Monica! Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Will try it. Thanks!
Thank you for giving it a try, Sherri! Hope you enjoy it. 🙂
Hi,
If I’m serving curry for 4 people with this roux, do I add liquid to this?
I’m not very experienced at cooking but loved the curry I ate in japan.
What liquid do I add? Water?
Thanks!
Hi Justin! The link below is the whole process to make Japanese curry.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/simple-chicken-curry/
You add the roux in step #15. Hope that helps. 🙂
This recipe is “okay” but ingredients in curry powder & garam masala aren’t in the best ratio for GREAT curry. My current blend is :
2tb-1st turmeric
1tb-2tsp cumin
1tb-2tsp cordiander
1tb cardamom
1t allspice – key for flavor
1t black pepper
1/2t hot chili pepper
1/2t methi
Also I personally prefer 3 tb butter, 3 tb flour and 4 tb curry powder. I also saute my onion in the roux before adding the powder. And after toasting the powder I add 2 tb of ketchup and 1 tb of BBQ sauce to finish off the curry roux. This provides an excellent flavor.
Hi Roy! Thank you for your suggestion! 🙂
Hi Nami, thanks for posting this. Looks easy enough. Will try it soon!
You’re welcome. Enjoy! 🙂
Hi Roy, I’m interested to try your version. How long will it keep in the chiller for storage?
I am so excited to find this recipe! For years I have been looking for a way to make my own version of S&B curry but up until I found this, we thought it was Chinese not Japanese! I kept searching for Chinese curry recipes and none looked right. The only question I have about it, is on the box the ingredient list shows sugar. I read in one of your comments to someone you use some honey and apples but I cannot have either. Does this recipe taste just like the golden curry sauce or does it need some sugar? If it needs some sugar, how much? I’m assuming I prepare my meat/veggetables the same way as for the box stuff then just add this roux. Thanks for any instructions you can give!
Hi Denise! I “tried” my best to make Japanese homemade curry roux. I like S&B too, but just like other curry roux brands, there are some ingredients that we don’t normally put for homemade stuff such as MSG and additives. Therefore, it’s impossible to make it just like S&B curry roux. Some prefer really spicy curry, so for this roux, I didn’t include any sugar/honey in the roux and I sweetened the curry after I added curry roux. Sweetness is up to person’s preference so I recommend you to sweeten as you like by adding 1/2 to 1 Tbsp. at a time. Also, depends on your ingredients, you can adjust sweetness too. I love adding extra onions because they make the curry sweeter. Hope this helps. 🙂
thanks for sharing that recipe, i searched a long time to find a recipe for Chicken Curry but i could not find curry roux in a shop ( i live in germany) and now i can finally try it out. yeah
Thank you Anna! Until you can find the Japanese curry roux in a shop, hope this recipe will work out for you. It’s not EXACTLY same, but it’s additive free and healthier. 🙂 Hope you enjoy making curry!
Very simple and perfect. All of the premixes that I find have MSG in them and my wife gets a migraine from the MSG. We LOVE Japanese foods and are actually finding more and more MSG free or MSG not added foods in the Asain markets but prefer to make things from scratch as much as possible. Thanks for all of your recipes.
Hi David! I’m glad to hear you like this recipe! It’s true – I find more MSG-free products when I go to Japan, and really hope they will start appearing in Japanese grocery stores and Asian markets here. Thank you for your feedback! 🙂
So if I need 125g of a block of curry roux, do you know how much of this is equivalent?
The box of Japanese curry roux is about 200-240g, so you will need about half of the homemade curry. Hope that helps. 🙂
Hai nami i’m so Happy finally i found the recipe to make curry roux. It’s difficult for ke to find Japanese roux here in my place. I want to ask you can i Change the butter With margarine? Thank you
Hi Vonny! I’m glad you found this recipe and hope you will like it. Yes, it should work. 🙂
I’ll love you forever for this recipe. I’ve found only one over the internet and the spices were so many and the quantites so complicated I’ve never tried. Be thanked for this (and for all your work too). どうもありがとうございます。今日、やります！
Hi Sasha! Haha I’m so glad you like this recipe. I hope you enjoyed this roux too! ありがとう！
The garam masala totally kills it. Don’t bother people
it was good! totally going to make it again.
Thank you Bixby! 🙂 xo
Hi Nami! Great recipe, just made it tonight (the chicken curry). I found, though, your spice ratio didn’t quite work out for me, but its all a matter of taste. Didn’t have as much curry taste as I’d prefer. Next time I will put in double the curry powder and less of the garam. Still, excellent dish and great instructions! Thanks!
Hi Vinny! Japanese curry is very mild, compared to Thai or Indian curry (which is why it’s easier for kids to eat as it’s not as spicy). But that also means that it lacks of strong curry flavor I think. Thank you so much for trying this recipe, Vinny! 🙂
I absolutely love Japanese Curry and of course love making everything from scratch. However, when I realised my friend is allergic to gluten, I don’t know what to do to make the roux without all purpose flour. And I really want to show him this wonderful curry dish. Do you have any replacement for the flour as in thickening the curry/making the roux? Thank you very much ^^
Hi Deutie! Have you seen gluten free flour? I’m not sure where you live, but Trader Joe’s and some supermarkets sell it like this one:
http://www.bobsredmill.com/gluten-free-all-purpose-baking-flour.html
Hope this helps!
How long will tiis keep in the fridge? I plan on making about 2 weeks worth. Thank u for sharing this recipe!
Hi Bing! Thank you for asking! I updated my recipe with the information. You can keep in refrigerator for a month, and in freezer for 3-4 months. 🙂
I made the roux and then followed the recipe to make curry. It turned out well. I can’t believe I have been using the curry blocks all this time. I am glad I was able to try these recipes!
Hi Karrie! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! I’m really glad you enjoyed it too. Thanks for the feedback! 🙂
How would you make a gluten free curry roux?
Hi Susan! I’m not an expert in GF recipes, but is it possible to use GF-flour and make this roux?
http://www.bobsredmill.com/gluten-free-all-purpose-baking-flour.html
I know someone who can’t have wheat, Think you can replace the flour with rice flour?
That’s a good question… I’ve only tried with regular flour and can’t really tell if rice flour or gluten-free flour will work. Sorry I’m not an expert in GF. 🙁
Is there a gluten free alternative to wheat flour for this recipe?
Hi Ari! I’m not familiar with gluten-free flour (http://www.bobsredmill.com/gluten-free-all-purpose-baking-flour.html) but do you think you can replace reg. flour with this flour?
Thank you, I will give this a try! ☺️
Hi Nami, I was looking for ohitashi recipes for our hana mi party today and found your blog. I am super excited to find this recipe too. I love Japanese curry so much and have been very sad to not eat it for years because I didn’t want to make the box stuff for my growing children. Now I can introduce them to this very special Japanese comfort food. Yay. Thank You!!
Hi Audrey! I hope you had a wonderful hanami party! As you know, the roux in the box has lots of stuff that we don’t normally put in the homemade version, the curry texture/flavor won’t be exactly same as the one in the box, but still, I think the homemade curry roux is very delicious and you can customize to your taste easily. I hope you enjoy this recipe! Thank you for your kind comment. 🙂
is there a substitute for garam masala in case its not available?
Hi Emilio! If you cannot find garam masala at Asian or regular supermarket, don’t worry. Just add more curry powder. 🙂
The McCormick Standard ‘Garam Masala’ is Cloves, Cassia ( A relative of Cinnamon) , Black Smoked Cardamom , Black Pepper and maybe Star Anise.
