Bean and Vegetable Japanese Curry
Updated March 2, 2026
Andrew Bui for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
- Ready In
- 45 min
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
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
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 to 4 servings)
59 grams carbs; 15 milligrams cholesterol; 340 calories; 2 grams monounsaturated 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.
Powered by
Preparation
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Step 5
Serve over rice or noodles. (See Tip for make-ahead freezing instructions.)
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.
Private Notes
Comments
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.
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!
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!
Clarification about a curry "brick." I bought a box of the House Foods Vermont Curry. It contains 12 blocks. A block is not a brick! I assumed it was, but each block is 19 grams (= .67 ounces), and the recipe calls for a 3-4 oz brick. The whole box is slightly over 8 oz, so I need to use about half the box to get the amount called for by the recipe. Glad I caught this before making it.
This is pretty adaptable-I don't like eggplant so I subbed squash, and we had kale that needed to be used up, so no spinach. I used the medium spicy brick and no one said anything. I think the step where you melt the curry brick in the liquir makes a big difference.
I've made this curry twice now. It is flexible and comforting and it makes a lot! I added a pound of ground beef once and ground pork the second time. In addition to the vegetables in the recipe I added green beans, yellow crook neck squash, sweet potato, fresh tomatoes, and/or okra in one or the other. The first time I used the mild curry brick but the medium hot was significantly better ( and the only other choice at my grocery.) I tried it with both basmati rice and udon noodles. The noodles were best. I'll be making my own bricks or shopping in an Asian specialty store for more heat. I am going to see how it freezes but I expect that to go well. Basically, I would like to have this in my fridge or freezer all the time. It beats a turkey sandwich for lunch every time!!