This Japanese beef curry uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients and delivers a savory, umami-packed stew that’s sure to satisfy your cravings!
Japanese curry is popular around the world, but this upgraded version will be your new go-to for special dinners like birthdays, anniversaries, or Valentine’s!
My husband and I weren’t big fans of Japanese curry because of the heaviness of the curry roux, but I found a way to make it more savory and less heavy. Now, we love Japanese curry as much as we love Indian curry!
So, if you were like us before, I hope you give this a try and fall in love with Japanese curry too 🙂
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients: I tried to create the best flavors with minimal, simple ingredients that you can find at home!
- Balanced, rich flavors with less roux: By adding umami-rich ingredients, we can use less curry roux while still keeping the curry deep, savory, and full of flavor. This makes for a well-balanced dish that isn't too heavy on the curry taste and even cuts down on calories!
- Short active cooking time: While it takes time to marinate and simmer the ingredients, the actual cooking time that requires your attention is short. You can work on something else while creating this delicious dish 🙂
Notes on Ingredients
See the recipe card for the full ingredients list.
- Beef: Brisket, short plate, flank, shank, and chuck are great options. I mistakenly used round for testing, and it turned out flaky instead of melty (still delicious, though!), so don’t make the same mistake as me 🙂
- Apple: We use an apple in the marinade to soften the beef.
- Onions: We use onions in two ways—one for the marinade and one for the sauce. Grated onions help tenderize the beef, and caramelized onions in the sauce add extra savory flavors.
- Carrots: I decided to grate the carrots to make it easier to add umami to the sauce. Also, not having chunky carrots makes the dish look more like a café/hotel-style curry 🙂
- Canned tomatoes: These add more umami to the dish. It’s important to heat the tomatoes enough to remove their sour flavors.
- Red wine: This adds an extra savory, sophisticated flavor that makes the dish a little more special than normal Japanese curry. Red wine also helps tenderize the beef. I used dry red wine for testing.
- Curry roux: Any Japanese curry roux works well. I used Golden Curry Hot.
- Bouillon paste: This also adds extra umami flavor to the dish. I used Better Than Bouillon Chicken Bouillon Flavor.
Substitutions and Variations
- Other meats: You can use other types of meat, such as chicken, pork, or sliced beef.
- Apple: You can substitute the ¼ apple with 3-4 tablespoons of applesauce.
- Bouillon paste: Substitute 1 teaspoon of bouillon paste + 1 cup of water for 1 cup of liquid bouillon. You can also use other bouillon options, such as cubes or powder.
How to Make Japanese Beef Curry
Step 1: Marinate the beef with red wine, grated onion, and apple for at least one hour
Step 2: Sear the beef
Step 3: Melt butter and sauté sliced onions until golden brown
Step 4: Add finely minced carrots, tomatoes, and mushrooms, then sauté until the tomatoes soften
Step 5: Pour in the reserved marinade, seared beef, water, bay leaf, and bouillon paste. Cover and simmer for 2 hours
Step 6: Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped curry roux. Simmer on low for another 10 minutes
FAQs
Brisket, shank, chuck, round, flank, or tendon are great choices for Japanese curry.
Japanese medium or short-grain rice works best.
Any Japanese curry cubes will work well with this recipe. If you're curious about the flavors and characteristics of different brands, I found this article interesting.
Your curry may be too thin because:
- You added the curry cubes while the sauce was boiling
- You didn't simmer the curry long enough after adding the curry cubes
- You tasted the curry with a ladle and put it back into the pot (saliva contains amylase, which breaks down starches that help thicken the curry)
- You added extra vegetables with high water content
To fix this, you could:
- Simmer the curry longer
- Add a flour-to-water mixture (1:1 ratio) and simmer for 5–10 minutes
- Turn off the heat, add grated potatoes, and simmer for another 10 minutes
Kurumi's Tips
- Marinate for Tenderness: Marinate the beef for at least one hour for the best results. This step helps make the beef tender.
- Use a Pressure Cooker: A pressure cooker can help reduce the simmering time.
- Add Curry Cubes Carefully: Turn off the heat and make sure the curry sauce isn’t boiling before adding the curry cubes.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
To store: Once the curry has cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 2–3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
To reheat: Defrost frozen curry in the fridge overnight, then gradually reheat it in a pot. Add a little water if the curry is too thick.
What to Serve with Japanese Beef Curry
- A light salad, such as Japanese potato salad, Caesar salad, or Cobb salad.
- Soup, such as simple vegetable soup or creamy soup.
More Japanese Main Dish Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
💌 If you created this recipe and liked it, please let me know by leaving a comment below or tagging me on Instagram (@giveme.umami). I'd love to see your creation!
📖Recipe
Japanese Beef Curry (Simple Ingredients & Extra Savory)
Ingredients
For the Beef
- 18 ounces beef brisket, shank, chuck, round, flank, or tendon
- ¼ onion 2.5oz, 70g
- ¼ apple 1.8oz, 50g
- ½ cup red wine
For the Curry Sauce
- 1 large onion 9oz, 250g
- 2 carrots 3.5oz, 100g
- 3.5 ounces mushrooms 100g
- 2 cubes Japanese curry roux
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 30g
- 1 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons bouillon paste
- 1 bay leaf
For Serving
- 4 servings cooked Japanese rice
Instructions
Marinade the Beef
- Prep the beef: Pound 18 ounces beef with the back of a knife until it is reduced to half its thickness. Cut the beef into big bite-sized pieces (about 4 cm).
- Prep the marinade: Blend ¼ onion and ¼ apple in a food processor or blender until grated.
- Marinate the beef: Place the beef, ½ cup red wine, grated onion, and grated apple into a ziplock bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Make the Curry Sauce
- Prepare the ingredients: Thinly slice 1 large onion, peel and finely mince 2 carrots (or use a food processor), slice or halve 3.5 ounces mushrooms, and chop 2 cubes Japanese curry roux.
- Sear the beef: Heat a large pot over medium heat and add oil. Remove the beef from the marinade (do not discard the marinade). Sear the beef quickly on the surface, then remove it from the pot. The inside does not need to be fully cooked at this stage.
- Sauté the onions: Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in the same pot and sauté the onions over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Cook the vegetables: Add the carrots, mushrooms, and 1 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes. Sauté over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes soften.
- Add the marinade: Pour in the reserved marinade and bring to a boil.
- Simmer the curry: Add the seared beef, 2 cups water, 2 teaspoons bouillon paste, and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 2 hours.
- Add the curry roux: Once the curry has finished simmering, turn off the heat. Add the chopped curry roux and mix well until it melts.
- Final simmer: Turn the heat to low again and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
- Serve: Serve over warm, cooked Japanese rice and enjoy!
Notes
- Marinate the beef for at least one hour for the best results. This step helps make the beef tender.
- You can also use a pressure cooker to reduce the simmering time.
- Turn off the heat and ensure the curry sauce isn’t boiling before adding the curry cubes.
- To store: Once the curry has cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 2–3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- To reheat: Defrost frozen curry in the fridge overnight, then gradually reheat it in a pot. Add a little water if the curry is too thick.
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