The Indian Standard Garam Masala includes Toasted fennel seeds , Cumin and Coriander seeds and dry malabathrum leaves in addition to the McCormick Standard
I Think Chinese Five Spice Powder or Simply Allspice powder ( From the Hispanic World) will fill in for Garam Masala without much noticeable difference.
Thank you for sharing this information, Arrow!
thank you so very much for taking the time in sharing your recipe on how to make the Japanese curry roux. as i have been looking for this Japanese curry for a very long time and this is now so wonderful that i can now make it at home along on a regular basis along with other Japanese dishes as they are so beautiful to eat once again thank you for sharing your recipes for others to enjoy . Julia may 4 2014
Hi Julie! Thank YOU for reading my blog and following! I hope you enjoy the homemade Japanese curry! If you have any request of recipes, let me know. 🙂
Hi Nami, your recipe for Japanese Curry Beef says 1 box of curry roux( 200-240 grms). It is the same brand that I bought but my 1 box weighs 100 grms. Do I buy another box? This seems like an awful lot of roux; I’m confused 🙁
Hi Warren! Chicken curry and Beef curry are different recipes. I used more liquid in Beef Curry, which is why you need more curry paste. However, if you are going to make smaller batch, you do not need to use that much liquid/curry paste.
Your curry roux is the smallest box available at the store. It depends on how many people you want to serve, but follow the directions/guideline on the back of the curry roux for the liquid and ingredients amount for 100 g curry paste. However, instead of following the recipe of the box, you can adapt and make your own curry just like how I do in Chicken or Beef curry. Hope this makes sense. Let me know if I can be any help. 🙂
thank u sooo much nami.. i love japanese curry.. i missed it a lot.
Hi NikkI! I hope you enjoy this homemade Japanese Curry Roux recipe! 🙂
do you have a substitute for butter? I have a terrible lactose intolerance, butter is a no-no for me (although I really miss ’em!).
Hi Calvin! I think you can make it with extra virgin olive oil, although I haven’t done it before and I don’t know the exact measurement… Hope you can make good curry roux with it! 🙂
Hi Nami ! I have a question. It’s okay if I don’t put garam masala? Because I can’t find it in supermakerts and I was wondering if I can substitute it or even don’t put it at all. 🙂
Hi Irina! Garam masala contains turmeric, black and white peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, cumin seeds and cardamom pods. If you have those you can add in, but if not, just use a little more curry powder. It loses some spice content (from garam masala) though. 😀
Amazon.com is your friend! If I cannot find something in my local stores, and it isn’t a perishable like meat or fresh veggies chances are it can be had through Amazon.com. I have a Prime account and I just order all my hard-to-find ingredients straight from them with free shipping!
Thank you so much EunosRoadster! Amazon prime is great and I love it too! I’m not too sure where (which country) Irina is from – but thank you for sharing your tip!
So, which roux would you say is better (taste wise) for the beef curry recipe you made? The homemade roux or the store bought? I’m thinking about trying your recipe today. Thanks
Hi J! Well homemade tastes great as we can be more flexible with flavors while store-bought roux will always taste the same unless you add some additional flavors. Some people don’t like MSG in roux so they go with homemade roux. Once in a while is okay with me and use store bought roux when I don’t have time. Since you don’t have garam masala maybe start with store bought roux? Garam masala is nice to put in curry. 🙂
Oops I got confused with other person who did not having garam masala. Sorry! If you have garam masala, try making homemade especially if you have time. 🙂
Nice and thanks for the quick response. Ill definitely try making my own, I just bought some Garam masala so, I’m set. One more question though. How crucial is the roux to the curry? Like if I were to make the roux extra spicy would it balance in the curry or do you think it would ruin it?
You can definitely make it spicy! 🙂 Hope you like the recipe. Make sure to make enough curry roux based on your liquid & ingredients amount. 🙂
AMAZING! I can’t believe I never thought about making curry from scratch before, how silly! We live in the very, very white suburbs of Montreal, and I usually have to drive about 45 minutes to find a store that carries Glico curry. This will be so much better!! Thank you!
Hi Victoria! The Japanese curry roux is pretty convenient and good (despite all the preservatives and MSG etc) but homemade curry is pretty delicious too! I hope you enjoy making your own curry. 🙂
This is so much simpler than I expected. My wife and I recently moved to Japan for work; pork products make her sick and so many pre-packaged curry boxes here use pork ingredients for flavoring. Now I can make it at home with very little effort! Thanks, Nami. All of your recipes are great!
Hi DJ! I’m so glad you tried this recipe! I’m sorry to hear that your wife can’t take pork products from the package, but maybe it’s a good thing! It’s so much healthier making food from scratch. 🙂 Thank you for trying this recipe and leaving a kind feedback! 🙂
Hey Nami, thanks so much for this recipe!
Lots of cooking recipes I use for curry just say “add curry sachet” and it’s so lovely to be able to make it from scratch!
I’m very happy to see this recipe, even though you posted it a long time ago!
Thank you again,
Ellie from NZ
Hi Ellie! Thank you so much for your kind comment. I’m glad you like this recipe and hope you enjoy! 🙂
Quick question – for the Beef Curry recipe, would I double the amount of the homemade curry roux? Just wanted to check before I try that recipe for myself.
Also wanted to say thank you for posting these recipes with such detailed pictures & instructions. My husband and I got to take a trip to Japan and loved the food! And since then we have often craved it but don’t have any Japanese food restaurants where we live. I love your website because now we can still have wonderful Japanese food in our home and all your homemade & make-it-from-scratch recipes make that possible. Thank you so much!
Hi Rebekah! I’m sorry for my late response! Yes, the beef curry recipe requires 8 cups of beef broth, and curry roux recipe is for 4 cups of liquid, so you should double it. However, when you add roux, please add small amount at a time to make sure you don’t put too much. For Beef Curry recipe, I used the store bought roux, so it’s not exactly the same consistency as homemade ones. It’s better to make extra curry roux than not having enough at the time you add roux… Hope this helps! 🙂
I’m so happy to hear you enjoy my blog and thank you so much for trying my recipes! Your comment made me very happy! 🙂
Love this recipe! Tried last night and made Curry fried rice with this paste. It tastes so great.
Hi Yudy! I’m so glad you enjoyed using this curry roux for your fried rice! Sounds so delicious! 🙂
Finally, I can make curry again!
Thank you for checking my site! Hope you enjoy this dish! 🙂
This recipe is missing instructions about adding the liquid.
This recipe is for making curry roux. Liquid should be added according to what you will be cooking with this curry roux. 🙂
This roux is the most fun thing to make and the kitchen smells so good. Your chicken curry recipe with the homemade roux is the so delicious it’s my new favorite dish to cook. Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for your kind feedback! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it! 🙂
hi nami,good recipe:) but I have a problem in my town there isn’t shop who sell instan curry powder as “S&B curry” 🙁 can you tell me how to make curry without instan powder….maybe i can make it self :))
Hi Farah! It doesn’t have to be S&B curry. I use curry powder from the Indian grocery store. I’ve never made curry powder from scratch, but there are a lot of recipes if you Google. Here’s one (and it’s easy to make):
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/curry-powder-blend-recipe.html
Hi Nami
I have just tried out this recipe as my daughter needs to use the roux method for a curry dipping sauce for skill recognition in her catering exam this week. My hubby & I found it a little grainy & felt it might need some more flavour to serve as a dipping sauce, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Mel! This roux recipe is to make Japanese curry, so it’s a paste before adding into the broth for curry. I don’t think this recipe works well to make a dipping sauce, to be honest. Like you said, it’s probably lacking spice and I wouldn’t use it as a base for dipping sauce. The dipping sauce shouldn’t be roux (flour and butter). Hope this helps and sorry I can’t help much. 🙁
Thanks for the great recipe, I’ve made this twice now with pretty good results both times but there is one thing bothering me. When I make the roux it doesn’t look a whole lot like yours in the pictures! Did you double up on the size? My roux starts out really thick and grainy from the get go and there isn’t nearly as much as yours. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Jacob! I’m glad to hear you like this recipe and thanks for the kind feedback! I did not double the size. My pot size is 1 1/2 QT, if that helps? Did you spend cooking for 20-30 minutes?
hey nami! 😀 is it ok if i don’t put garam masala?
