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If you are looking for Kare Raisu made without any animal-based ingredients, this vegan Japanese curry is about to slap the wig right clear off your glorious head (like, in a good way, ok?). Get ready for a hearty, very well-tested veggie banger that's about to take your rice or katsu to the next gosh-darned level!
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If your freakish curry desires can't be extinguished by Thai tom kha soup, Indonesian sayur lodeh, Malaysian mee rebus, Vietnamese ca ri chay, or vegan tikka masala from India, you will be super-happy you added this Japanese curry to your rolodex!
This simple recipe delivers an umami-packed, hearty curry in under 30 minutes, and you only need one pot and a saucepan to get the job done. With a balance of savory, sweet, and a hint of heat, it's a dream come true for meal prep, because it also stores and freezes like a dream (uh, do dreams even freeze? I guess they do).
No more sucky, overpriced take-out or store-bought processed curries that press the LAME button inside of your brain over and over again. Now you can enjoy this Japanese comfort food made vegan at home with laughably little effort. Roll up your sleeves, and let's rock this out!
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🥰 Why you'll adore this vegan Japanese curry recipe
🙅♀️🌾 Easily made GF: Hate gluten with all of your heart and soul? Perfies. Because simply by swapping out the small amount of regular flour in this recipe with your fave GF one, this can be one of the gluten-free vegan recipes you eat from your hot air balloon while dropping bombs onto all the majestic fields of wheat you see on the Earth below you.
🤷♀️ Wacky nonsense? Where? I intentionally left out vegan Worcestershire sauce and any other tricky-to-find ingredients from this recipe, so you could make it even if your local Asian market kinda sucks.
🥕 The Secret Ingredient - Fuji Apple: The grated apple adds a touch of natural sweetness that balances out the richness of the curry.
✅ Vegan AF: Like all of my vegan Japanese recipes, this curry is made with (you guessed it) no animal products or cholesterol at all.
⏰ Quick & Easy: This recipe comes together in just under 30 minutes with minimal prep using just one pan. (OK, actually there's a small saucepan used too, but for real, we aren't going to wreck your whole kitchen, is what I am saying.)
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all of the vegan recipes I share, after personally tweaking and perfecting it, I shared it with a massive team of recipe testers of varying skill levels who replicated it successfully all around the world.
I'm on my knees staring weirdly into your eyes, asking you in a soothing voice to be my taste-testing partner in crime. Sign up for the recipe testing crew and get early access to new recipes before they're published.
🍶 Japanese Vegan Curry Ingredients
Oyster mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms have a fantastically meaty texture and mild flavor that soaks up the curry sauce like a champ. This is why oysters are my mushroom of choice for everything from Middle Eastern vegan shawarma and Thai tom yum fried rice to Malaysian curry laksa.
Can you rock this out with shiitake mushrooms or lion's mane? 100% yes, you can. Heck, you can even make it using some lightly browned vegan chicken instead, in case you are a mushroom hater.
Apple
Fuji apples are sweet and juicy, lending a natural sweetness and a super-tiny bit of acidity to balance the savory flavors in the curry. The pectin present in the apples also helps to naturally thicken the sauce as they break down while simmering.
If you can't find any Fuji apples, Pink Lady or Honeycrisp apples (which are both top choices for me when making vegan apple pie, vegan apple cider donuts, and vegan apple muffins) are great stand-ins here.
Tamari or Soy Sauce
Since it's downright crazy-talk to speak of having more than one kind of soy sauce in your pantry, I personally opt for tamari (たまり) as my ride-or-die. That's because it's richer, less salty taste than regular soy sauce, and it happens to be gluten-free too.
It happens to be made without wheat, so it's the soy sauce I like to keep on hand since my wife Joey is usually gluten-free. But if that doesn't matter to you, you can use Nama shoyu or regular soy sauce if that's what you have on hand.
Tomato paste
Yo-SO MANY vegan Japanese curry recipes call for ketchup. Do you know how kinda gross and lame that is? That's why instead, we are going to make your curry with a little tomato paste and add in the flavors we want, instead of letting old man ketchup choose our curry's flavor fate for us.
Vegan butter
Just like the method I use in my vegan brown gravy, mushroom gravy recipe, and vegan sausage gravy, a little vegan butter is used in the curry roux to create a smooth, creamy texture that acts to thicken the curry.
Hate using vegan butter? You can 100% rock this oil with olive oil, coconut oil, or vegetable oil instead. Feel better?
