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It might not be the first dish that comes to mind when you think of Japanese cuisine, but curry is an extremely common and popular meal you can find at restaurants and konbini alike. Japanese curry is a distant relative of Indian curry, as Japan acquired a taste for it through contact with the British Navy during the Meiji Restoration. It can still be spicy but typically runs thick, tasting milder and sweeter than many Southeast Asian curry varieties. This curry is served with various katsu dishes, and it’s most often poured over some rice. The best part is that it can be a low-effort meal to make at home.
One secret ingredient is all it takes for some home cooks to level up their curry into an unforgettable dinner — dark chocolate, of course. You can find Japanese curry online in a pre-made sauce mix or curry powder tin, so all you have to do is prepare your protein and vegetables, develop the curry roux, and throw in a couple of pieces of your favorite dark chocolate. The result is a warm and fragrant dish that will bring fresh or leftover rice back to life in no time.
Bring the best out of Japanese curry with dark chocolate
Dark chocolate and curry sounds like a strange duo at first, mainly because Japanese curry contains ingredients like potatoes, onions, and carrots. Onions and chocolate are a pretty precarious combo, but the way this dish operates makes everything harmonious. The onions are cooked through to caramelize, losing their sting and developing a slight sweetness. Potatoes and carrots are mild enough to absorb the flavor of the curry sauce while only keeping a hint of their original flavor. Dark chocolate leans more bitter than sweet, bringing balance to this earthy and savory dish. You’re getting most of the main flavor profiles here!
The brand of dark chocolate is up to you, but if you’re shopping at a Japanese market for the curry mix, keep an eye out for Morinaga Dars Bitter Chocolate (the same brand behind Hi-Chew candy) and Meiji Black Chocolate. Our taste-tested picks for more common store-bought dark chocolate bars include Cadbury Royal Dark, Evolved Signature, and Ghirardelli Intense Dark. These all have a high cacao percentage, and they’re just as tasty to cook in a curry as they are to eat by themselves. To quote some wisdom from the hit Japanese band Babymetal: “Gimme chocolate!”
