Chicken Katsu Curry — Print Recipe

Crispy panko-crusted chicken cutlet served over rice with a rich, mildly sweet Japanese curry sauce.

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
1 cup (60g) panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup (65g) all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
Vegetable oil for deep frying
1 box (100g) Japanese curry roux blocks (such as S&B Golden Curry)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into half-moons
1 large onion, finely diced
3 cups (720ml) water or chicken stock
Steamed Japanese short-grain rice for serving
Pickled ginger (beni shoga) for garnish

Instructions

1 Start the curry sauce first: heat one tablespoon of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the diced onion for eight to ten minutes until soft and lightly caramelised, then add the carrots and potatoes and stir for two minutes.
2 Pour in the water or chicken stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for twenty minutes until the potatoes and carrots are fork-tender. Skim any foam that rises to the surface during cooking.
3 Remove the pot from the heat and wait five minutes before adding the curry roux blocks. Break them into smaller pieces and stir gently until they dissolve completely, creating a thick, glossy, and aromatic curry sauce.
4 Return the pot to low heat and simmer the curry sauce for five more minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the thickened sauce from sticking to the bottom. It should coat the back of a spoon evenly when ready.
5 While the curry simmers, prepare the katsu by pounding each chicken breast to one-centimetre thickness between cling film. Coat each piece in flour, then beaten egg, then press firmly into panko breadcrumbs on all sides.
6 Heat five centimetres of vegetable oil to one hundred and seventy-five degrees Celsius in a deep pan. Fry the breaded chicken for six to seven minutes, turning once halfway through, until deep golden brown and cooked through to seventy-five degrees internal temperature.
7 Let the fried katsu rest on a wire rack for three minutes, then slice each piece crosswise into thick strips. Serve over a bed of steamed rice with the curry sauce ladled alongside, garnished with pickled ginger on the side.