Dinner is solved on a busy weeknight with this easy and delicious Pressure Cooker Japanese Curry using an Instant Pot!
My Instant Pot has been saving me plenty of time cooking for my family’s dinner. It has so many conveniences, but my favorite part is I am also able to cook up complex dishes like this Pressure Cooker Japanese Curry without having to sacrifice the flavors.
The actual pressure cooking time is only 15 minutes, and you don’t even have to be in the kitchen if you use an electric pressure cooker. I simply add the ingredients in the pot, set up the timer, go out for my kids’ activity, and come home for a fabulous dinner ready to eat. Who’s in?
Japanese Curry Rice カレーライス
Have you heard of Japanese curry or Curry Rice (Karē Raisu)? If not, it’s best described as mild and thick curry. Even though curry was originally from Southeast Asia, it has become one of the most popular foods in Japan enjoyed by people of all ages.
Japanese curry is always served with steamed rice, and the common ingredients include a variety of proteins (chicken, beef, pork, seafood), potatoes, onions, and carrots.
To make Thai or Indian curry, you would add the curry spices from the very beginning. However, Japanese curry is seasoned with curry roux toward the end of cooking. Until then it’s just a plain soup/stew.
What is Japanese Curry Roux?
As I mentioned earlier, Japanese curry is seasoned with curry roux. Typically made from fat and flour, roux is a type of thickening agent used for thickening soups and sauces.
Most Japanese make curry with a boxed Japanese curry roux like this (picture above). You can find different spice levels and various brands of curry roux at Japanese or Asian grocery stores. These days I can even find it in the Asian aisle at American supermarkets.
If you prefer to make curry roux from scratch and have an additional 30 minutes to spare, check out my Homemade Curry Roux recipe. All you need is flour, butter, curry powder, and additional spice.
Personalize the Store-Bought Curry with Additional Seasonings
Growing up in Japan, curry rice was a “fast food” for my family; the food that my mom made ahead of time or the previous day when she knew that she couldn’t prepare dinner in time.
I always saw my mom adding grated apples and different condiments to the curry while she was making them. She said, “If you put just the boxed curry roux, your curry will always taste the same. It will not be different from your neighbor’s curry.”
So she taught me two tricks. Use two different brands of curry roux (sometimes mix the spice level, like mild and medium spicy) and use additional seasonings.
My mom and I would use the combination of the following ingredients.
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Butter
- Yogurt
- Grated apple
- Honey
- Red wine or sake
- Oyster sauce
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Tonkatsu sauce
- Soy sauce (used in this recipe)
- Ketchup (used in this recipe)
Other ingredients that my mom or I haven’t added in our curry include peanut butter, marmalade, and banana. Do you add any additional flavoring to your Japanese curry?
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Pressure Cooker Japanese Curry
Video
Ingredients
- 3 onions (large; 2¼ lb, 1,005 g)
- 1½ carrots (5 oz, 143 g)
- 3 Yukon gold potatoes (15 oz, 432 g)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp ginger (grated, with juice)
- 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (see Notes for substitutions)
- ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the Curry Sauce
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil (for cooking)
- 3 cups chicken stock/broth (for lower sodium, use water only or half stock and half water)
- 1 package Japanese curry roux (7–8 oz or 200–230 g; or make my Japanese Curry Roux)
- 1 Tbsp ketchup
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
For Serving
- 6 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice
- fukujinzuke (Japanese red pickled vegetables) (optional; or make my Homemade Fukujinzuke)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. Please read my blog post about options for add-on condiments to season the curry sauce.
To Prepare the Ingredients
- Cut 3 onions in half and cut each half into 5 wedges.
- Peel 1½ carrots and cut into bite-sized pieces. I use a Japanese cutting technique called rangiri. This cut creates more surface area, which helps the carrots absorb more flavor and cook faster. Tip: You can cut the vegetables slightly bigger to avoid a mushy texture.