Hi Anissa! Hmmm it will lack some flavor as typical garam masala includes black and white peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, black and green cardamom pods, bay leaf, and caraway. If you have any of these spices, it’ll help a bit. 🙂
this was so helpful 🙂
but here where I live we don’t have garam masala is it important ?is there any replacement to it ?what flavor does it give?
thanks beforehand 🙂
oh I missed that last comment sorry I get it 🙂
Hi Maher! No problem! Thank you for reading the other comment! 🙂
Hey! If a recipe im using says to use 4-5 ‘cubes’ of curry roux how much of this recipe would i need?
Hi Lain! This recipe is for 2 cups of liquid. What’s the required amount of liquid (water) for your curry roux?
Just wanted to say thanks for sharing this recipe, along with the simple chicken curry. My husband and I used both recipes to make curry this weekend and it’s so good! In our opinion, it’s better than the boxed curry. My biggest complaint with boxed curry is that it’d have this weird grainy, slimy mouth feel when reheating leftovers. Your recipe has none of that problem (leftovers are as good as just made) and is even tastier! No more boxed stuff for us. The roux is so easy to make, I never knew! Thanks. 🙂
Hi Joyce! So happy to hear you liked this recipe and the curry recipe! Homemade roux is preservative and MSG free! I’m glad you enjoyed the curry! Thank you so much for your kind feedback! 🙂
Hi!! I really love that the fact I found how to make curry!! 😀 😀
The only problem is that I don’t find garam masala here in my country 🙁 , is there a replacement for that ingredient?
thanx!
Hi Cristina! Garam masala contains turmeric, black and white peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, cumin seeds and cardamom pods. If you have those spices, you can add them, but if not, just use a little more curry powder. It loses some spice content (from garam masala), so try finding it in an Indian store or spice shop. 🙂
Is there any alternative for garam masala?
Hi Jossh! Garam masala contains turmeric, black and white peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, cumin seeds and cardamom pods. If you have those you can add in, but if not, just use a little more curry powder. It loses some spice content (from garam masala) though. Hope this helps! 🙂
This recipe is SO great! I tried making my own a few days ago, and it turned out really great. If I want to make it alittle more spicy, do II just add more Cayenne pepper?
I love your recipes so much, I use your recipes for dinner almost all week 🙂
Hi May! I’m so happy to hear you liked this recipe! Yes you can add more cayenne pepper. Hope you will find the good amount for your favorite curry flavor! 🙂
Quick question, does this make the exact amount needed for your curry recipe? I want to know what size portions to freeze this in. Thanks!
Nikole! I have several curry recipe, but this recipe is for 4 cups of liquid. If you’re making this curry recipe below, it should be good.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/simple-chicken-curry/
If you add more vegetables and meat than specified, you will need more roux because liquid amount will change.
Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Hi! Thank you for uploading this recipe. Just made this roux for the chicken curry recipe you have up and so far it’s been great. However my roux turned light brown in about 15 minutes instead of 20-30, is that okay? Also, I was just wondering if it’ll be enough for the simple chicken curry recipe?
Lastly do I need to keep it covered before it cools or should I cover it with a lid while it’s still warm?
Thank you!
Hi Katie! I think the heat was stronger than mine, but it’s okay if it worked. Simple Chicken Curry recipe requires 4 cups of liquid, and this roux is for 4 cups. If you adjust the samount of ingredients, the liquid amount slightly changes and that will change the amount of roux. So be careful when you adjust. If you have enough time to let it cool naturally, you can keep the cover to cool. However, if you’re in hurry, uncovering will keep the food cool faster. 🙂
Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Just made the curry roux and it smells amazing! Just one question, do you dissolve the curry in water or stock?
Thank you so much!
Best wishes from Germany.
Hi Alex! I’m so glad to hear you like the curry roux! Yes, you do. You will need about 4 cups to use all the roux.
Here’s a curry recipe (I have other curry recipes which you can search):
https://www.justonecookbook.com/simple-chicken-curry/
hi, first thank you for sharing!
when you say curry powder do you mean the yellow spice or the spice blend? because i went to the store and i saw there all kinds of mixes thats called curry. they told me they taste a bit like garam masala.
so which one do i need? 🙂
thank you…
Thank you Lee! In the Indian store I go to, it says “curry powder” in the package (bag). I didn’t realize there are many… so are you saying each bag or mixes are called curry? If they can pick the most common one for you, I think it’s good start. 🙂
Thank you for the receipt. I’m from Malaysia and nowadays it so hard to find Japanese curry roux. Even-though some store have, but it far from my house.
Now, I have this recipe, I don’t have to worry about looking high and low for the curry roux. Me and my families really love the Chicken Kare Raisu.
Hi Zhia! Thank you so much! Yeah it’s really good to have homemade curry. After all, the store-bought curry tastes the same. 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for writing!
YES!!!! Have tried making it and cook it……its so deliciously, Now I’m really a kare master chef. Thank to your recipe, making my children so happy and no worry of making kare at anytime. Like you said, the taste not much different from the roux we bought from the store.
Hi Zhia! I’m so happy to hear you tried this recipe! Thanks so much for your kind feedback. I’m glad to hear your children enjoy your homemade curry too. 🙂
The recipe says to stir the roux (butter and flour) for 20-30 minutes. It sound pretty long…wouldn’t it get burnt?
Hi Annie! As long as you keep the heat to medium low (or low depends on your stovetop) AND stirring, it’ll never burn. 🙂
Hello Thank you for this recipe I always wanted to learn how to make this since I hate cooking with processed food. Made it and using it for my Japanese curry today.
Hi Christine! I’m so glad to hear you made the roux from scratch! I hope you liked the recipe. Thanks so much for the feedback! 🙂
Thank you for sharing this easy recipe. I want to make Japanese curry for my boyfriend but wasn’t sure if I would be able to find the curry roux. This is really simple and easy to make and a lot better for you because it has simple ingredients and no additives. Besides the ingredients are common and easily found in the kitchen. I will only need to buy the masala but that’s only 80p in the shop. 🙂
Hi Anna! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! Yes, it’s very simple to make and it’s always good to make your own as you know all the ingredients that go into the food. Thank you for your kind feedback! 🙂
Hi Nami,
I would like to make own curry roux because boxed curry contain msg and other additives. I also want to make a curry that is NOT spicy so I want to exclude any chili flakes and cayenne pepper. My challenge is finding the right curry powder and Garam masala. Do you have any simple recipes for curry powder and Garam masala so that I can make my own and control the spicy factor. Thanks. Darlene
Hi Dalene! I don’t have the recipe but I use S&B curry powder (Japanese brand) or curry powder from an Indian store. It’s not too spicy (unless you don’t put a lot) as kids can eat it. Sorry I don’t have the spice blend recipe.
