Japan is a country known for eating with its eyes. When people picture Japanese food, they think of bento boxes garnished with shiso leaves, meals arranged in lacquered trays and pastries that are works of art. However, increasingly, there’s another side of Japanese cuisine that’s getting attention: studiously, unapologetically brown curry. 

Popularised by Wagamama, and now available in most British supermarkets, Japanese curry has taken the U.K. by storm. And, really, it should be no surprise given that Japan’s take on curry is actually thought to be British in origin. 

Curry reached Japan in the 19th century, likely via the British navy. The British navy served an Anglicised version of Indian food on board their ships, probably akin to modern-day chip shop curry sauce. This dish spread across Japan, slowly morphing into Japanese-style curry, or ‘kare’ (pronounced ka-ray). By the late 19th century while kare wasn’t as widespread in Japan as it is today, it was established on some high-end restaurant menus, and seen as a decidedly Western import.

In Japan today, kare is still seen as more European than Indian. Restaurants proudly display signs touting that they serve ‘European-style curry’ (欧風カレー), and in more up-market curry restaurants the curry is often served in a silver gravy boat, alongside buttered potatoes. If a restaurant is instead serving Indian-style curry this will be called ‘spice kare’, to not confuse unsuspecting customers.

In Japan ‘katsu kare’ (カツカレー) exclusively refers to curry (kare) served with a cutlet (katsu). However, in the UK katsu curry is increasingly used to refer to any Japanese-style curry, whether or not it comes with a cutlet, likely confusing and occasionally disappointing Japanese tourists. In Japan there’s also a lot more diversity in what the cutlets can be made out of, with chicken, pork and mince all being very standard options, rather than just chicken.

Reporting on Japan, and particularly Japanese food, tends towards hyperbole. The most expensive watermelon in the world! The most laborious sushi! The most intricate bento boxes! However, when it comes to curry, the nation’s adoration really does deserve acclaim. Japan really, really loves curry. Supermarket shelves are lined with different boxes of curry roux, it’s a staple of school dinners and served every Friday in the Japanese navy.

It’s not just katsu curry on offer either. While katsu curry is very popular in Japan, it’s only one option of many. Japanese kare restaurants frequently offer dozens of different varieties – pork belly, slow-cooked beef, mince, clams, cheese.  You will find kare in different forms too, from noodle dishes like curry ramen and curry udon, to snacks like ‘kare pan’, a curry-stuffed bread.

One of the reasons Japanese curry has become so popular in Japan was the invention in the 1950s of boxed ‘curry roux’. These are little spiced cubes of roux which form the basis of most Japanese curry recipes. They come in different spice levels, from mild to hot, but are generally on the milder and sweeter side. As Japanese curry has spread in popularity throughout the UK, these have become easier to find in British supermarkets, and they can also be found in Asian supermarkets, where you’ll generally have more choice. However, as you’ll see in the recipe below, making Japanese curry from scratch without a roux, while not quite as simple as the box mix, is still very easy.

If making a chicken cutlet to go with your curry, then two things are key: the temperature of your oil, and the quality of your panko. We’d recommend seeking out a Japanese or Chinese brand of panko if possible, as British supermarket panko can have flakes which are too large. For the oil temperature, we’d recommend using a digital thermometer. If you scale up this recipe, only add a small amount of chicken at a time, and let the oil come back up to temperature between batches. If you find that the oil is getting too hot, turn down the heat or remove the pan from the heat until it has dropped to the right temperature.

Serves 2

Japanese curry sauce freezes well, so if you have too much it can be a great one to freeze for a quick meal later on. However, potatoes don’t freeze well, so if your sauce has potatoes in it these will unfortunately turn mealy after freezing.

Cooked chicken cutlets also freeze well – place some parchment paper between each cutlet to stop them from sticking together, and freeze them in an airtight container. To defrost, leave in the fridge overnight and then warm in the oven for 20 minutes or so at 180°C fan, or until crisp and hot.

In Japan, there’s a very particular way of serving curry. The rice goes on one side of the plate, and the sauce on the other side, with the topping (if you have one) placed on the boundary between the two. It’s also generally served with sweet pickles called fukujinzuke, or sharp pickled onions called rakkyou. Some restaurants will also serve boiled, buttered potatoes on the side. Curry in Japan is also always eaten with a spoon.