- Peel 3 Yukon gold potatoes and cut them into quarters. Soak them in water for 15 minutes to remove the excess starch. Tip: Do not use russet potatoes since they would break down too easily.
- Mince 2 cloves garlic (I like this garlic press). Then, grate the ginger with a microplane zester or ceramic grater and reserve 1 tsp ginger (grated, with juice).
- Cut 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces. I use the sogigiri Japanese cutting technique to create more surface area and flatten each piece so it cooks faster. Season with ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper.
To Cook the Curry
- Press the Sauté button on your Instant Pot (I use a 6 QT Instant Pot) or preheat a stovetop pressure cooker over medium heat. When the inner pot is hot, add 1 Tbsp neutral oil.
- Then, add the onion wedges, minced garlic, and grated ginger with juice.
- Add the chicken pieces to the pot and mix until just coated with the oil.
- Add the carrots and potatoes to the pot and mix well.
- Add 3 cups chicken stock/broth and use a spatula to press down the meat and vegetables into the liquid. Then, place the cubes from 1 package Japanese curry roux (I combine half mild and half medium spicy packaged roux) on top of the other ingredients. DO NOT MIX! Otherwise, the roux may sink to the bottom of the pot and burn while cooking. For solidified homemade roux, place the cubes on top of the ingredients and do not mix. For non-solidified homemade roux (that you just made), add it after pressure cooking is done.
- Cover and lock the lid. Make sure the Instant Pot‘s steam release handle points to Sealing and not Venting. Press the Keep Warm/Cancel button on the Instant Pot to stop sautéing. Then, press the Meat/Stew button to switch to pressure cooking. Press the “minus“ button to change the cooking time to 15 minutes.
- For a Stovetop Pressure Cooker: Close and lock the lid. Set the pressure level to high. Heat the pot on the stovetop over medium-high heat until you‘ve reached high pressure. Then, reduce the heat to medium low to maintain high pressure, and cook for 15 minutes.
- When it is finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to the Keep Warm mode. Slide the steam release handle to Venting to let out steam until the float valve drops down, OR let the pressure release naturally (this takes about 15 minutes).
- Unlock the lid. (If you‘re using homemade curry roux, add it to the pot now and heat on Sauté mode for an additional 5 minutes until well blended into the stew.) Add 1 Tbsp ketchup and 1 Tbsp soy sauce now. Mix well, stirring to dissolve the curry roux and checking one last time that there are no undissolved chunks left. Tip: If you use my unsalted homemade curry roux, taste the curry sauce now and add salt to your liking. I recommend adding 2–4 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, but this will vary based on the brand of the chicken broth and condiments you added.
To Serve
- Portion 6 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice on individual plates and serve the curry on top. Serve with optional fukujinzuke (Japanese red pickled vegetables) on the side.
To Store
- Keep the leftovers in a glass airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for a month. The texture of the potatoes will change in the freezer, so remove them before freezing. Defrost the frozen curry in the refrigerator for 24 hours before you want to reheat it.
To Reheat
- Leftover curry sauce will thicken into a paste as it cools, so it tends to burn while reheating. To avoid this, stir ½ cup (120 ml) water or more into the leftover sauce until loosened. Then, gently reheat it on low heat. If the sauce seems thin, continue heating with the lid off to reduce the sauce.
Great recipe thank you! We had the Japanese curry roux in the cupboard for ages and it is now a staple on the shopping list. All the family loves it.
Thank you so much for your kind feedback, Juliette! So glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe. 🙂
I love this recipe! This is always my go-to for Japanese curry. I’ve made it with chicken, chicken thighs, and just recently I made it with lentils INSTEAD of chicken. I just added an extra 1.5 cup water and 1 cup green lentils. Didn’t change the cooking time (15 min) and it works great. Still delicious. Thanks again for this. Really love this site.
Hi Kesondra! I’m so glad to hear you enjoy this recipe! Ohh lentils! Thank you so much for sharing it with us. I’m sure other people want to try playing with other ingredients so thanks for sharing!