Do you think coconut oil would work as a sub for butter, or do you have any other suggestions? Thank you!
Hi Laura! I have never made it before with coconut oil, so I can’t say, but I assume it’ll work. Let me and other readers know if you try! 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe!! I was wondering if you could explain why the flour/butter roux needs to be cooked for 20-3omin as opposed to just 2-3min like I’d do for cheese sauce? I am just trying to work it out but I’ve searched google with no success! Thanks again for the recipe – it was so rewarding being able to cook the curry from scratch with things in my pantry rather than pay a fortune for a curry packet!!
Hi Natalie! Thank you for trying this recipe! I’m glad to hear you liked this recipe! The reasons why we cook for 20-30 minutes are:
1) add caramelized flavors (not really “burnt” but flavor from cooking).
2) remove the floury texture by blending well.
You could skip cooking for a long time if you don’t mind missing the flavors. As long as flour is well-blended, you could stop cooking. Hope this helps! 🙂
Oh, I’m just making this recipe again and realised I forgot to say thank you for your response! I’ll be trying the longer time this time! And thank you so much for the recipe – I’ve never made roux from scratch before you but you and my Thermomix make a great team! 🙂
Aw thanks Natalie! Glad to hear you enjoy this recipe! 🙂
Hello Nami,
may I ask you to suggest how many tablespoons of the curry roux from scratch are necessary for your chicken curry recipe?
Thank you!
Hi Al! If you make the chicken curry according to the recipe, it requires 4 cups of chicken broth (liquid). This curry roux is for 4 cups of liquid, so you’ll need all of this roux for the chicken curry. 🙂 Hope this makes sense, and enjoy the curry!
Can you use rice flour instead of all-purpose flour?
How do I know if I burned the roux? It is medium brown.
Hi Nancy! I’ve never made it with rice flour before. If you tried and it worked, let us know! I’m sure other people are curious too. 🙂 You will know when the roux is sticked to the pot and burnt. Keep stirring. 🙂
Hello nami,
I was wondering if this recipe is spicy. Im currently trying to find a curry recipe that is very very very VERY spicy. I’m trying to cook spicy food for someone that loves spicy food.
Hi Christian! It’s not spicy. It’s Japanese curry roux so never be too spicy unless you add more cayenne pepper. You should add more to make it spicy. 🙂
Thanks sooo much for your recipe, I wanted totry so bad japanese curry but I didn’t have any curry roux. Anyway, in the recipe I need 120g of curry roux. But I don’t really know how many grams you had in this recipe so I’ll just wait for your answer. 🙂
I’m sorry but I didn’t measure the total gram of the roux…. The final result (roux) is enough to make 4 cups of liquid (the base/soup for curry). 🙂
Well, then I think I’m just going to make your version so it would be simpler 🙂
Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Sorry if this is obvious, but will this recipe serve four people/four servings of rice??
Hi Tealah! It’s 4-6 servings.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/simple-chicken-curry/
thank you for the curry roux recipe. can practise cook different of curris
using this curry roux recipe. thanks again, really appreiate.
Hi Patricia! You’re welcome!
If I make your curry roux recipe how much is used in the actual curry recipe thanks
Hi Iain! This recipe is good for a curry recipe that uses 4 cups of liquid:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/simple-chicken-curry/
Hello! I love your curry recipes, but i am looking to adjust them for my kids who still find this a bit spicy. How can i adjust it to make it 甘口 or sweet? Thank you!!
Hi Megan! Maybe you can add more apple (or even apple sauce) an honey to make it sweeter when you make curry. 🙂
I was looking at the ingrédients and see that 3tbsp of butter is 42 grams, but 4tbsp flour is 30 grams?
Hi Rachel! 3 Tbsp of pebbles are much heavier than butter or flour. 3 Tbsp of the feathers weighs much less. Volume and weight do not work the same. 🙂 However, 15 ml of water is 15 grams. That’s same.
Sorry to ask, but is step 4 accurate? It needs to be stirred for 20-30 minutes?? Thanks for confirming.
Hi Christine! Yes… the roux gets burnt easily IF you leave it without stirring. And it takes time to get that color on low heat. I know it’s tedious process… 🙂
Do you happen to know the sodium in this method? The boxed roux is so high in sodium, 990mg per serving! We have dietary needs and are trying to lower that sodium level.
Hi Jess! As it doesn’t include salt, I think it’s the safest way to enjoy curry. Japanese curry roux is convenient and taste pretty decent, BUT there are a lot of things that you don’t need to put inside your body. I think once in a while is okay for us, but I love homemade curry – it’s delicious!
Thank you for this great recipe.
Just a quick question, if i don’t have garam masala at hand, would it be ok to simply use more curry powder?
Hi Sammael! Thank you for checking my recipe! Sure. 🙂
Thanks a lot for this great recipe! I’m currently living in a country where it’s not possible to get any Japanese curry. I’ve been misssing it so much, and thanks to your recipe I managed to make it! It turned to be absolutely great.
Hi Dasha! I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for your kind feedback!
This recipe was so good and so easy to make! Thank you for sharing it, will definitely be a staple for me now
Thank you Amy! So glad to hear that. 🙂 Thanks for writing your kind feedback. xo
Hello, Nami!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I love Japanese curry and it’s really was you to make it your way. I have a question though: is it possible to store the curry roux mixture in the freezer or any other way?
Thanks so much again.
ありがとうございました
こんにちは、ジュリアン！ Yes, you can keep in the freezer if you have extra. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Hi Nami,
Can I substute butter with something else that is nondairy product?
Hi NW! Yes, I think it should work (although I haven’t tried it myself….). Let me know if you try with non-dairy option as some people might be interested in your feedback. 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Hi Nami,
How many blocks of curry roux does this standard recipe make?
Regards,
Hi Christina! This recipe is for 4 cups of liquid. I don’t calculate by the blocks. Sorry…
20-30 min of instant stirring? is this a mistake?
Hi Yulia! You have to constantly stir the curry paste for 20-30 minutes. Well you can take a break, but I recommend just short break. 🙂
Is there a gluten free version?
I don’t, but some JOC reader told me that gluten free flour works with this recipe! 🙂
How do you measure butter with table spoon?
In the US, a stick of butter has measures on the paper that wraps the butter. It has 8 Tbsp total 1/4 cup. 1 Tbsp = 14.2g.
Hi,
Do you have to store it for a month or freeze for 3-4 months, if you want to do japanese curry for instance, can you use it right away?
HI Daniel! No, you can immediately use it. 🙂
In your chicken curry recipe it needs 1 box Japanese curry roux (1 box = 7 oz or 200 g) for 6 servings. Your homemade roux version here says for 1 serving so would I make six times that amount for the chicken curry recipe? Thank you!
Hi Lili! Sorry the recipe’s “serving” is a bit confusing. This homemade curry roux will make enough for 4 cups of liquid you use in your curry recipe. Not for one serving. I just have to write one so that it will change the portion if you move the cursor to 2, 3, etc…
Hi!
Step 5 says “after 20 to 30 minutes”….are we to constantly stir the flour and butter mixture the ENTIRE 20-30 minutes?
Thank you!
Hi Leila! I know it sounds crazy, but yes… you can of course take a few seconds break in between, but you will see the roux is boiling and you will want to stir just to make sure it doesn’t burn… I’ll make a video of this process one day. 🙂
hi, is there a dairy free substitute for the butter? do you think coconut oil would work?
