Make Easy Homemade Japanese-Style Curry From Scratch
Curry is so, so tasty. You'd think this spice-driven import from the far east would be deeply complicated to make, but it doesn't have to be. Follow our simple recipe and you can stop buying the boxed stuff, and make your own Japanese-style curry at home, from scratch.
You will need a basic food processor to complete this recipe.
Approx. Cooking Time: 2 Hours
Ingredients You'll Need
- 2 sweet onions
- 2 sweet apples
- 3 jalapeño chiles [Like it hot? Substitute 2 serrano chiles.]
- 4 tbsp butter or oil
- 4 tsp ground ginger
- 3 tsp ground cumin
- 3 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 lb meat of choice [Any stew or ground meat works great. Avoiding red meat? Try chicken thighs or a fatty fish like salmon.]
- 1 1/4 cup broth (beef, chicken, or vegetable)
Process Gallery
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Peel and chop both onions and both apples. Set aside 1/2 of an onion for your curry paste (see step 3). Put the onions and apples in a shallow pan with the butter or oil.
- Cook at medium heat, stirring until onions and apples are fully coated with the butter. Once fully coated, stir every one or two minutes, at first, and then every five minutes or so as the caramelization process continues. Full (or near-to-full) caramelization should take roughly one hour. If your onions and apples have not begin to brown after 10-15 minutes, turn up heat until all liquid has dissipated. If cooking on an electric stove, you may need to steadily reduce heat over time to prevent burning.
- While your onions and apples are caramelizing, chop your chiles (setting aside the stems) and add them to your food processor with the 1/2 onion you set aside in step 1.
- Blitz the onions and chiles until they are roughly chopped. Next, add in all dry spices (ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, smoked paprika, salt) and process until the mixture reaches a mostly smooth consistency or wet paste. Set this curry paste aside until your apples and onions are finished caramelizing.
- Once your onions and apples are sufficiently caramelized, add the curry paste to the pan and cook 10 minutes on medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
- Add your meat, stirring it into the combined and cooked curry, onion, and apples, and cooking until just browned.
- Add broth and stir, cooking 15 minutes or until reduced into a smooth curry sauce.
- Serve over a starch, such as rice or pasta.