How to Make Japanese Chicken Curry

Introduced to Japan by the British more than a century ago, curry has remained a popular dish throughout the country. The flavourful recipe consists of crisp fried chicken cutlets and a thick curry sauce arranged on a bed of rice. This tasty dish is traditionally served with pickled radish and half a hard-boiled egg. 

What makes Japanese chicken curry unique from curries found in other countries is its innovative blend of flavours. Japanese curry tends to be sweeter and milder than Indian curries. The dish relies on a series of spices and vegetables to create the traditional Japanese curry flavours that millions of people have come to love.

This Japanese chicken curry recipe contains curry roux which comes in several varieties, such as sweet, medium, and spicy. Curry roux is a convenient addition and can help you save time when making curry and it adds tons of flavour.

How to Make Japanese Chicken Curry

Have an authentic Japanese dinner on the table in less than an hour and a half. With tender vegetables, moist chicken, and a rich, savory sauce, Japanese chicken curry will soon become a family favourite.

Ingredients:

• 340 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs (Beef, pork, tofu, seafood, or extra vegetables can be substituted)
• Kosher/sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 potato
• 2.5 g grated ginger
• 1 clove garlic
• 10 ml neutral-flavoured oil (canola, vegetable, etc.)
• 480 ml chicken broth/stock
• Half an apple
• 7 ml honey
• Half box Japanese curry roux (100 g)
• 10 ml soy sauce
• 7 ml ketchup

Instructions:

1. Remove any excess fat from the chicken and cut it into bite-size pieces. Use salt and pepper to season the chicken thighs.

2. Peel and cut the onion into wedges and the carrot into rolling wedges.

3. Peel and cut the potatoes into 1.5-inch pieces. Soak the potato chunks in water for 15 minutes to remove excess starch.

4. Crush the garlic and grate the ginger into a bowl.

5. Heat the oil in a large pot on the stove over medium heat. Sauté the onions until they become slightly golden and translucent.

6. Add the garlic and ginger to the pot.

7. Add the chicken pieces to the pot and cook until the chicken turns a whitish color.

8. Add the carrot and mix everything together.

9. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Continue to skim any fat or scrum from the surface of the broth while cooking.

10. Peel and grate the apple into the pot. 

11. Add the salt and honey. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring on occasion.

12. Add the potatoes to the pot and cook for 15 more minutes. Turn off the heat.

13. Put 1 to 2 blocks of roux in a ladle and slowly lower it into the pot, allowing it to dissolve in the spoon. Continue until all the blocks have been dissolved. Stir to combine.

14. Add ketchup and soy sauce. Turn the stove to low heat and simmer uncovered until the curry thickens.

15. Serve with Japanese rice and garnish with a boiled egg and Fukujinzuke. 

Curry can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two to three days or in the freezer for up to one month.