Just made this and I don’t think I’ll be making it on the stovetop again! It was so nice to sauté everything together then just leave it in the instant pot. A few changes I made: instead of 3 cups of broth, I used 1.5 cups of broth and 1.5 cups of water (I was afraid it would be too much sodium with 100% broth). I think I’ll try it with 100% broth next time though. Don’t let the water level fool you! I didn’t think there was going to be enough water but the sauce was the perfect consistency. Thank you for this!!
Hi Kim! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and I’m glad you enjoyed it. It’s a lot easier to let the IP do the work while you step away. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your tip too! xo
Hi I have not tried to do this yet I am thinking about trying this weekend. I want to try chicken curry, beef curry, and pork curry. I will probably do pork first because that is what i have on hand, then beef.
What other ingredient combinations from that list have you tried that go well with pork and beef? Thanks so much for all your recipes they are great.
Hi Mia! In Japanese curry, the protein of your choice does not affect the cooking method. I’d recommend giving a good sear if you use stew beef (cubed), which will add amazing flavor to the curry. Hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Hi, I was wondering if this recipe can be made without the chicken? I want to use this curry on my chicken katsu-and-rice dish, and so don’t really want another form of chicken in the meal as well.
If so, would any ingredient amounts change from the posted recipe?
Thank you!
Hi Sam! Yes, you can totally skip the chicken and make this with veggies. Cook less, probably 3 minutes or so since it’s vegetables only. 🙂
Hi Nami! I have a question in regards to the roux.
I am planning to make some homemade, from your other recipe, and freeze in an ice cube tray to store so I can grab roux as needed.
For this recipe, should I thaw out the roux and add after pressure cooking, or since it’s no longer runny would it be okay to add in prior to the pressure cook cycle?
Thank you! I’m looking forward to using many of your recipes.
Hi Krys! I hope your ice cube tray is silicone mold, otherwise, I think it’ll be hard to pop out. If it’s in the cube form, you can leave those cube ON TOP of ingredients without mixing before the pressure cook cycle. You don’t want the roux to go down to the bottom of the pot (which will cause “burn” warning sign). Either way, it works – you can add it later after the pressure cook cycle too. Just make sure the roux won’t go down to the bottom. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
I ended up making it with fresh made curry from your recipe, and it was so good! I’m definitely going to make it again. I tried it with beef last time, and next time I’m trying it with chicken.
Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes!
Hi Krys! Thank you so much for your feedback. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
Wow! I’ve always made your traditional curry but we got a multi cooker and this version was the business. So tender even with chicken breast. Thank you so much!
Hi Erin! I’m so happy to hear you made my stovetop curry, and now this method! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for your kind feedback, Erin!
Hi-
I am defrosting ground beef in the instant pot and would like to try this recipe. Do you have any recommendations for changes in timing or volume of any of the ingredients?
Thank you!
Hi Allison! I’m sorry for my late response. It should be fast, less than 5 minutes? I used 1 lb of ground meat for this curry recipe (https://www.justonecookbook.com/keema-curry/) that serves 4…
Thanks, Nami ! It came out great except just a tad watery. Delicious, though~
Thanks for your feedback, Allison! I’m sorry I couldn’t write you back sooner…
i have never made stew/curry in IP. would the potatoes and carrots be over cook, when cooked for 15 minutes in IP. i like my vegs more firm then soft.
Hi Eric! If you prefer veggies to be on the firm side, you could pressure cook twice… which I really hate to do, so my trick is to cut the vegetables slightly bigger (do not cut small pieces), which take longer to cook (than small pieces). Still, it will be tender, hopefully not too mushy for you. Usually, Japanese curry that’s cooked for a longer time (delicious!) tends to have no vegetables or super tender vegetables, but that’s how it is. However, this is really. up to your preference. 🙂
Have you tried to use slow cooker/crock pot to make curry?
Hi Eric, Sure, you can. However, we recommend sautéing the onion and meat first, then slow cook.
