Bean and Vegetable Japanese Curry

By Eric Kim

Updated March 2, 2026

  • Andrew Bui for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Media 1 of 1
Ready In
45 min
Rating
5(147)
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In this lovely, warming curry, canned beans give you protein and a soft, starchy bite. Japanese curry is essentially a stew, so add to it what you like: Here, eggplant and spinach melt into the sauce, giving you roughage, then canned beans are stirred through for appearances and chew. Served over rice or noodles, this dish is a veritable weeknight meal with restaurant appeal, and freezes beautifully (see Tips).

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Ingredients

Yield:2 to 4 servings

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil

  • 1 large yellow onion, diced

  • Salt

  • 1 medium globe eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 1 (3- to 4-ounce) brick Japanese curry, such as Golden Curry (see Tips)

  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, butter beans or other large, sturdy beans, drained and rinsed

  • 1 (10-ounce) package baby spinach

  • Basic white rice or cooked fresh udon noodles, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 to 4 servings)

59 grams carbs; 15 milligrams cholesterol; 340 calories; 2 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 7 grams fat; 12 grams fiber; 975 milligrams sodium; 14 grams protein; 9 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large Dutch oven, heat the butter over medium-high. Add the onion, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add 3 cups of water, scraping the bottom of the pot to pick up any stuck-on bits. Add the eggplant and carrots, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are fork tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Ladle some of the hot liquid from the pot into a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, then add the curry brick. Let it melt, about a minute, before whisking to blend. Stir the curry mixture into the stew.

  4. Step 4

    Add the chickpeas and spinach, bring back to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until the spinach is wilted and the curry has thickened but is still brothy, about 5 minutes. Taste and add salt as needed.

  5. Step 5

    Serve over rice or noodles. (See Tip for make-ahead freezing instructions.)

Tips

  • Japanese curry bricks are sold in boxes at many grocery stores these days, though you’ll have the best luck finding them at Asian supermarkets. They come in various sizes and heat levels. For this recipe, hot and extra hot are especially enticing (and not all that hot).

  • Make Ahead: Leftovers of this curry keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you won’t eat it all in that time frame, freeze the stew in individual containers so you can have curry whenever you want. When ready to eat, just thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and microwave until warmed through.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
147 user ratings
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Comments

H

It would be great to include a link in this recipe to the NYT Cooking recipe for making your own Japanese curry bricks. The process is simple and the results are delicious and a lot more healthy than the store-bought bricks.

Maria

People have been cooking with these bricks for years. My Japanese mother (5 kids) always used these bricks in her curry. I can only imagine the time it saved her. I continue to use these bricks. Granted, I don’t eat curry everyday; and I am a very healthy eater and cook. But, this is my guilty pleasure and it always brings me back home. Lay off the bricks!

Sharon B

I think the Japanese curry bricks are pretty processed and the recommended brand (S&B) has a lead content warning on the back (!). This was enough to keep them out of my shopping cart. There is, however, a One-Pot Japanese Chicken Curry recipe on NYTCooking that starts more or less from scratch. It uses madras curry powder. I imagine you could adapt it for chickpeas. Let us know how it goes if you try it!

Hollyhock

Lin -- the NYT bricks are vegan except for the butter which could easily be substituted.

Merry N

I browned boneless chicken thighs instead of the chickpeas, and cleaned out the fridge with onions, carrots, green beans, corn, cabbage and spinach. I added the cabbage just before the spinach, no need to sauté. Used chicken broth instead of water. Delicious,

Finn

Cooked as written with the exception of subbing yellow eye beans for chickpeas. (I had yellow eyes from my CSA). This is delicious and very well suited to reheating. I have already frozen 1 cup blocks for future lunches. The flavors are very well suited to each other. I did add a little salt since I was using home-cooked beans, but I suspect any creamy white bean would be awesome in this.

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