This vegan Japanese curry is made with chunks of potatoes and veggies simmered up in a spicy tomato base. Served over a bed of rice, it makes a perfect hearty fall dinner!
We order a fair amount of Japanese takeout in my house, and usually some type of veggie sushi is the main attraction. Cozy fall stews aren’t what normally come to mind when I think of Japanese food, or at least they weren’t. Until now.
For a while I’ve had a vague idea of what was involved in Japanese curry. One of the Japanese places I used to frequent for work lunches when I lived in Philly had curries, and they always smelled really good, but none were vegan. I never really bothered to inquire what else was in them, other than meat.
As it turns out, Japanese curry is kind of like beef stew. Weird! But I can totally handle beef stew, in vegan form anyway.
Think of this as a hearty, super-spicified cousin to my vegan beef stew. Like my old beefless stew recipe, this one is loaded with potatoes and hearty veggies, but it’s also got a nice hit of curry powder, as well as an apple, which adds just a touch of sweetness. Lots of Japanese curry recipes seem to include peas, but I decided to swap them out for edamame, just to shake things up a bit. It’s perfectly cozy and kind of a perfect dish for a nippy fall evening.
Vegan Japanese Curry
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 4 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 large russet potato, scrubbed and diced
- 1 apple, I used a Fuji, peeled and finely diced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Japanese curry powder or more, to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups shelled frozen edamame, thawed
- salt and pepper to taste
For Serving
- cooked rice
- chopped scallions
Instructions
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Coat the bottom of a large pot with 2 tablespoons of oil and place over medium heat. When oil is hot, add onion and carrots. Sauté until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, and sauté about 1 minute more, until very fragrant.
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Add broth or water, potato, apple, tomato paste, curry powder, and Worcestershire sauce to pot. Raise heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Lower heat and allow to simmer, uncovered, until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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While the potato mixture simmers, place remaining tablespoon of oil into a small saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer, whisking constantly, for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth and darkens up just a bit.
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Add flour mixture to the pot with potato mixture and stir until fully incorporated. Stir in edamame and allow to simmer for about a minute or two more, just to heat the edamame and thicken the base a bit. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and adjust any other seasonings to your liking.
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Divide rice into bowls and top with curry. Sprinkle with scallions and serve.
Recipe Notes
*If you can't find Japanese curry powder, try a mixture of garam masala and regular (English) curry powder.
Nutrition information does not include rice.
I love Japanese curries. They are so comforting but enough of a twist, you know? It takes some to make but totally worth it.
Yes! This isn’t my typical curry, but definitely comforting and perfect for a little something different. :)
Too bland for me as is. Made it a second time. Omitted the Worcestershire sauce (unnecessary) and added another teaspoon of curry, a teaspoon of Chinese five spice, and added salt during the cooking process instead of after taken off the heat. Much better. For me, anyway. Also added toasted sesame seeds for a more Japanese vibe.
I may just be missing it, but how many servings does this make?
Oh thanks for asking – looks like I left that out by mistake! It makes 4. I just updated the recipe. :)
Very yummy! For some reason i shredded the apple and it made the sauce thicker and worked well. If you want some heat I add a sprinkle of cayenne at the table. I made it with all yellow curry and then another time with half yellow curry and half garam masala. The later was milder, but it works either way.This is now one of my go to vegan recipes!! Thank you for sharing!!
Those all sound like delicious variations! I’m so glad you’re enjoying it. Thanks Roberta!