A warm and aromatic Japanese style curry powder that’s easy to make.
Japanese curry (aka kare) is one of my favourite Japanese dishes and the star of the recipe is the curry sauce or gravy. You can buy premade curry roux, a block that melts into the curry, or you can make your own roux with a store bought curry powder and it’s also super easy to make your curry powder! Japanese curry powder is a simple blend of spices inspired by Indian style curries and modified for the Japanese palate. One of my favourite store bought curry powders is the s&b oriental curry powder and this recipe is based on the ingredients in it. There are a lot of spices in this blend but it’s as easy to make as mixing them. You can use pre-ground spices or you can grind the ingredients yourself in a spice grinder. I often have coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, cinnamon, and star anise in whole form and I like to lightly toast them in a pan, to bring out even more of their flavours and aromas, before grinding them into powder. I like to make a large batch of this Japanese curry powder and keep any leftovers in a sealed jar for quick use whenever I get a craving for Japanese curry!
Homemade vs store bought:
Japanese Curry Powder
Prep Time:5 minutes Total Time:5 minutes Servings: 8(~8 tablespoons)
A warm and aromatic Japanese style curry powder that’s easy to make.
ingredients
- 2 tablespoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
- 1 teaspoon ground orange peel
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground fennel
- 1 teaspoon ground star anise
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
directions
- Mix everything well, optionally grinding any whole ingredients.
Option: You can use the whole or unground form of any of the ingredients and grind them in a spice grinder.
Tip: Lightly toast any whole form of ingredients, such as cumin seeds, fennel seeds, coriander, etc. before grinding them.
Option: Make curry roux cubes by lightly browning 1/2 cup butter, mixing in 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup curry powder and simmering, whisking, until the it turns a nice golden brown and smells nutty, about 2-3 minutes, before pouring into a bowl to cool and solidify. Store in the fridge or freezer until ready to use.
Option: For a spicier/hotter curry, add more cayenne.
