This homemade vegan Japanese curry is rich and savory, not too spicy, and made from scratch without any roux!

Why We Love This Vegan Japanese Curry

Flavorful and Nutritious: This vegan Japanese curry is filled with sweet, spicy, and savory flavors without being too intense. It’s also packed with healthy veggies, fiber, and plant protein! Each serving has about 9 grams of fiber and 20 grams of protein.
No Roux: This curry is nice and thick without any roux! Since we don’t use flour to thicken it, it can easily be made gluten-free.
Leftovers Taste Even Better: Curry is always more flavorful the next day after the spices and seasonings have had time to meld and intensify. I always make a big pot so we can enjoy leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day.

Key Ingredients

Red Lentils ⟶ This is the secret ingredient that makes this curry thick without any roux! It also adds some extra fiber and plant protein.
Apple ⟶ One apple adds just the right amount of sweetness to balance out the spices. Use a sweeter variety like Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Gala. Feel free to try other fruits like pear, persimmon, pineapple, peach, apricot, or mango.
Onion ⟶ While the other veggies can be omitted or swapped for different vegetables, onion is essential for building the base flavor. Carrots are also very common in Japanese curry, though not as essential as onion.
Japanese Curry Powder + Garam Masala ⟶ Japanese curry powder is the main spice blend you need, though I also like to add just a little bit of garam masala for a slightly spicier flavor profile.
Cocoa Powder ⟶ This is what we call “kakushi aji” in Japanese, or hidden flavor. You don’t taste the cocoa powder since it’s a very small amount, but it helps darken the color and add just a little extra depth.
Tomato Paste ⟶ Tomato paste adds subtle sweetness and umami to the curry. Some recipes use ketchup instead, but I prefer tomato paste for its more earthy flavor.
Japanese Chuno Sauce ⟶ This is a fruit and vinegar-based sauce that is sweet, savory, and a little tangy. It’s like a Japanese Worcestershire sauce, but thicker. It’s similar to tonkatsu sauce and okonomiyaki sauce. If you can’t find Japanese Chuno Sauce, you can use vegan worcestershire sauce and add a teaspoon or two of sugar/sweetener.
Soy Sauce ⟶ Another kakushi aji that adds lots of umami. Use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari to make it gluten-free.
Tofu ⟶ Some pan-fried tofu for more plant-based protein. If you’re in a rush, you can just add the tofu from the package without pan-frying first. You can also swap the tofu for another protein of choice, like soy chunks (rehydrated in some vegetable broth), chickpeas, or vegan chicken/beef.

How to Make (with Step-by-Step Photos)

This is an abbreviated version. For full details, see the recipe card below.

Simmer apple and red lentils until soft, then blend until smooth.
Brown onions in a pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 10-15 minutes. Add a splash of water if the bottom of the pot starts to stick.
Add carrots, celery, garlic, and ginger and cook for about 3 minutes.
Add spices and stir for 30 seconds to toast.
Add tomato paste and stir for about a minute to darken.
Pour in water/broth. It should be enough to just barely submerge the veggies. Simmer until carrots and celery are tender, 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, pan fry the tofu until golden.
Add zucchini and mushrooms to the pot. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. It will look like not enough liquid at first, but the zucchini and mushrooms will release water as they cook down.
Stir in blended mixture, Chuno Sauce, soy sauce, tofu, and MSG (if using). Simmer 5-10 minutes to thicken and finish cooking the veggies.

*If at any point the contents of the pot start to stick, add a splash of water or vegetable broth to deglaze the pot and scrape up any stuck bits.

Tips for Success

Prep in advance ⟶ Curry is even more flavorful the next day since all the flavors and spices have had time to mesh. I recommend making a bigger batch in advance so you can enjoy leftovers the next day.

Freeze leftovers ⟶ Curry is also a great freezer meal to prep. Let the curry cool completely to room temperature, then place in airtight freezer-safe containers or bags (leave some room since the sauce will expand a bit after freezing). Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight, or run under hot water for a quicker option. Reheat in a pot on the stove or in the microwave (covered).

Use Japanese curry powder ⟶ For best flavor, use a Japanese curry powder! I like S&B curry powder*. You can also make your own Japanese curry powder, but be aware that you will need a lot of spices. Japanese curry powder typically contains a broader range of spices than Indian curry powder, making it milder but more savory.

