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bowl of white rice and Japanese chicken curry

Japanese Chicken Curry

Print Recipe
A thick, rich and savory curry that is the perfect cold weather meal—warm, cozy, and full of hearty root vegetables.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 5 people

Ingredients

For the Curry

  • 2 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 Sweet Onion large, sliced
  • ½ tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 lb Chicken Breast
  • 3 Carrots large
  • 1 Asian Pear See notes
  • 1 ½ Cups Chicken Broth or bone broth
  • 4 Gold Potatoes medium
  • Sea Salt to taste
  • Black Pepper to taste

For the Roux

  • 3 Tbsp Butter
  • 3 Tbsp Flour
  • 3 Tbsp Curry Powder Japanese style, not Indian
  • ½ tsp Cayenne Powder
  • ½ Tbsp Tomato Paste or 1 Tbsp of ketchup
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

Instructions

Making the Curry

  • Thinly slice the onion, then peel and roughly chop the carrots and potatoes into 1-inch chunks. On a separate cutting board, cut the chicken breast into bite-sized cubes. Finally, peel and puree the Asian pear (or apple) in a food processor.
  • Melt 2 Tbsp. of butter in a pot over medium heat. Once melted, add the onion, half a teaspoon of garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. Allow it to cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the chicken to the pot, and cook for 3-4 minutes until the it is browned on the outside. It will not be fully cooked at this point.
  • Add your carrots, pureed pear, and chicken stock to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer covered for 5 minutes.
  • Add the potatoes and simmer for another 20 minutes while you make the roux.

Making the Roux

  • Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat and melt 3 Tbsp. of butter. Add the flour and immediately stir until the flour and butter form a paste. Next, add the curry powder, cayenne, tomato paste, and Worcestershire, stirring to combine everything into a smooth, brown paste. Keep cooking the paste over low heat, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
  • Once the curry has simmered and the vegetables are tender, ladle 1-2 cups of the liquid from the curry into the saucepan with the roux. Whisk the roux and liquid until smooth. Next, pour the contents of the saucepan into the curry and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve the curry over rice and enjoy!

Notes

  • Asian pear can be substituted for a large, sweet apple.
  • Adjust the amount of cayenne based on your spice tolerance.
  • If you have trouble getting the roux to dissolve in the broth, pour everything into the curry and simmer another 3-5 minutes while stirring.