Curry powder
Japanese curry is more like Irish curry than the curries of Thailand, Vietnam, and India in the sense that it primarily gets its curry flavor from curry powder, which was historically something created by Indian people to sell to British colonists who were returning home from India.
Of course, this is best made with Japanese curry powder, but if you don't have that on hand, you can quickly whip up some of my madras curry powder, and you're good to go!
Garam masala
This Indian spice blend contains warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom, which contribute a layer of complexity to the curry. Got some leftover from making this recipe? Garam masala comes in handy for making a ton of vegan Indian recipes, such as turai subzi, vegan butter chicken, and my meaty-as-heck Punjabi soya chaap recipe.
Ichimi togarashi
Ichimi togarashi is a Japanese red chili pepper that adds easily controllable heat to the curry without overpowering the other flavors. It's often used in Japanese cuisine in recipes like vegan yakitori and somen salad.
You can find ichimi togarashi at Japanese grocery stores. Keep in mind this is NOT the same thing as shichimi togarashi-Japanese 7-spice blend. Anyway, if you can't get your hands on it,
I'd recommend using either gochugaru or Aleppo red pepper flakes in its place.
Afterwards, gochugaru can be used to make vegan kimchi, and Aleppo pepper flakes can be used in vegan Turkish recipes like ezme and bulgur pilavi.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Vegan Katsu Curry
Probably the most popular way to enjoy Japanese curry is by making tofu katsu curry. Slices of vegan tofu katsu (tofu cutlets that are fried in panko breadcrumbs) get served on top of the veggies. Traditionally made with chicken or pork cutlets, tofu katsu (or vegan tofu karaage if you want more popcorn chicken-size pieces that are also gluten-free) makes this into a meal with wonderful contrasts of texture and flavor.
Vegan Curry Udon
Japanese curry is sometimes served over thick, chewy udon noodles instead of rice. I like to mix a very small amount into the noodles along with some sesame oil to coat them first. Then, when plating them, ladle plenty of the curry on top of the noodles, and garnish with green onions, a little vegan kewpie mayo, and some pickled ginger.
Grab my easy-yo-use app that builds your whole week with real, chef-tested vegan dinners in 30 seconds, customized to your budget, time, and taste, with a shopping list sorted by aisle.
📖 How to make vegan Japanese curry
Your homemade curry is going to make that stale ol' box of S&B Golden Curry wear a dunce cap in the corner. Follow these step-by-step photos with helpful tips. Or scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card.
Step One
Wok Like a Man:
Heat up the olive oil over medium-high heat in a wok or Dutch oven. After 90 seconds, when the oil is hot, stir in the diced onion and hand-torn oyster mushrooms. Sauté for 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything sweats and is lightly golden brown.
Step Two
Automatic Aromatics:
Add in the minced garlic and grated ginger, and keep stirring for another minute over medium heat until fragrant.
Step Three
Sim Simmer, Who's Got the Keys to My Bimmer?
Add the carrots, potatoes, and grated Fuji apple into the pan. Pour in the vegetable stock (or water if you're in a pinch), tamari, tomato paste, and sugar. Stir everything together, then crank up the heat to bring it to a boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat to low to cook the veggies at a gentle simmer, covered, for 20-25 minutes, or until the carrots and potatoes are fork tender.
Step Four
Roux, There It Is:
While the veggies simmer, in a separate small saucepan, melt the vegan butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and whisk like your life depends on it until a smooth paste forms.
Let it cook for 2-3 minutes to banish that raw flour taste, then add curry powder, garam masala, and ichimi togarashi (or other chili powder). Mix it up until everything's combined, then take it off the heat.
✅ While pre-made Japanese curry roux is a thing, making it yourself takes very little effort and ensures it's vegan. Most of the time, those pre-made Japanese curry cubes are made out of melted airplanes and outer-space chicken dust or whatever.
Step Five
Roux-niversity Dropout:
Once your veggies are nice and tender, use a rubber spatula to add all of the curry roux to the pan, and stir it in. Let it cook for another few minutes uncovered until it thickens to your desired level of curry goodness.
Step Six
Rice, Rice Baby:
Scoop the curry over your hot, fluffy rice, or serve it with regular onigiri, or yaki onigiri on the side. Feel free to garnish with sliced scallions and, if you're into it, crispy tofu katsu, or some furikake.
💡Serving Ideas
For a well-rounded meal that complements the depth of the curry, some good things to partner up with it are light, fresh salads. Wakame salad, a leafy green salad with goma dressing, sunomono (Japanese cucumber salad), or oi muchim (Korean cucumber salad) could be just what you are looking for.
