root vegetable golden curry☆

06 jun 2026

i like it when my meals turn out consistently, so i love using readymade curry roux. i have developed a particular way of using it which is definitely not unique, but i doubt anyone's bothered to write it down online, so here it is. specifically, i make it with loads of potato, and then eat it without rice like a stew.

you will need some sort of east asian curry roux for this. i use s&b golden curry, the red version labelled "hot" (really the hot one is medium and the medium one is sweet). my chinese friend jingyi makes this same dish with chinese curry paste instead, and the flavours are very similar. yutaka also makes katsu roux cubes, which are again, similar stuff.

different types of east asian curry roux.

indulge me for a second while i explain the origin of the term "katsu curry". "curry" is an anglicisation of the tamil word for sauce. the japanese word "katsu" comes from the english word "cutlet". therefore, "katsu curry" is a breaded meat cutlet with curry sauce. however, since "curry" in english can refer to a broad range of dishes, "katsu" has also come into use as a term for the japanese-style sauce, which is very funny.

this golden curry dish has a japanese-style curry sauce, but no cutlet. you decide if it's a katsu or not. i will refine the quantities next time i make it!

root vegetable golden curry

serves ~4; takes ~1hr

ingredients

produce

• loads of potatoes
• carrots: about 1/2-2/3 as much as the potatoes
• 1-2 onions
• 1/2-1 can coconut milk
• 1 large block of firm tofu
• a little garlic and ginger (optional)

seasonings

• 2-3 squares curry roux

instructions

1. finely dice the onion. the curry roux cubes already contain garlic and ginger flavour, but prepare a little fresh minced garlic and grated ginger anyway because i love you.
2. peel the potatoes and carrots, or leave the peel if you prefer. chop the potatoes into ~2cm chunks and the carrots into thick slices, you want them to feel nice and substantial. chop the tofu block into smaller chunks (about 1-1.5cm).
3. in a large saucepan or wok, fry the onions until golden brown.
4. briefly fry the garlic and ginger, then throw in the potatoes and carrots. fry everything for a bit; this step will improve the flavours later.
5. add hot water to cover, and let it cook. while the main pot is cooking, fry the tofu in a separate pan, flipping the cubes only occasionally so that they go nice and crispy.
6. when the potatoes and carrots are as soft as you like them (i like to leave them a little firm), add the tofu to the pot and dissolve in a few squares of curry roux.
7. add 1/2 a tin to a tin of coconut milk to make the sauce more creamy. at this stage, if it's too watery, add more of the curry roux or check that it's all dissolved properly.
8. serve in a bowl! this stuff keeps and reheats very well if you have leftovers.

comments? questions? leave a note or email me!☆