Hi Crystal! I had never tested with coconut oil. If you give it a try, let us know. I’m sure others are interested too! 😉
Hi,
I’ve been following some of your recipes. For the curry powder in your Japanese Curry Roux, can I use generic Indian curry powder or does it have to be a specific brand?
Looking forward to your reply. (:
Hi Theresa! Thank you for using my recipes! I actually use curry powder from the Indian store as it is cheaper than buying a Japanese S&B brand curry powder. 🙂
I would like to try this. It looks so interesting. Please tell me how much I would use instead on 1 cube of the boughten product. Thanks so much.
Hi Carol! This recipe yields 1/3 cup roux, enough for your curry recipe that requires 4 cups liquid. If not sure, make double as everyone prefers different consistency for curry.
Thanks so much for the reply. I’m loving your site. I plan to make garlic fried rice today.
Hope you enjoy the curry and garlic fried rice. 🙂
Namaskar. Thank you for an excellent guide to Japanese cooking.
An observation and a question. I am from India, northern India and well-versed in professional meat cooking. Would like to ask you the use of the term “garam masala” here.
The reason is that the mixes and brands that your readers worldwide or just in the USA or UK will buy in their nearest market will vary wildly in flavor as will your generic prescription “curry powder”. What will result may not really capture the quality of a “real” Japanese kare experience as much as a curry block such as vermont might have done.
That is not to denigrate your efforts to make Japanese cooking accessible to all. However, you accept that Japanese KARE is UNIQUE to Japan, and curry powders from various other places each carry flavor stamps of their own. Garam masalas are even worse. Let us not get into that!
Thank you.
Hi Gautam! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and tip with us!
How much of this curry roux batch would you use for say your Instant Pot Curry recipe?
Hi Ed! This recipe is good for 4 cups of liquid that recipe requires. If you are not sure you can double the recipe and use it as you add to the stock. Taste and see if you need to add more. Leftover can be frozen. 🙂
In step 5, should that be 20-30 seconds instead of minutes? When doing the flour/butter roux, it turned light brown almost immediately after adding the flour to the butter,
Hi Marco! Yes, at Step 5, you’re supposed to take time to brown and get the aroma and flavor meld with flour, so 20 minutes at least. Some people suggest 30 minutes, but I usually finish around 20 minutes. I think your heat was maybe too strong or didn’t stir frequently? Or maybe the butter was too brown already?
Hi Nami,
I tried out your curry recipe. It came out quite bland, but the biggest problem was that even with only 2 cups of liquid (instead of 4), it was super watery. Do you have any idea what could have gone wrong? I also did not really get a paste, it was a pretty dry and crumbly substance. I’m sure I followed every step of the recipe.
Thank you!
Hi Mirjam! Hmm… I don’t have the same problem with you so I try to find what could have gone wrong. Do you think you used more vegetables (that release more water)? Maybe liquid didn’t evaporate much? And you mentioned that it was dry and crumbly – that means your curry seems it was made correctly. This curry should come out thicker with just 2 cups. Really wish I can tell what went wrong… Sorry.
If I make this how does it compare in quantity to the boxed version? If a recipe calls for 1 box or 200g do I use the whole of the above or how do I calculate it?
Hi Emma! We can’t do side by side comparison with boxed one as they are not exactly same (homemade doesn’t have all the unknown ingredients)… but this roux is for 4 cups liquid. Depends on the recipe you use, there is liquid mentioned. So check that amount. And even though let’s say the recipe requires 4 cups water, vegetables also release some water too, so if the curry is loose you have to let it cook uncovered for a longer time. It’s best to estimate to use less water for the curry roux. You can always add water/stock. 🙂
What sort of curry powder should be used? So many different ones. I’d like to make my own but have store brand and Madras. I can make my own Garam Masala but are there any ones in particular I need? I won’t rate this because I don’t know yet!
Hi Allison! I’ve made this recipe with two different curry powder in the past.
I used to use Japanese S&B curry powder (you can get in Japanese grocery store or Amazon: https://amzn.to/2sCtSXM
These days I go to my local Indian grocery store and they have curry powder.
This is to make Japanese style curry, so I still recommend using “curry powder” as that’s what we use to make curry roux. Hope this helps!
can I just replace unsalted butter with salted butter? would it affect the taste?
Hi Sufi! You can, but make sure to adjust the salt somewhere else. 🙂
Is it 2-3 minutes in step 5?
Thank you for another easy recipe 🙂
Hi Miya! It’s really 20-30 mins on low heat… slowly cooking process. 🙂
Would one of these equal to those smaller 3.2 oz boxes that we get from the grocery stores?
Hi Monette! Yes, this roux should be good for recipes that require 4 cups liquid. It’s on the loose side, so 3.2 oz should be good. 🙂
Hello! I’m interested in trying your recipe for Japanese curry roux, and saw that in your other recipe for Japanese chicken curry, you included apple and honey in your ingredients; I was curious if you’d ever tried including those ingredients directly in your roux recipe? I’ve seen the apple and honey variations of roux in stores and was curious about adding them directly to the roux to skip the step of adding them in later,
Hi Gin! To keep the roux for a longer time (preserving) and to keep the additional flavors and fragrance, it’s recommended to add toward the end of cooking. Those factory made roux has no choice but to include them first, but it’s processed… Hope that helps!
Nami, made three batches of this and it did not taste like the cubed ones. Was I supposed to use the ‘oriental’ type of curry powder that comes in the can? I used the common curry that I get at the spice section at the grocery store. Or was I supposed to use this with your curry recipes to make it taste like the cubed ones. Help! It smelled so good, but it tasted bland. 🙁 Thanks again!
Hi Monette! just responded to your earlier comment. I’m so sorry for my late response – I’ve been traveling in Japan…
First thing first. Those premade curry roux has lots of MSG that makes it “tasty” chemically. A lot of people want to avoid MSG which is why people make homemade. It’s more complicated to replicate the exact curry roux taste from those packages (if you see the ingredient list, you know what I mean).
However, with spices available, you can still make delicious curry (not chemical taste). I recommend using good curry powder (I mean that’s the main ingredient). I’m not sure what brand you used, but S&B curry powder is good. I use curry powder from Indian grocery shop (cheaper). Make sure they are good and fresh (not old one). You can increase the spices if you like. Hope that helps?
Think this is my favourite recipe on the site. Japanese curry is one of my favourite foods but going gluten free took it off the menu. I did find a pre-made wheat free curry sauce mix but it’s so expensive and hard to get! But this recipe is much tastier and with less additives. I currently have some in my fridge waiting for curry cravings. I can’t thank you enough for this recipe! Oh and for anyone making this- Make extra! It lasts in the fridge and is a great to have on hand for an easy, delicious meal.
Hi Claire! Thank you so much for your kind feedback. I’m so happy to hear you enjoy this recipe! Happy to know that making extra is a good idea for a quick curry! Thank you!!
I know this isn’t a curry-based comment, but I know you like dishware and I thought you would enjoy this: https://usa.lupicia.com/category/select/cid/325/pid/9743
This also happens to be my favorite tea place, and I thought you might enjoy it as well!
Thank you for all the amazing recipes; many of them remind me of haha-no-aji!
Hi Aiko! Thank you so much for the link! Yes, I love ceramics and what a coincidence! The name of the bowl is Nami (but different kanji and meaning)!!!!
Thank you for thinking of me and following my blog!
Hi Nami, can we use coconut oil instead of butter?
Do we need to add seasoning like salt or sugar?