Switch up the veggies ⟶ I will say the onions are the only essential veggie you need to keep, as this builds the base flavor; carrots can be omitted, but I usually always add them for more sweet and savory flavor. However, feel free to omit the celery, zucchini, and mushrooms and add other veggies like potatoes, broccoli, eggplant, kabocha, or tomatoes.

Vegan Japanese Curry without Roux FAQ

Japanese curry is a spin-off of Indian curry but is thicker and sweeter with less intense spice. Japanese tastebuds are not suited to very spicy flavors, so Japanese curry uses milder spices and sweet elements like sugar or fruit to balance out the spice.

Japanese curry is usually thickened with a roux made from equal parts fat (oil or butter) and flour. Boxed roux is very common in Japan and makes it super easy to make curry at home. But you can also make your own roux with a bit of patience (see my other Japanese curry recipe).

Roux is typically made with wheat flour, so most Japanese curry isn’t gluten-free. But if you make your own roux, you can use a gluten-free flour. Or make this recipe that doesn’t require roux or flour!

I’ve only tested this recipe with red lentils so far, but I think it should work with brown or green lentils, mung beans, white beans, or chickpeas. However, these take a lot longer to cook from dry. You can use cooked/canned beans, about 1½ cups.

More Japanese Comfort Dishes

If you try out this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment/rating down below and tag me in your photos on instagram @ellielikes.cooking. I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!

Prep Time:15

Cook Time:45

Servings: 4

Equipment

Immersion Blender or Stand Blender

Ingredients

For blending

1 apple chopped
½ cup dry red lentils rinsed
1½ cups water or vegetable broth

Spices

2 tbsp Japanese curry powder*
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cocoa powder

Curry

2 tbsp olive oil divided
1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
2 carrots chopped
1 celery chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp ginger minced
3 tbsp tomato paste
1½ cups water or vegetable broth
16 oz extra firm tofu cubed and pat dry
1 zucchini chopped
100 grams shimeji mushrooms¹
2 tbsp Japanese Chuno Sauce*²
1 tbsp soy sauce³
¼ tsp MSG optional
¼-½ tsp salt adjust to taste

Instructions

Blend: Add apple, red lentils, and water/broth to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until lentils are very soft. Remove any foam that forms on top. Once lentils are soft, turn off heat and blend with an immersion blender. If you only have a stand blender, let the lentils cool for 5-10 minutes, then add to a blender and blend until smooth.
Mix spices together in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown and caramelize (about 10-15 minutes). Add a splash of water as needed if the onions start to stick to the bottom of the pot.
Add carrots, celery, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
Add spices and stir for 30 seconds. Deglaze the pot with water if needed.
Add tomato paste and stir for 1 minute to darken. Deglaze the pot with more water if needed.
Add water/vegetable broth, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low to maintain a gentle simmer for 10-15 minutes until the carrots and celery are soft. Check the pot occasionally and add more water/broth if needed. The veggies should be just barely submerged in liquid.
While the vegetables are simmering, pan fry the tofu. Heat remaining 1 tbsp of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add tofu cubes and cook, turning every few minutes to brown each side.
Once the carrots and celery are soft, add the zucchini and mushrooms to the pot and stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. The zucchini and mushrooms will release water as they cook down, but you can add some water if it still looks dry after a couple minutes.
Add the blended lentil mixture, Chuno Sauce, soy sauce, tofu, and MSG. Simmer 5-10 minutes until the zucchini is soft.
Turn off heat. Taste and add salt as needed. You can serve immediately, but curry tastes even better after resting.

Notes

1) Mushrooms: I prefer shimeji, but you can use other varieties of mushroom as well. Sliced white button or baby bella mushrooms would be good.

2) Chuno Sauce: This is essentially a kind of Japanese Worcestershire sauce. Bull Dog brand is the most popular, but there are other brands like Kagome and Donki who sell their own versions. You can swap for Japanese Worcestershire Sauce or Tonkatsu Sauce, but check the ingredients as some may contain anchovies/fish extracts. You can also use a vegan Worcestershire sauce and add a teaspoon or two of sugar, maple syrup, or agave.

3) Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free soy sauce or tamari. Also check your Worcestershire sauce to make sure it doesn’t contain wheat/gluten (they are usually thickened with starch).

Nutrition Facts

**Nutrition information is a rough estimate and intended for informational purposes only. I am not a registered dietitian or certified nutritionist, and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration.

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