Carrots Provide Sweetness in Katsu

Many home cooks are surprised to learn that carrots are essential to authentic katsu curry sauce. Unlike Indian or Bangladeshi curries that rely on complex spice blends, Japanese katsu curry gets its characteristic sweetness and body from slowly cooked carrots and onions. Omitting the carrots — as one contestant did — removes this fundamental balance and results in a sauce that tastes flat or overly savory. The vegetables are sweated until soft, then blended smooth to create the creamy, mildly sweet sauce that defines the dish. This vegetable-forward approach distinguishes katsu from other curry styles.