Another thing that's kinda nice for an earthy bit of freshness is some pickled yamagobo. Other sides that go amazing with this curry are nasu dengaku (miso-glazed eggplant) and a portion of this insanely good vegan sushi bake drizzled with sriracha mayo.
👉Top tips
- Use Fresh, High-Quality Stock:
The base of your curry depends on the liquid, so opt for a high-quality unsalted vegetable stock to ensure a rich flavor that doesn't throw off the saltiness of the final curry. If you're in a pinch, water can work as a substitute, but stock adds more depth, complexity, AND nourishment to the curry. - Actually Grate the Apple:
Grating the Fuji apple works a lot better than even finely dicing it. This way, it dissolves into the sauce, balancing out the rich umami of the tamari and curry roux. - Customize Your Heat:
If you prefer a spicier curry, add more ichimi togarashi or even go ahead and add a spoonful of chili garlic sauce or shatter sauce to the curry.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! To make this curry gluten-free, simply substitute a gluten-free flour blend in place of regular flour for the curry roux. Just don't use one with a very high ratio of rice flour, as it can make the curry heavy and sometimes less smooth too. Because the recipe calls for tamari instead of regular ol' soy sauce, it's otherwise completely GF for ya.
Yes! Some nice veggie additions are thinly sliced kabocha squash (same thing you would use to make Filipino kalabasa with), sweet potatoes, green beans, or long beans (aka snake beans and sitaw). But you do you, ok? Throw broccoli in. Peas or cauliflower? Why not? I can't stop you, right?
If you are going to add anything delicate like bok choy, just add it towards the end when you are mixing in the curry roux, rather than boiling it to death.
🥶 Refrigeration:
To store the curry, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Make sure it has cooled to room temperature before sealing to avoid condensation buildup.
❄️ Freezing:
While this recipe is best enjoyed fresh, you can totally get away with freezing it for later! To freeze, store the dish in an airtight container or a freezer-safe bag, making sure there is enough room for expansion. The curry can be frozen for up to 3 months.
🌡️ Thawing:
To thaw, transfer the container from the freezer to the fridge and allow it to defrost overnight. You can also use the defrost function on your microwave if you're short on time.
🔥 Stovetop Reheating:
To reheat on the stovetop, heat a skillet or wok over medium heat and add a small splash of water or vegetable broth to prevent sticking. Stir occasionally for about 5-7 minutes, or until heated through, adding more liquid if necessary.
⚡️ Microwave Reheating:
Transfer the desired portion of the stir-fry to a microwave-safe dish, cover with a microwave-safe lid or damp towel, and heat on high for two to three minutes. Stir halfway through and check that it's heated thoroughly before serving.
✌️These vegan Japanese recipes go great with curry:
Vegan Japanese Curry
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion diced
- 3 cups oyster mushrooms hand-torn
- 4 teaspoons garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger grated
- 1½ cups carrots peeled, and roll-cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup potatoes peeled, and diced into 1-inch pieces
- 1 Fuji apple grated
- 3 cups unsalted vegetable stock or water
- 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
For the Curry Roux:
- 5 tablespoons vegan butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon ichimi togarashi optional
To Serve:
- Cooked short-grain rice
- Tofu katsu optional
- Sliced scallions
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a wok or Dutch oven. After 90 seconds, when the oil is hot, add the diced onion and oyster mushrooms. Sauté for 4-6 minutes until lightly golden, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the minced garlic and grated ginger, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the carrots, potatoes, grated apple, vegetable stock (or water), tamari, tomato paste and sugar. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 18-20 minutes, or until the carrots and potatoes are tender.
- While the vegetables cook, prepare the curry roux. In a small saucepan, melt the vegan butter over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk constantly until a smooth paste forms. Cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking continuously, to remove the raw flour taste. Add the curry powder, garam masala, ichimi togarashi (if using), and whisk until evenly combined. Remove from heat.
- Once the vegetables are tender, add all of the curry roux to the pot, and stir to thicken the curry, cooking uncovered at medium heat for another few minutes if you want the curry to thicken more.
- Serve the curry over cooked short-grain rice. If desired, garnish with sliced scallions and tofu katsu.
Notes
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Meg says
Omg this so so good. So different from an Indian type curry. It has so many layers of flavour…and I’m expecting it only to get better. I made the curry powder and let it cool while I made the curry. Fabulous smells at my house…Thank you Chef Adam
hg says
Gotta love this one.Had it over farro and it was delicious. Tasted as good, if not better the next day.