Simple & Nostalgic Vegan Japanese Curry Rice | Gluten-Free & Healthy

🇯🇵日本語で読む

Gentle, comforting, and naturally yellow—this Showa-style vegan Japanese curry brings nostalgic flavors to your home kitchen.

This vegan Japanese curry rice is simple, healthy, and full of flavor without heavy roux. Using a blend of basic curry spices—cumin, coriander, and turmeric—and onion koji for natural umami, this recipe is gluten-free, lower in fat, and perfect for a comforting weeknight meal.

For those who enjoy a little heat, a pinch of cayenne pepper can bring a gentle kick 🌶

Non-vegans can swap in their favorite meat or plant-based protein.

🐰 What is Showa-Style Vegan Japanese Curry?

If you’ve ever been to Japan, you might have seen a nostalgic yellow curry served at soba or Chinese restaurants. Known as Showa-style curry, it’s different from Indian curry or the modern brown Japanese curry:

• Indian Curry: Onions and tomatoes fried in oil, often red or yellow.
• Modern Japanese Curry: Made with butter and flour roux; brown from Maillard reaction.
• Showa Curry: No tomatoes or roux—turmeric shines through, and the flavors of the ingredients and broth come forward naturally. This makes it lighter and less greasy, highlighting the true taste of vegetables and proteins.

For this recipe, a homemade additive-free onion koji consommé creates a gentle, umami-rich stock that perfectly complements the vegetables.

Don’t miss the Apple and Cabbage Coleslaw—it’s a fresh, crunchy companion to the Vegan Japanese Curry Rice!

For Indian-inspired flavors, try our Dahl Curry. Serve with Potato Subji for a vibrant Vegan Thali experience at home 🇮🇳.

Jump to:

• 🐰 What is Showa-Style Vegan Japanese Curry?
• 🍛 Ingredients You’ll Need
• 🥣 Instructions
• 🍽 With Leftover Yellow Curry
• 🍽 Variations & Leftovers
• 🫙 Storage & Tips
• 💭 Questions
• 🌞 More Vegan Curry Recipes
• 🧅 Recipe Using Onion Koji
• 🧁 For Dessert
• 📖 Recipe Card

🍛 Ingredients You’ll Need

Main Ingredients

• onion
• carrot
• potato
• thick fried tofu (or your preferred protein)
• grated garlic
• grated ginger

Spices

• 1tsp turmeric powder
• 1tbsp coriander powder
• 1tsp cumin seeds (or 2tsp cumin powder)
• Cayenne pepper (optional)

Flavorings

• 1 tablespoon onion koji
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon natural salt

Liquid & Thickener

• 700 ml water
• 2 tablespoon rice flour + 4 tablespoon water (for thickening)

🥣 Instructions

1. Sauté Cumin: Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, and sauté until fragrant.
   🌿 If using powdered cumin, add it later with other spices.
2. Cook Onions: Add onions and sauté until soft.
3. Add Veggies & Aromatics: Stir in carrot, potato, tofu, garlic, and ginger. Sauté lightly.
4. Add Spices: Mix in coriander, turmeric, and optional cayenne pepper for 30 seconds—avoid burning.
5. Simmer: Pour in water, onion koji, sugar, soy sauce, and salt. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 min until vegetables are tender.
6. Infuse Flavors: Turn off heat and let sit 30 min for flavors to meld.
7. Thicken: Stir in rice flour dissolved in water, cook on low for 3–5 min, stirring continuously.
8. Serve: Pour over rice and enjoy! Flavors deepen the next day.

🍽 With Leftover Yellow Curry

• Curry Doria - Put the rice in a heat-proof dish, top with a generous amount of curry and vegan cheese, and toast until the cheese melts!
• Natto Curry - Add some natto (fermented soybeans) to this curry for a unique flavor.
• Kimchi Curry - Substitute homemade Vegan Kimchi for the Fukujinzuke pickles.

🍽 Variations & Leftovers

• Curry Doria: Bake leftover curry with rice and vegan cheese.
• Natto Curry: Add fermented soybeans for unique umami.
• Kimchi Curry: Swap pickles with homemade vegan kimchi.
• Any seasonal vegetables can be used—perfect for fridge clean-up.
• Protein options: chickpeas, cooked beans(such as toor dal, chana dal), or your favorite tofu.

🫙 Storage & Tips

• Tastes wonderful fresh, and even more flavorful after 1–2 days in the fridge.
• To thicken: add 1 tablespoon rice flour dissolved in 2 tablespoon water, repeat if needed.
• If curry tastes bland: try small amounts of salt or extra onion koji.

💭 Questions

🌞 More Vegan Curry Recipes

🧅 Recipe Using Onion Koji

🧁 For Dessert

Vegan recipes with cinnamon:

📖 Recipe Card