Add the curry roux 30~40 minutes before you finish cooking.🙂 We hope this helps!
I made this with beef and beef broth instead of chicken. It was delicious! Tossed frozen chunks of meat in the instant pot and it came out more tender than I’ve ever managed to get it using the stovetop. I also loved the addition of ginger to the mixture. Thank you for the recipe. It’s a keeper.
Hi Katy! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the beef curry! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback. xo
I’m excited to try this tonight! We just got back from the Asian market with some Japanese curry blocks. However, I just noticed that the brand I bought (Kokumaro) only has 5 ounces for the entire container. Should I add extra to get to the 8 Ounces you recommend, or do you think I should just stick to the 5 ounces in the container? I’m thinking of just doing the 5 ounces to try at first, but wanted to know your thoughts. Thanks!
Hi Gabe! I’m so sorry for my late response. I didn’t realize the Kokumaro is just 5 oz only – even though the size of boxes are all pretty similar among all the curry roux brands. I am not sure if their small amount of roux would make the same amount of curry at the end.
If you are going to test, start with less water/broth. You can always add more liquid, but it’s hard to let the curry evaporate in case the flavor is diluted too much. 🙂
My family loves Japanese curry. I make curry chicken at least once a month if not every other week. I like the convenience of one pot cooking. It saves time and just one pot to clean afterwards.
I usually only use half of a box of the S&B Golden curry source mix (about 4 oz) for the amount of liquid called for in this recipe. It has always been the right taste and consistency to our liking. I used the whole box tonight and the curry turned out a bit too salty (I used 1 cup broth and 2 cups water). If I have used your homemade curry roux then the amount of broth and roux may be right to taste. Definitely check the nutrition facts on the store bought curry roux and make adjustments to the broth and roux used. Other than that, the curry is tasty while the chicken is tender. I probably will stick with using pressure cooker from now on. Next time I will try chicken breast instead and will shorten the time to 10 mins with natural release. Thank you Nami for coming up with this Instant Pot version of curry; Looking forward to seeing more Instant Pot recipes coming 🙂
Hi CK! Thank you so much for sharing your kind feedback! I hope to share more IP recipes in the future too! 🙂
Same here I used the whole box and it was too salty. The back of the packaging instructed half box for 6 serving. I will try cutting the curry in half next time. I used Vermont curry. Taste was good though other than too salty.
Hi Jimmy! Thanks for trying this recipe! Using the whole box is pretty standard for this amount of curry, but my concern is chicken broth/stock. I know some brand is quite salty than the others. I’m thinking…if you had never tasted/used the curry box, you may not used to the taste and you may think it is salty (it includes MSG too).
I just wanted to mention here that the whole box (6 servings) is the right amount to make typical Japanese curry in Japan, but I understand it is up to everyone’s preference. Thanks so much again for your feedback, Jimmy!
I have an Instant Pot Ultra Mini. Can I just reduce the amounts in the recipe by half to get the same results? Also, can I substitute beef for chicken and the chicken stock with beef stock?
Hi Kiyo! I think someone left a comment before. Yes, please cut down the recipe in half. Yes, you can use beef and beef stock. I recommend browning the beef nicely (if you use stew beef). It adds more flavor to the dish. 🙂
I made Japanese curry for our 10th anniversary tonight. First time! Husband said it tastes just like his moms and he’s crying in joy!!
Hi Kate! Awww I’m so happy to hear your husband enjoyed your homemade curry! 🙂 Thank you for sharing the story with us! And HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to you two!
Thank you for sharing. Going to try it for beef. Would you recommend cook time to be a bit longer for beef? Also when you say sauté, is it medium or high temperature that you use?
Hi Rachael! I use high on saute mode (most of the time). Probably 20 minutes. But the veggies will get mushy. If you don’t want to do two separate pressure cooking, make sure to cut the vegetables relatively bigger size (but it may become a bit more on the tender side). 🙂