I have never try Japanese curry. But I heard from my friend that Japanese curry is sweet and not spicy?
Thank you 🙂
You can probably use coconut oil, though it has the coconut fragrance which we don’t have in the Japanese curry. Japanese curry is not “sweet” like let’s say Thai curry (no palm sugar) but it is true that it’s not that spicy compared to Indian and Thai curry. Even “Spicy/Hot” level is not that spicy for spicy lovers. Kids can enjoy “Mild” or “Medium” level easily. You can add salt (or if you want to, sugar) when you’re cooking curry itself, not during curry roux making process. That way you can figure out if your food needs salt or sugar based on other ingredients added to the curry. Onions that are sauteed make the curry “sweeter” without adding sugar, for example. 🙂
Hi Nami,
What brand or type of curry powder do you use for this?
Hi Susan! I use curry powder from Indian grocery store, but previously I was using S&B Curry Powder (Japanese brand).
https://amzn.to/2ByhOyc
Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi, Tanks for a great site 😉
In step 5. you write 20-30 minutes, are you sure you mean minutes ?
// Jörn
Hi Jörn! Thank you for reading! Yes, it’s 20-30 minutes. Depending on the “low heat”, time may vary, but I do spend 20 minutes on low heat to slowly cook the roux. You’re are supposed to cook the flour slowly at that step. 🙂
What is the ingredients used for the Curry Powder metioned? There are a few variations for this Curry Powder Mix in my supermarket and I want to be sure I am using the right variation.
Hi Darren! You mean the package from the Indian grocery store? Uhhhh I already transfer the curry powder into a mason jar and threw the package away. 🙁 Sorry…
What type of curry powder do you use to make the roux? Keens?
Hi Happy Hippy! I used to use Japanese S&B Curry Powder (https://amzn.to/2QDjp9H), but now I get my curry powder from my local Indian grocery store. 🙂
What brand of curry powder do you use as all curry tastes different?
And …. I can’t consume processed oils so do you have a suggestion on how I can go about making this curry without it? Any substitutions?????
Hi Naomi! In the past, I’ve used S&B Curry Powder but now current curry powder batch comes from Indian grocery store. Yeah, I’d say each brand makes curry powder slightly different and you can make slightly different curry roux based on curry powder you use. And I’m sorry I’m not familiar with non-processed oil. Use whatever oil you use for your cooking to replace in this recipe. 🙂
I decided to make this roux to try a different method to make Japanese curry than i normally make.
Can I substitute the butter for milk as i followed the recipe but my roux didn’t create a liquid paste more like dough, so i added some water to make the paste which worked. Would I need to up the amount of butter used? And for calorie wise I thought milk would be a bit more healthier for me than butter however not sure if that will change the roux completely as a lot of curries use milk.
Hi Quang! Thank you for trying this recipe. Unfortunately, you cannot substitute butter with milk. Simply because you will need to make roux, and roux is made out of fat (butter, oil, ghee, etc) and flour. Milk can’t be treated as fat in this recipe. Thai curry or other kinds of curry use coconut milk etc but it’s not made with roux like Japanese curry. Hope this makes sense. 🙂
Hi Nami, would you please be able to help. Is this the correct qty for making the chicken curry? 200g?
Hi Asa! Making my chicken curry recipe? Yes as long as the liquid needs for the recipe is around 3-4 cups.
I have no idea why I was buying roux from the store! I added the spices before the flour to infuse the butter with the aromatics first and it worked wonderfully, also added some msg to emulate the storebought ones. everyone loved it
Hi A T! I’m glad to hear everyone enjoyed it! Thank you so much for your kind feedback. 🙂
Hi Laurie! I just checked and it says “spices” and “curry powder”. I guess they do not disclose their spice mix.
Hello Nami,
Do you have any recipes for Japanese Battleship Curry? I was always curious why the Japanese were crazy about curry because curry has so many herbs that are not native to Japan. I came across an article on how curry was introduced to Japan by the Japanese Navy and how curry was very popular in the Japanese Navy. The recipes I have seen call for some interesting ingredients like coffee and cheese. I would love to see a Japanese Battleship Curry that was prepared and refined by you.
Hi Jerrky! I don’t have the recipe… and wow I haven’t heard of Japanese Battleship Curry (海軍カレー) for over decades!!! I actually never tasted it so I don’t know how I can make it but I saw this Japan Navy’s youtube channel sharing their recipe (although each group/department etc has different recipes):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEJX416yjcQ
Maybe one day I’ll try….
How can I find good curry powder, for japanese curry, I live in Belgium and there are not so many japanese shops, is it possible to order? In europe? And which brand is good? I mostly buy vermont kokumaro, or tokekomu, don’t like golden.
Hi Nele! I use curry powder from S&B brand (I am not sure about Amazon there) or curry powder from a local Indian grocery store (cheaper, and it tastes great!). I think it might be easier to find an Indian brand of curry powder too. Asian grocery stores also carry some type of curry powder too. 🙂
This one is from Japan Centre: https://www.japancentre.com/en/products/4495-s-b-oriental-curry-powder
thank you very much, I will lookout for some, maybe I try to order from japan centre
thanx alot
You’re very welcome, Nele!
I would like to challenge your measurements. An American tablespoon is considered to be 15ml, and no matter how many times I measure the flour it comes out to 10grams, not the 6 that you state.
I made the recipe according to the above measurements and it turned out just fine, but I think you cause confusion for our North American cooks unless you use the standard measurements.
Hi Eli! I think you meant to say curry powder or garam masala being 6 grams, NOT flour like you wrote? I use American measuring cups/spoons and a digital scale (I live in the US).
Here’s my recipe:
3 Tbsp unsalted butter (42 g)
4 Tbsp all purpose flour (30 g) You can use GF flour as well)
1 Tbsp curry powder (6 g)
1 Tbsp garam masala (6 g)
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (1-2 g) (optional for spicy)
Just in case… flour is 30 grams. Roughly, 4 Tbsp = 1/4 cup = 30 grams. 1 cup = 120-125 grams (King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill flour I use).
Curry powder or garam masala is 6 grams for 1 Tbsp and it’s correct. I don’t guess the measurement, I use a scale. 🙂
Hi Nami, love your website for my Japanese cooking needs. I know you get your curry powder from the Indian grocery store these days but I’m curious about the Garam masala. Where do you buy that and which brand do you use? I’m in the US. Thank you!
Hi T! I still use both curry powder and garam masala from the local Indian store. I don’t remember the brand name but it has a lot of kinds on the shelf. I transferred all the spices to mason jars (so it’s easy to use and smell don’t mix up). Hope you can find them. 🙂
Instead of garam masala can I substitute it with tandoori masala? That was the closest thing I can find.
Hi Judi! I had never tried tandoori masala so I googled and here’s what I found:
You can use tandoori masala in place of garam masala since it does include the same spice, but keep in mind the difference between the two spice blends in terms of heat. The fact that tandoori masala contains chili peppers may make it a great way to add heat to some dishes.
https://www.spiceography.com/tandoori-masala-vs-garam-masala/
Hope that helps!
Hi Nami
Thank you for this recipe. I’m a fan of all of your cooking and have made a number of your recipes with superb results. However, I made this tonight because we didn’t have any S&B curry mix and the family wanted our favourite Japanese curry.
