JAPANESE CURRY BRICK
This recipe for buttery curry brick comes from the cookbook author and teacher Sonoko Sakai, who wanted a homemade alternative to the industrial, store-bought cubes that make the thick, spicy sauce for Japanese curries. Sakai wanted to avoid palm oil, preservatives and artificial ingredients, so her version starts with whole toasted spices, ground into a fine powder and stirred into a gently browned roux of butter and flour. Feel free to play with the spice proportions - increase the chile powder for a hotter curry or the kombu for more sweetness. No matter how you tweak it, the best part about Sakai's recipe is that it makes enough for several meals, and you can store the extra curry bricks in the fridge or freezer, so you're ready to make a curry whenever you like (see the note below for instructions).
Provided by Tejal Rao
Categories dinner, easy, weeknight, curries, poultry, main course
Time 45m
Yield 3 large curry bricks (27 small cubes)
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- In a large skillet, toast cinnamon, bay leaf, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, cloves and cardamom pods over medium heat, stirring until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the spices. Transfer the toasted ingredients to a spice grinder.
- Add the mushroom, kombu and peppercorns to the spice grinder, and grind at the highest speed for 30 seconds. Shake the grinder a couple of times as you blend to make sure the cinnamon stick is pulverized. (You can also grind the spices in batches, if necessary.) Transfer the pulverized spices to a small bowl. Add the orange zest, turmeric, ginger, sea salt, paprika and cayenne pepper.
- To make the roux, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When the butter is nearly melted, lower the heat to medium-low. Gradually whisk in the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, until the roux turns light brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Be careful not to burn the roux. Turn off the heat, add the spice mix and stir until well combined.
- Divide the mixture among three mini aluminum loaf pans, adding about 3/4 cup per loaf pan, or transfer the entire mixture to a parchment-lined quarter-size sheet tray. Let cool for a few minutes at room temperature, then transfer to the fridge so the bricks can solidify. Once firm, unmold, cut each brick into 9 small curry brick cubes (or, if using a sheet tray, cut the mixture into 27 pieces total) and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator for about a month or in the freezer for 3 months.
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love
Steven Thomas
[email protected]5 stars! This curry was absolutely delicious.
MB JIBON HOSEN
[email protected]This is my new favorite curry recipe! It's so easy to make and the flavor is incredible.
Orenuga Sauban
[email protected]I followed the recipe exactly and the curry turned out great! I'll definitely be making this again.
xoxohassna raj
[email protected]The curry was a bit too sweet for my taste.
Mustafa mahmad
[email protected]Not bad, but I've had better Japanese curry.
Arslan YT PUBG
[email protected]Meh.
Mia Rose
[email protected]This was my first time making Japanese curry and it was surprisingly easy. The curry bricks made it so convenient and the flavor was amazing!
BISMA FATIMA
[email protected]I've made this curry several times now and it's always a winner. I like to add a bit of extra spice with some cayenne pepper.
David Cancer
[email protected]Great recipe! The curry was flavorful and rich. I especially liked the addition of the apple and honey, which gave it a nice sweetness.
Qamar Iqbal
[email protected]Delicious and easy! I'm not the best cook but this recipe was foolproof. The curry bricks took all the guesswork out of seasoning the curry.
Kombo Prosper
[email protected]This Japanese curry was a hit with my family! The curry bricks made it so easy to achieve that authentic Japanese curry flavor. We served it over rice and everyone went back for seconds.