Japanese Curry

Posted May 7, 2026 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 0 Comments

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw that my family and I recently went on a week-long trip to Japan. It’s only the second time I’ve ever left the country (the first time was a trip to Ireland for my honeymoon). We got to visit the Studio Ghibli Museum, Nintendo Museum, Pokemon Cafe, and so much more. One of my favorite things we did was a day trip on the bullet train to Fujinomiya to see Mt. Fuji.

In anticipation of the trip, I read lots of Japanese fiction, including TOKYO EXPRESS, a 1950s murder mystery by Seichō Matsmoto, who is often lauded as the Japanese Agatha Christie. As a diehard Christie fan, I can confidently say Matsumoto lives up to the hype. The timing of events in the story is literally planned down to the minute, all revolving around the Tokyo train schedule. Matsumoto puts so much care into every detail, making it difficult to guess the ending but satisfying when you get there. I was only able to solve part of the mystery, and I was trying pretty hard!

A major clue in the story is the victim’s dining car receipt, which indicates the victim spent 340 yen and dined alone (which is significant, since presumably his lover was on the same train). Unfortunately, the receipt doesn’t say what he ate. As you can imagine, this drove me crazy as a food blogger, so I did a little research to discover what he might have eaten. Here’s what I learned:

Train dining cars were on the rise in Japan in the 1950s after the austerity of the war, and they became a symbol of prosperity and luxury. The 1950s also saw the invention of “instant roux” for Japanese curry, shelf-stable roux blocks that are still the preferred method for making at-home curry today. These two things meant that curry was a common item on Japanese dining car menus. I decided to make some for the blog, since I loved the curry I ate in Japan and was excited to recreate it at home.

Japanese curry is pretty easy: brown the meat, saute vegetables, add water, bring to a boil, add the roux block, and cook a bit longer until it thickens. I used a combo of two recipes by Toasty Apron and Gypsyplate, which are designed to be used with Golden Curry roux (the brand I used, which is available at most Walmarts if you’re in the States like me). The final product is rich, generously spiced, and a bit sweet—perfect over rice!

I’m glad I can recreate a little taste of my trip to Japan here at home, and I’m planning to pick up another Matsumoto book soon. I’ve heard INSPECTOR IMANISHI INVESTIGATES is just as good as TOKYO EXPRESS!

P.S. Before my trip, I also read BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD and THE KAMOGAWA FOOD DETECTIVES. Since I’m still craving Japanese fiction, I’m currently reading THE VANISHING CHERRY BLOSSOM BOOKSHOP. I’d love to share a recipe from one of these books some time too. Maybe on Instagram? I’ll keep you posted!

A

Japanese Curry inspired by TOKYO EXPRESS by Seichō Matsumoto

“I can’t help wondering about that dining car receipt made out for one person only. Then again, maybe I’m attaching too much importance to it,” he mused to himself.

— The Tokyo Express

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb beef stew meat, cut into cubes
1 1/4 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 russet or Danshaku-imo potato, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups water or beef stock
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp grated apple
1/2 Tbsp ketchup
1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 oz Golden Curry roux block (I got mine from Walmart)
2 cups cooked rice

Makes 4 servings

INSTRUCTIONS:

Add oil to a medium pot and place over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, season the beef with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, add it to the pot, and brown for 30 seconds on all sides. Remove the beef to a plate, keeping the oils in the pot. Add the onion, potato, carrot, and garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes until the onion is translucent, stirring regularly. Add the water, soy sauce, grated apple, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are not quite fork tender. Remove approximately 1/2 cup of the liquid to a mug or bowl and whisk in the roux block until dissolved (you can coarsely chop the roux block to make it easier to incorporate, if desired). Stir the liquid back into the pot and simmer for 5 more minutes. The curry will thicken slightly.
Serve over rice to the travelers aboard the Tokyo Express!
This is a fun alternative to standard western beef stew, and it’s ready a lot faster too!