I was rather disappointed in the final flavour of this mix. I understand it isn’t going to taste exactly the same but I’ve had Japanese curries from restaurant and none of them tasted like this. Unfortunately I will not be making this again. I think we will just stick to the S&B mix and leaving making it from scratch to the professionals 🙂
Have a wonderful day
Hi Louise! Thank you for your feedback. I’m glad to hear you enjoy my recipes. It’s hard to re-create the boxed roux flavor and texture without MSG and all the stuff listed in the ingredient list. The basic Japanese roux is made like this, but curry restaurants in Japan would add more spices to make it more complex taste along with good stock. However, the curry roux is very convenient and taste good and it’s good to stock up in the pantry. 🙂
Great video. So how much roux would I use to make a curry for 2 people?
Hi Mike! It all depends on the amount of liquid. This curry roux is for 4 cups liquid (my recipe use 4 cups: https://www.justonecookbook.com/simple-chicken-curry/). 🙂
Hi Nami! Thanks so much for your recipes! I’ve tried many and they have been great! I was wondering if anyone has tried to make a vegan version of this – would it work with vegan butter? Thanks!
Hi Teresa! The cooking oil should work to make the roux, so I assume it’ll be fine. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Hi Nami, thanks for the recipe!
I have one question though, as soon as I added the flour to the melted butter it instantly became a dough instead of a liquid, like in the pictures. What might that be?
Thanks!
Hi Jean! First, measurement is correct, right? When the flour is added, it does become clumped up together. But soon it will become loosen up that looks like liquid. If it didn’t, then I simply think the amount of flour was more than needed (or butter wasn’t enough). Try it again? It should work. 🙂
Thanks for the reply!
I’ll try again 🙂
Hello Nami,
how much in ml or gram is 4cups water?
Thank you
Hi Anna! American 1 cup is 240 ml(g), so it’ll be 960 ml (g).
Thank you Nami!
I did the recipe two times until now and it’s so delicious. Specially for me it’s wonderful to make my own curry roux because there are few times I don’t tolerate the buyed stuff with all additional things inside and selfmade its such a healthy and soul warming food!
Two more things:
Do you use english curry mix or indian curry mix? I’m asking myself if one is more delicous than the other in japanese curry.
Next time I’m thinking bout trying dashi in it to make it even more delicious and to substitute the additionals naturally. Well, I got salmone paste (which they sell in germany everywhere because of the famous königsberger klopse – königsberger dumplings) which I always use for miso soup if I’m short on bonito flakes 😉 because in the fridge it likes keep forever
Hi Anna! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe. I assume the Japanese S&B curry powder is similar to the English curry mix you’re talking about (I’m guessing). I’ve used that before and now I’m using the curry powder that I got from the Indian store. Both give nice flavors so I don’t particularly like one or the other. Maybe test and see which one you like better? 🙂
HELLO Nami,
If I want to use homemade curry roux for your beef curry recipe, how much do I make? Is it double the curry roux recipe for the beef curry recipe?
Hi Helen! For beef curry, you’ll need 8 cups beef stock (2 QT or 1.9 L). So that means you will need at least double amount. 🙂
Are we sure the flour to butter ration is correct? When I did this, it immediately turned into a very thick paste, the consistency of peanut butter.
Hi Tex! Yes, I am sure. I make this recipe for years. Maybe you “packed” the flour into a measuring cups? There is a correct way to measure flour when you use a measuring cup (and not a kitchen scale).
https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to-measure-flour/
Hope that helps!
I was excited to find this recipe as I really love Japanese curry. Unfortunately the brick kind had enough sodium to kill a horse.
I followed this recipe to a T, but when it came time to antidote make curry with it I found it bland but spicy. It really has hardly any flavor at all despite the (rather expensive) curry powder. Very disappointed.
Hi Hen! Thank you for trying this recipe! I’m wondering if you season your curry with salt. We do not add salt in the curry roux because this roux is used for different recipes. So you have to season with salt in the final dish. What you’re missing is the salt component. The spiciness can be adjusted with the pepper. You can reduce it next time. Many readers and I use this recipe frequently, and I’m guessing it’s probably the salt that you didn’t season to taste. Hope this helps. 🙂
Hi Nami,
Thanks for your reply. I have a few bricks left from the roux I made so I can certainly give it a try with more salt. I don’t mind the spiciness, but even with my added meat and veggies and (upon recommendation of a friend) chili powder, it seems to be lacking a “full” flavor. I don’t know how to describe it. I guess it’s the MSG I’m missing? 🙁
Hi Hen! It “could” be, if you’re eating more food that contains MSG and used to it. The curry roux has a lot of unnatural stuff besides MSG, so it’s really impossible to make the roux just like that roux (I mean, if you look at the ingredients on the package, you know what I mean). Salt is pretty powerful if you use it wisely; it can bring out the flavors. So don’t be afraid to use it. Sometimes just a last few more pinch makes a huge difference in the final taste. I added this instruction in the recipe so people are aware that they need to taste the curry they are making and make the final adjustment with salt. 🙂
I would say try to avoid spice mixes that contain chili. Otherwise, the other spices SHOULD be ok, though he may not be used to the flavor profile.
Garam masala is just a basic mix of spices used as the base of many dishes. It’s not just “one” of the ingredient spices. The garam masala I bought had maybe 10 different spices and powder root.
Hi Nami, would the garam masala make this curry taste closer to Indian curry rather than Japanese curry? I have found that Japanese curry has a distinct flavor profile which is quite different from Indian curry. How does your recipe compare to say some of the chain curry restaurants in Japan?
Hi YTL! Hmmm if garam masala is too much you can reduce it. Garam Masala contains a lot of spices, so I like using it (but maybe just me). Japanese curry roux contains a lot of spices too, but the ratio is different in every curry roux brands and restaurants. As we cook at home, we can adjust the flavor profile to your favorite curry restaurant’s style. Each curry-specialized restaurant has its own unique blends. 🙂
I followed the recipe exactly and it didn’t taste anything like Japanese curry. I love all the other recipes on this website, but this one was a hard core miss.
Hi Kathryn! Thank you for trying this recipe, and I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe.
Awesome!
Thank you for your kind feedback, JJ! 🙂
Sounds great! What brand of curry powder and garam masala do you use? I tried making Japanese curry from scratch before but the flavor was off. Can you make a suggestion??
Hi V! You can use Japanese brand S&B curry powder. I use curry powder and garam masala from my local Indian grocery store. 🙂
How does the spice level compare to the Golden Curry Medium Hot Curry Powder?
Hi Tracy! I use that curry powder in this recipe… so it depends on how much cayenne pepper you add to it. 🙂
Thanks for this great recipe! I make it with mochiko flour to make it gluten free.
Hi pineappleteeny! Wonderful! Thank you for sharing your tip! 🙂
Help! I’ve just started making this roux and and soon as I added the flour it just turned into a dough! I can’t stir it as it’s just a ball. Should I add more butter? Milk?!
Hi Angela! It might become a clump but later on it will become bubbly and turn into more liquid form. If it doesn’t, then you might have compacted flour into the flour (which means you may have more flour than needed, so you have more dry ingredients that can turn into a ball).
How did it go?
Hi Nami:
I tried to make the curry roux using your recipe to be served with some brown lentils. I added some salt and 2 cups of hot water to thin the roux and then added to my cooked lentils (1 cup raw cooked in 3 cups water). The end result is very watery, more like a soup than curry that I’m used to. Should I have cooked more (roux, water, lentils)? Thanks
Hi Christina! I apologize for my late response (due to the traveling and flu I have). The roux is for 3 cup liquid (soup). Unlike the store-bought roux, this homemade roux won’t be that thick. But with the right amount of liquid, it should not be so watery. The flour and butter in the roux make the liquid thicker as you cook/reduce the soup a little bit. Were the cooked lentils dry? Then you just had 2 cups liquid, right?
