Chicken Katsu Curry
Crisp panko-crusted chicken cutlet over rice, blanketed in a glossy, lightly sweet Japanese curry sauce.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Serves
- 4 servings
- Level
- Medium
By Maya Chen
Method
- 01
Soften the sliced onion and carrots in a little oil over medium heat for 8–10 minutes until the onion is golden and sweet. Stir in the garlic and ginger for a minute.
- 02
Add the curry powder and flour and cook, stirring, for one minute to toast the spices, then slowly pour in the stock, whisking out lumps.
- 03
Add the soy sauce and honey, simmer 15 minutes until the sauce thickens to a pourable gravy, then taste and adjust. For a smooth sauce, blend it briefly.
- 04
Meanwhile, season the chicken and flatten thicker pieces slightly so they cook evenly.
- 05
Set up a breading line: flour, beaten egg, then panko. Coat each piece in flour, dip in egg, and press firmly into the panko.
- 06
Shallow-fry in 1 cm of oil over medium-high heat, 3–4 minutes per side, until deep golden and cooked through. Drain on a rack.
- 07
Slice the cutlets crosswise into strips. Serve over steamed rice with the curry sauce ladled alongside or partly over the katsu.
Katsu curry is comfort food that earns its place: a shatteringly crisp cutlet, a thick and gently spiced sauce, and a mound of rice to soak up the gap between them. It looks like a project, but the two halves can run side by side, and the sauce is essentially a spiced gravy that forgives a heavy hand.
A curry sauce built on a quick roux
The sauce starts the way many do, with onions and carrots cooked slowly until sweet, then a spoonful of curry powder and flour toasted in the pan to build flavour and body. Whisking in stock from there gives a smooth, glossy gravy with the mild, faintly sweet profile that defines the Japanese style. Blending it at the end is optional but gives the silky restaurant texture.
The katsu, crisp and golden
The cutlet is straightforward breading done with care: dredge, egg-wash, then a firm coat of panko, which fries up airier and crunchier than ordinary breadcrumbs. Frying in shallow oil hot enough to set the crust on contact keeps the coating crisp and the meat juicy. Rest the cutlets on a rack, slice into strips, and assemble at the last moment so nothing softens before serving.
