Japanese shrimp curry is incredibly simple to make, yet it's densely rich in flavor. Serve cozy bowls of this warm curry with freshly cooked rice, and you've got a hearty weeknight meal in just about one hour!
This simple Japanese shrimp curry is easy and uncomplicated. It comes together with just a few key ingredients in just over 1 hour.
It's also extremely versatile, so if you happen to have different vegetables in your kitchen, feel free to switch it out. I originally made this recipe when I had an abundance of zucchini from our garden in the summer.
Other additions I love in this curry are chopped water chestnuts, gold potatoes, broccoli, and tofu.
Hungry for more cozy curry dishes? I love cuddling up with a warm bowl of peanut butter curry or eggplant and chickpea curry when the weather turns cold outside.
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Curry powder
- Turmeric powder
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Carrots
- Zucchini
- Sweet potatoes
- Miso
- Curry sauce packet or curry block
- Coconut milk
- Salt and ground black pepper
- Baby shrimp
- White rice
More About Shrimp
I love shrimp because they are delicious and cook so quickly! I added baby shrimp to this meal because they cook in just two to three minutes in the simmering curry.
But it is important to watch which shrimp you're buying, if you can. Certain fishing practices can have drastically negative effects on the rest of the ecosystem, including other species and the environment. I often refer to Seafood Watch as my resource for information.
You could also swap out the shrimp for for tofu or tempeh.
Which Curry Seasoning Should I Use?
Ever since I was a little kid, my dad would make delicious Japanese-style curry at home. It is so creamy, thick and rich in flavor. And he always packed it full of vegetables. Now that I think about it, maybe that was a sneaky way he could get us to eat more veggies at dinner? Hmm.
If you've never had Japanese-style curry before, it is thicker than Thai or Indian curry. It is also a bit sweeter and not nearly as spicy.
My dad always uses the curry packets from Golden Curry, which I've been able to find at most major grocery store chains here in the U.S. These packets do a lot of the heavy lifting for you, by adding depth of time-tested flavors in an instant.
They're sold as packets of sauce or compressed solid blocks made of fat, flour and ground spices to make a Japanese curry roux. They help thicken the curry so it's creamy instead of watery. And you can pick your spice level, based on the type you get.
Storing
Allow your curry to cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also portion out individual servings in separate containers, so it's ready for a meal on the go!
More Seafood Recipes
Japanese Shrimp Curry
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups carrots, diced
- 2 cups zucchini, chopped
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed
- ¼ cup miso paste (use red, yellow, or brown miso)
- 1 packet curry sauce (7.4 ounces)
- 1 can coconut milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound baby shrimp
- 1 cup jasmine or basmati rice (measured dry, before being cooked)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the turmeric and curry powder. Stir the spices for 2 to 3 minutes in the hot oil, until it becomes really fragrant.Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and golden, after about 15 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the garlic is soft and fragrant.
- Add the carrots, zucchini and sweet potatoes. Cook the vegetables for 5 to 10 minutes, until the zucchini begins to soften a little.
- Add the miso paste, curry sauce, coconut milk, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.Bring everything to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
- While the curry is simmering, cook the rice, either on the stove or in a rice cooker.
- Once the sweet potatoes in the curry have softened, add the baby shrimp and continue to simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through.
- To serve, add a few generous scoops of the shrimp curry on top of a bed of rice. Enjoy!!
Notes
- Allow your curry to cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Swap out the baby shrimp for cooked, shredded chicken or tofu.
- I like the brand Golden Curry for the curry packet. Use either one package of the liquid, or one serving of the solid block.
foodinbooks
Looks wonderful! Two of my favorite things together in one dish. Yum!
strawberryandcream
Mine too! Along with sweet potatoes 🙂
intrepid8
This is simple and delicious! My wife may like this.
Thanks for sharing!
strawberryandcream
Thank you! Let me know if you try it & how your wife likes it! 🙂