In a way, it’s a bit harder to make your homemade curry into that boxed curry thickness (which is not all natural). Most homemade curry from curry shops are rather loose and not the thickness the packaged curry gives. Hope this helps?
Thanks Nami. I missed your reply for some reason. I think it did thicken a bit in the fridge with time. I’m so glad that it is possible to make this healthier homemade curry roux. 🙂
Hi Christina! I’m sorry. I think it was an error on my end. The email system for commenting was down one time, and I might have responded to you that time (but the email never reached). Sorry about that.
No worries. 🤗 Not life or death situation. Glad that I finally remembered to check this page after your response to my Japanese cheesecake difficulty. It jogged my memory 😉. Thanks Nami.
Thank you Christina!
Can I used your image for my homework?? I really appreciate it if you give me permission to take ur image. It was for my Rbt Project
Hi Nur! As long as it’s for school work, that’s fine with me. 🙂
Thx you so much!
Good luck! 🙂
Your website formatting is trash, but the curry is good. If someone has to scroll past all of your useless story, some would argue that the story is the content and not the food.
Nevermind, I found the jump to recipe button. I’m sorry for calling it trash, it is frustrating when I just want to get to the recipe to cook. The curry, again, is very good.
Hi L! For many people, cooking Japanese recipes with unfamiliar ingredients is a new challenge they want to take. It’s my job and desire to explain the dish name’s meaning (often Japanese names don’t make sense to them), the history behind, how Japanese people eat this dish, or what kind of substitute they have to make, etc to make the process easier and less scary for them. So even though my blog content may not be necessary to you, it provides information that the majority of people need (I’ve been doing this for 9 years, and I receive a lot of feedback to improve the content). I hope you understand. I have “Jump to Recipes” for many years for those who are ready to cook right away. 🙂
I love Japanese カレーライス (usually Glico or Golden) but not the hydrogenated fats or msg and finally found a Japanese curry powder locally- S&B in the red tin I have followed both their recipe and yours and while it is good curry it’s not the カレーライス taste that I love & want Is there some addition or alteration to this recipe I can make to get the flavour just right ?
ありがとう
Hi Vanda! Thank you so much for trying my recipe! I don’t want to disappoint you, but it’s really hard to make it taste like boxed curry roux as it contains so much stuff that is not available for us home cook… (and like you said, you don’t want those in our diet). I’ll study more, but you can try with different spices and condiments to see if you can make it closer. Store-bought ones are definitely sweeter and more salt in the roux. 🙂
The is recipe is a good start to a good curry!
I would love to know if you can or know anyone who can make COCO ICHIBANYA style curry.
I have been making Japanese curry since I left Japan in 2009. I now hold the secrets to several varieties that I can remember thanks to a local curry buffet. For some reason, I have never been able to copy Coco curry right…. It has been driving me mad not being able to have it (my previous summer trip to Asia had me eating coco as often as I could.) HELP!
Hi Gary! I wish I know! Their curry is all made in the factory (https://r.gnavi.co.jp/sp/enkai/article/013099/) so I assume they don’t use just the regular ingredients… and probably add ingredients that we wouldn’t add at home. Just like the store-bought curry roux, if you look at the box, we can’t really replicate that. 🙂
I love your site and just tried the roux for the first time, planning to use it in the next days!
After cooking for over 15 minutes it was still runny but reached a nice light chestnut color, so I thought it would solodify when cooled and so added the spices and stored it in a jar to cool. It’s of a really light color and feels liquid; do you think I can still use it or should I discard it?
Hi Clo! Thank you so much for your kind words and for trying this recipe! How long did you cook the flour mixture? From reading your comment, I think you can still use it. Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Thank you for your feedback!
It cooked 15 minutes, but now that I think about it it was on the smallest stove on minimum heat. Maybe it was that?Now that it is stored in a mason jar in the fridge it solidified, of course. I’ll try it and see how it goes 😀
Hi Clo! The downside of not cooking the flour mixture to the light brown color is just the lack of savory flavor. However, it is okay as long as flour is cooked (you don’t want to taste raw flour taste). 🙂
Hi again, just wanted to tell you that it worked very well in the end, I used it with your pressure cooker recipe <3
The roux became REALLY solid in the fridge, I had some difficulties taking it out from the jar ahaha ^^
Maybe it's better to store it in a silicone container?
I'll keep trying your recipies, thank you for sharing them online!
Hi Clo! Thanks so much for your update! Yeah, the silicone would be good (but it gets oily and I don’t like washing it), or you can reheat a little bit to make it loose too. Or You can line a parchment paper in a container and pour the roux too. 🙂
Do you think almond or coconut flour would work in place of white flour?
Hi Stephanie! I haven’t tried, but I think it will work… Please keep us posted if you end up trying! 🙂
Could you share where you purchased your red wooden stirrer? The thicker version of the spatula is hard to find x) Thank you!
Hi Kelly! It’s from Le Creuset. 🙂
Cant wait to try
Hi Anon! Hope you enjoy!
Hello 😊 I was just wondering if it is usual to get a burned smell after adding the Spices? I had the heat low and was stirring all the time. It smelled nice when I first added the Spices but then kind of had a dull burned smell
Hi Trudy! I’m not sure about “burnt” smell, but when you add, the spice gets cooked easily so you would smell the spice being charred? Not sure I would call it “burnt”? What type of cooking pot/pan were you using? Hope the roux came out well despite the smell?
Hello,
I am unfortunately allergic to Cardamon which is in curry powder and garam masala. Is there any substitutes I can use. Or something. Please. And thank you.
Hi there! You can make your own curry powder and garam masala by mixing different spices (except for cardamom). I’m not very familiar with it, but maybe you can make your own variation?
Thank, thank you for all the recipes, techniques and ideas. Growing up in Japan, but really did not learn to cook, but remember how the food looked and tasted; but now I cook Japanese food to lessen the homesickness. Your recipes are wonderful and the travel guide is a comforting image of my homeland.
Hi Junko-san! Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m really happy to hear my recipes have been helpful. As I get older, I miss Japanese food more and more. I’m happy we can still enjoy our food while living outside of Japan. 🙂
As a Japanese, I value the great cooking knives. But, when the selections are so many, finding one to purchase becomes so difficult. Maybe, you already posted which knife is considered the best, but, if you can post the selection process and which knife maker you recommend, I’d appreciate it. Thank you.
Yes, we have talked about the knife I like in this post:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/your-guide-to-japanese-knives/
And my favorite knife is here: https://kikuichi.net/collections/nwd-series-nickel-warikomi-damascus/products/nwd-nickel-warikomi-damascus-45-layers-rose-wood-gyuto?variant=31159838572592
Everyone holds the knife differently and I really recommend testing it out. I like a light Japanese knife for my wrist. 🙂
Hi Nami… would this recipe work with gluten free flour? Thank you!
Hi Kathy! Yes, it will work with GF flour. 🙂
I was attempting to make the roux and I had the butter melted on low heat. When I added the flour and started stirring the flour just clumped and took on the consistency of play dough. I don’t know what went wrong.
Hi Chloe! As long as you added the correct amount of flour and butter, the clump will turn into the liquid once again. So keep stirring. If it didn’t become so I think your flour measurement must be more than it should. 🙂
Made some excellent curry and great to use in countries where it’s hard to find the expensive curry blocks!
Hi Jon! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for trying this recipe. 🙂