Curry is one of the most beloved dishes in Japan–generally mild, not fiery, and often made by Japanese chefs with a curry brick. Similar to the depth of flavor you can achieve from a bouillon cube, a curry brick combines fragrant spices and fat, which once added to a hot pan with some liquid, transforms into flavorful, fresh curry that tastes like it has been cooking for hours. Knowing that store-bought bricks are usually loaded with salt and preservatives, acclaimed cook and food writer Sonoko Sakai decided to create her own curry brick kit, packaging together a collection of whole spices, pre-measured dry spices, dried shiitakes and kombu that easily comes together to form curry bricks in your own kitchen. While fairly mild, the blend of spices gets a warming kick from plenty of aromatic black pepper and cayenne. Earthy-sweet turmeric and herbal coriander pair beautifully with the strong dose of mustard and cumin for a grounded base, balanced out by a touch of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and allspice for a bit of sweetness. We also love the bit of umami that comes through thanks to the addition of kombu and shiitakes, adding a rich complexity that shines in any dish. To use, simply toast the whole spices until fragrant, and grind with the rest of the ingredients in a spice blender. Once blended, create a roux using flour and a fat of your choice before adding in your spices and packing into a mold, such as a mini loaf pan or ice cube trays. Once cooled into a hard brick, you can use a knob of the brick right away or keep it in your fridge or freezer for weeks to use whenever you need to punch up flavor.
English naval officers who had gotten used to curry in India shared a Europeanized curry powder with their Japanese counterparts in the late 1800s. Traditionally used to make kare raisu (curry rice), it soon became a hearty dish popular with the Japanese military and later grew to be a beloved comfort food for all.
We test everything we sell. Here’s how we’d use this.
Sonoko’s curry brick is so great because you have the ability to customize what ingredients you want to cook with. So here’s a quick rundown on one way you would use it.
To use the curry brick, simply sauté your veggies in some neutral oil (and/or protein if using) until they begin to get tender. In the meantime chop up your curry brick into small pea sized pieces. Add the chopped curry to your pot and stir to coat ingredients. When the brick begins to get aromatic, add water or broth, being sure to scrape up any bits that may have stuck to the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil and keep at a simmer until everything is cooked and the sauce has thickened up to your liking.
We especially like it subbed in for the curry powder in this Japanese-Style Chicken Vegetable Curry or Japanese-Style Beef Curry. Just skip the step where you make a roux and simply add in your curry brick instead.
Find Sakai’s recipe on how to make traditional Japanese curry bricks here.
Acclaimed food writer, teacher, cookbook author and home cooking advocate Sonoko Sakai crafts healthy and authentic pantry items that honor her Japanese heritage. She grew up watching her mother in the kitchen—noting how, like most Japanese cooks, she relied on mass-produced, processed curry bricks to make the mild curry sauce beloved in Japan. When she couldn’t find any Japanese curry products that were natural, sustainable and healthy on the American market, she set out to make her own with fresh ingredients and no additives.
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