Japanese Pork Curry

Japanese Pork Curry – With a little help from a store, you can create a super easy curry dinner (5 ingredients) in less than 30 minutes!

This is one of my childhood favorite dishes of all time. Although the origin of this dish is from Japan, every child in Korea grew up eating Japanese curry. Now that I know how easy and simple it is to make this dish, I can understand why my mom was so happy I loved this dish!

I know many people are somewhat familiar with Indian and Thai curry but not Japanese. Let’s discuss the difference, shall we?

Difference between Japanese, Indian, and Thai Curry

• Japanese curry – In 19 century, curry was introduced to Japan. Then the Japanese people modified the recipe to cater to their taste – not so spicy and sweet. Japanese curry is thicker, umami front, and less spicy than Indian or Thai curry. Most commonly, Japanese curry is served with rice or noodles.

• Indian curry – It has a very pronounced spice-front flavor and it can be much spicier than Japanese curry. Rice and/or bread (such as naan or roti) are served with curry. 

• Thai curry – It is soupy of all the curries and a lot of them are coconut milk-based. The curry uses herbs like Lemongrass and/or kaffir lime and seasoned with fish sauce. Such herbs and condiments are not common in Japanese and Indian curry. Often, rice and noodles are served with Thai curry. 

What’s in Japanese Curry?

• Vegetable – the classic vegetables in Japanese curry are onion, potato, and carrot. But you can always add other vegetables like celery and mushroom. 
• Protein – the most popular protein choices are beef (stew meat), chicken, and pork. I’m using pork (boneless pork loin) for this recipe.
• Japanese curry sauce mix/roux – this is a store-bought curry roux.

Japanese Curry Sauce Mix/Roux

The curry roux consists of flour, fat (usually butter), and curry spices. My personal favorite is S&B Golden curry (this is what I use) but Vermont curry from House Foods is another great option. 

Both options offer different spice levels. My husband and I both enjoy spicy food so I usually get “Medium Hot” but they do offer a “Mild” version if you are not a big fan of spicy food.

How to make Japanese Pork Curry

1. Prepare the vegetables and pork by cutting them into bite-size cubes. 
2. Brown the pork in the pot. 
3. Add the vegetables and water. Boil the mixture until the potato is tender. 
4. Add the Japanese curry sauce mix/roux and stir to dissolve the roux completely. 
5. Serve over rice or noodles. 

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Helpful Tips

• For this recipe, you are using half the box of the curry sauce/roux. Store the other half in the refrigerator for a couple of months. If you removed the film from the roux, place them in a zip-lock bag and keep it in the fridge. 
• You can reheat the curry in a microwave. Just add a splash of water. As the curry sits in the fridge, the sauce gets thicker. Adding a little bit of water helps thin out the sauce. 
• I like to serve my curry with fermented Kimchi. That’s how I always enjoyed my curry growing up. So if you have some kimchi at home, this makes a great side dish!

Would you like to try the vegan-version of Japanese curry?

Try my 30 minute Japanese Vegan Katsu Curry! This is essentially the same dish but instead of using pork, you are using the store-bought vegan Katsu. It’s an easy, delicious, and healthy alternative to this dish!

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