Skinnymixer’s Japanese Curry Roux Cubes features in the Basics section of the cookbook SkinnyAsia 2.

We love the convenience of Japanese curry roux cubes. Throw them into a pot and you’ve got the base of a rich Japanese-style curry without having to measure out a long list of ingredients every time.

So naturally, we wanted to make our own.

Our homemade Japanese Curry Roux Cubes combine a big blend of spices with shiitake mushroom, garlic, tomato, soy and Worcestershire sauce to create a concentrated curry base you can portion and keep in the freezer.

One batch makes 4 portions, which means you’ve got the beginnings of four easy dinners stashed away.

Methods: Thermo cooker + Conventional
Freezer friendly: Yes, up to 3 months

What are Japanese Curry Roux Cubes?

Japanese curry roux cubes are a concentrated curry base used to make Japanese-style curry quickly and easily.

Commercial versions like Golden Curry Cubes are sold in blocks that dissolve into liquid as your curry cooks, thickening the sauce and adding the characteristic savoury, slightly sweet Japanese curry flavour.

Our homemade version follows the same convenient idea. Make the curry roux ahead, portion it and freeze it, then grab a portion when you want to make one of the Japanese curry recipes in SkinnyAsia 2.

What’s in Homemade Japanese Curry Roux?

The complete quantities and method are in SkinnyAsia 2, but our homemade roux starts with a seriously flavour-packed curry powder containing ingredients such as:

Dried shiitake mushrooms
Instant coffee granules, ground espresso or cocoa powder
Turmeric
Cumin
Coriander
Paprika
Fennel
Cinnamon
Black pepper
Garlic
Ginger
Cardamom
Garam masala
A touch of cayenne

That spice blend is then cooked with butter, flour, fresh garlic, tomato paste, honey, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce to make the concentrated roux.

Why Add Dried Shiitake Mushrooms?

The dried shiitake mushrooms are ground directly into the curry powder.

They add an extra layer of savoury umami flavour to the roux without leaving chunks of mushroom in your finished curry.

Combined with the soy and Worcestershire sauce, they help give the homemade curry base plenty of depth.

SkinnyAsia2: Japanese Curry Roux Cubes — What you will need to make Japanese Curry Roux Cubes from SkinnyAsia2

Make Once, Get Four Easy Dinners

This is one of those recipes where a little bit of prep now makes dinner easier later.

Once the roux has cooled, freeze it in a silicone tray overnight, then divide it into 4 portions of approximately 175 g each.

Keep those portions in an airtight container in the freezer and you’ve got homemade Japanese curry base ready whenever you need it.

What Can I Make with Japanese Curry Roux Cubes?

We’ve created two recipes in SkinnyAsia 2 specifically to put your homemade curry roux to very good use:

Japanese Beef Mince Curry
Curry Udon Noodles

So when you make your roux, you’re really getting a head start on future dinners.

You can make the delicious Japanese Mince Curry with the Roux cubes.

Already Have Japanese Style Curry Powder?

If you’ve already made a batch of our Japanese Style Curry Powder, you don’t need to start the spice blend again from scratch.

Add 1 full batch of Japanese Style Curry Powder (approximately 55 g).

Plus – 1 tsp garam masala, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp coffee, 1/2 tsp salt + shiitake mushrooms and all the paste ingredients.

Dietary & Recipe Variations

LOW CARB
Replace the flour with the specified combination of almond and coconut flour and swap the honey for a compliant sweetener.

SUPER SKINNY
Reduce the amount of butter and honey used in the roux.

PALEO
Use almond and coconut flour, compliant sauces and olive oil instead of butter.

LOW FODMAP
We’ve included swaps for the garlic powder and fresh garlic, along with compliant sauces and gluten-free flour.

HALVED / DOUBLED
The recipe can be halved or doubled, with adjusted cooking times included in SkinnyAsia 2.

How to Store Japanese Curry Roux Cubes

Once frozen and portioned, store your curry roux in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months.

You can also keep it in the fridge for up to 7 days.

We recommend labelling the portions before freezing so they’re easy to identify when you’re hunting through the freezer for dinner.

Get the Recipe

The complete Japanese Curry Roux Cubes recipe, including homemade Japanese curry powder, exact quantities, Thermo cooker and conventional methods, storage instructions and dietary variations, is available in SkinnyAsia 2.

From the Testing Team

Julie H. – What a wonderful punch of flavour in this paste , yummy
David W. – Just licked the spatula Wow this is Yummo
Allison J. – Love the look of this, it’s so silky smooth! Smells so good too!
Betty W. – low sodium version using half coconut aminos, no salt tomato paste, half Worcestershire.

Some other Thermomix Curry Base recipes you might love:

Want to know more about SkinnyAsia 2 cookbook?

SkinnyAsia 2 is a collection of Thermomix & Conventional cooking recipes. All of our cookbooks have a strong focus on Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Egg Free, Low Carb, Paleo, Vegetarian and Low FODMAP.

We cover a wide range of dietary variations in the cookbook – LC: Low Carb, GF: Gluten-free, DF: Dairy-free, LM: Low Fodmap, SS: Super Skinny, V: Vegetarian

FAQs

Can I freeze homemade Japanese Curry Roux Cubes?
Yes. They’re designed for it. Divide the finished roux into 4 portions of approximately 175 g each and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

What can I make with Japanese Curry Roux Cubes?
In SkinnyAsia 2, we use them to make our Japanese Beef Mince Curry and Curry Udon Noodles, so making one batch gives you a head start on several easy dinners.

SkinnyAsia2: Japanese Curry Roux Cubes