Japanese curry rice
カレーライス
The everyday Japanese curry — mild, a little sweet, thick enough to catch on rice, no cutlet required.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: カレーライス.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- Mild
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Kare raisu is the national comfort stew: onion cooked until sweet, carrot, potato, and a roux that is closer to gravy than to Indian masala. Most homes use a boxed roux. This recipe lets you use the box or a butter-flour-spice stand-in. It should be mild enough for children and still savoury.
Ingredients
- Onion, sliced3
- Carrot2
- Potato3 medium
- Chicken, bite-size, or skip for vegetable curry400 g
- Butter30 ml
- Wheat flour, skip if using a roux block30 ml
- Garam masala15 ml
- Turmeric4.9 ml
- Soy sauce15 ml
- Apple or Korean pear, grated (optional)½
- Water800 ml
- Rice, uncooked, to serve400 g
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Brown chicken if using; lift out. Cook onions in butter until they slump and go gold, 15 minutes. This is the flavour.
18 minStep 2
Add carrot, potato, spices and flour. Stir. Add water, soy and apple. Return chicken. Simmer until the vegetables are tender and the sauce coats a spoon, 20 minutes. A roux block goes in at the end instead of flour and spice.
20 minStep 3
Rice, a lake of curry, pickle if you have it.
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 24 August.
Substitutions
Chicken → Beef cubes, simmered longer
The other weekday protein.
Tips
- A square of chocolate or a spoon of honey is a home secret. A little is enough.
- It is better the next day.
History & culture
School lunches, home Fridays, and the dish more Japanese people eat weekly than sushi. A fukujinzuke pickle on the side is usual.
British naval curry entered in the Meiji era. Japan thickened it, sweetened it, and put it on short-grain rice.
Modern adaptation
Provenance: Editorial adaptation. Original editorial adaptation for I Want Some Food. Not copied from another recipe site. Official recipe photography is pending. Photograph: Photograph supplied by the editorial kitchen. (Editorial supply).
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Japanese curry rice take?
55 min all in — 15 min prep, 40 min cook. That is the time on this recipe, not a guess.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
Mild.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Soy. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Dairy-free, Nut-free.
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Dutch oven.
How much salt do I put in?
This recipe does not list salt as its own ingredient. Saltiness comes from Soy sauce — 1 tbsp. Taste at the end rather than adding a number we did not write.
How much soy sauce?
1 tbsp of Soy sauce.
What can I use instead?
Chicken → Beef cubes, simmered longer. The other weekday protein.
Any tips from this recipe?
A square of chocolate or a spoon of honey is a home secret. A little is enough. It is better the next day.
Can I prepare this ahead?
It is better the next day.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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