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    Home » 30 Minute Dinners

    Vegan Japanese Curry

    Published: May 7, 2023 by Larisha Bernard · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    This simple and delicious vegan Japanese curry is a delight to your tastebuds. Simple, full of flavor, and a wonderful addition to your meal rotation. A perfect 30 minute meal!

    vegan Japanese curry in a cream colored bowl.

    As I explore even more into healthy eating and what veganism means to me, I stumbled up Blue Zones foods and decided to try my hand at a vegan Japanese curry.

    Blue Zones refer to areas around the world where a high population of people there have a longer than average lifespan. This Japanese curry would be based on the Blue Zone in Okinawa, Japan.

    While this is not an authentic copycat version of a Japanese curry, we still hope you will enjoy this variation.

    This dish pairs perfectly with our vegan naan though it’s traditional with Indian curry and not this Japanese version.

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    Jump to:
    • Why You’ll Love This Dish
    • 🥘Recipe Ingredients
    • Substitutions and Variations:
    • Step by Step Instructions for vegan Japanese curry:
    • Recipe FAQs:
    • Other Vegan Dinner Recipes to Consider:
    • Vegan Japanese Curry

    Why You’ll Love This Dish

    • Robust Flavors – You won’t believe the flavors that you get out of this dish
    • Feeling After Eating– when you eat this meal, your body feels amazing. Not full or bloated, but satisfied and thankful
    • Super saucy – this recipe was specifically designed to be extra saucy for dipping and just enjoying

    🥘Recipe Ingredients

    ingredients to make vegan Japanese curry.

    Gather your ingredients!

    • Soy Curls – Japanese curries traditionally have a meat inside of them, though not always, so we are using soy curls for that in this veganized version. Soy curls do an excellent job at mimicking the texture of meat.
    • Spices – curries uses a variety of spices and most are staples in a standard kitchen; however, we would encourage you to look for a Japanese curry powder specifically

    See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.

    Substitutions and Variations:

    • Soy Curls – you could sub with tofu, chickpeas, cauliflower, mushrooms, white beans, or seitan
    • Spices – Japanese curry powder can be subbed with any other curry powder that you can find at your local grocery as well.

    Step by Step Instructions for vegan Japanese curry:

    sauting soy curls, onions and garlic, then with spices.

    Step 1. In a large skillet, over medium heat, add the non-dairy butter and let melt. Add the rehydrated soy curls and cook, stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes, careful not to burn.

    Add the onions, salt, and pepper. Saute until the onions are softened, about 3 minutes.

    Step 2. Add in garlic and ginger, stir together and cook for 30 seconds.

    Add in curry powder, garam masala, 5 spice powder, cayenne pepper, dried sage, orange zest and bay leaf. Stir together and cook for 30 seconds.

    Add the flour evenly across the top and stir together until you see no flour remaining.

    making japanese curry in a skillet and simmering.

    Step 3. Add the broth and stir everything together. Add potatoes, carrots, and apple. Add Worcestershire, agave, ketchup and soy sauce. Stir together. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low.

    Step 4. Cover and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Potatoes and carrots should be softened, but not falling apart.

    Remove bay leaf. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired. Serve with rice.

    close up of vegan Japanese curry.

    Recipe FAQs:

    Can I make this dish top 9 free?

    Yes. Sub the tofu for something like chickpeas or another plant based allergy friendly main. For the flour, you can replace with gluten free 1 to 1 flour.

    Can I prep this dish ahead of time?

    Yes. Once cooled completely, you can store in an air tight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

    Can I double this recipe?

    To be honest this recipe makes a lot; however, if you do, you will want to use a larger pot and not a skillet.

    Can this be frozen?

    We do not recommend freezing this dish.

    Other Vegan Dinner Recipes to Consider:

    • Butter Cauliflower
    • white bowl of jamaican lentil curry with side of rice.
      Vegan Jamaican Lentil Curry
    • A skillet of easy vegan chickpea curry.
      Easy Vegan Chickpea Curry
    • Vegan Golden Soup

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    Did you make and love this recipe?
    Click the 5 stars in the recipe card above or below in the comment section! This is a great way to support us so we can continue to bring great recipes!

    vegan Japanese curry in a cream colored bowl.
    Print Recipe
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    Vegan Japanese Curry

    This simple and delicious vegan Japanese curry is a delight to your tastebuds and takes just 30 minutes to make. A wonderful addition to your meal rotation.
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time25 minutes mins
    Total Time30 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Asian, Japanese
    Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 336kcal
    Author: Larisha Bernard

    Ingredients

    • 4 tablespoon non-dairy butter (sub with olive oil)
    • 4 oz uncooked soy curls, rehydrated in vegetable broth, excess liquid drained before starting
    • ¼ teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper, more or less to taste
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 inch ginger, grated
    • 2 tablespoon Japanese curry powder
    • ½ tablespoon garam masala
    • ½ teaspoon five spice powder
    • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • ⅛ teaspoon dried sage
    • zest from ½ orange
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 4 tablespoon all purpose flour (sub with gluten free 1:1 if needed)
    • 4-5 cups vegetable broth (can sub with water)
    • 1 large yukon gold potato, peeled, cut into 1 inch chunks
    • 1 large carrot, peeled, cut into 1 inch chunks
    • 1 small Fuji apple, peeled, seeded, diced small
    • 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 tbsp agave (or maple syrup)
    • 1 tablespoon ketchup
    • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

    Instructions

    • In a large skillet, over medium heat, add the non-dairy butter and let melt. Add the rehydrated soy curls and cook, stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes, careful not to burn. Add the onions, salt, and pepper. Saute until the onions are softened, about 3 minutes.
      *Note: If you don't like the taste soy curls can give the entire dish, you may want to remove them after the 3 minutes and set aside, then proceed and add them back in the last 3 minutes of cooking.
    • Add in garlic and ginger, stir together and cook for 30 seconds. Add in curry powder, garam masala, 5 spice powder, cayenne pepper, dried sage, orange zest and bay leaf. Stir together and cook for 30 seconds.
    • Add the flour evenly across the top and stir together until you see no flour remaining. Add the broth and stir everything together. Add potatoes, carrots, and apple. Add Worcestershire, agave, ketchup and soy sauce. Stir together. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Potatoes and carrots should be softened, but not falling apart.
    • Remove bay leaf. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired. Serve with rice.

    Video

    Notes

    *Nutritional facts are only estimates.  Please utilize your own brands for accuracy. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0.25dish | Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1427mg | Potassium: 379mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 3659IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg

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