A curry palette for all your ‘hidden flavors’

Often derided as a “B-class” cuisine, Japanese curry was adapted from the British navy in the late 19th century but has grown to be its own paradigm.

Mildly spiced, usually store-bought bases are bulked up with meat and vegetables before being infused at home with ingredients akin to family secrets: apple, honey, soy sauce and miso are all common kakushi aji (literally, “hidden flavors”) — components that may not register overtly but elevate a dish overall.

Making curry roux cubes, complete with your own kakushi aji, is surprisingly simple. When mixed with water, each cube from this recipe will make approximately 550 milliliters of curry, a generous portion for four adults when combined with other fillings. There is no chile whatsoever in the base recipe, but there is room for adaptation. Feel free to incorporate as much or little heat as you like, adding or subtracting other spices or kakushi aji as you like.

Makes 6 125-gram cubes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

Whole spices for toasting

• 7 1/2 grams cumin seeds

• 7 1/2 grams coriander seeds

• 7 1/2 grams fennel seeds

• 7 1/2 grams cinnamon stick

• 7 1/2 grams black peppercorns

• 5 grams cardamom pods

• 5 grams fenugreek seeds

• 2 1/2 grams cloves

• 2 1/2 grams allspice

• 2 bay leaves

While some ingredients are necessary to achieve that quintessential “curry” feel, there is endless room for experimentation when it comes to making your own curry powder your own. | SIMON DALY

Powders and kakushi aji:

• 10 grams dried kombu (I used shaved tororo kombu)

• 5 grams dried shiitake

• 5 grams dried mandarin peel

• 10 grams salt

• 10 grams cocoa powder

• 5 grams ground turmeric

• 5 grams powdered ginger

Roux:

• 350 grams butter

• 275 grams all-purpose flour

• 50 grams honey

Directions:

1. In a small pan, add all of your whole spices and toast over medium heat for about one to two minutes or until fragrant. If you use powdered spices, skip the toasting.

2. Place everything in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle in batches with the kombu, shiitake and mandarin peel. Pulse to grind until it reaches the consistency of a powder. Once done, mix in your salt, turmeric, ginger and cocoa to form a curry powder.

3. In a medium pot, melt your butter over medium heat. When the butter begins to lightly brown, add the flour and stir constantly until the roux turns dark brown. This could take up to 10 minutes. A richer color equals more flavor, but do not allow it to burn or stick to the pan. Remove from heat and add the curry powder. Stir until completely combined, then add in the honey.

4. Carefully pour out the hot mixture into six silicone muffin molds or freezer containers. You can also leave the mixture to set as a single piece, then carefully divide it later. Place it in the refrigerator to harden.

5. Once completely solid, remove the roux pieces from the mold or container and place them in an airtight container. They will last a month or more refrigerated or six months in the freezer.