Katsu is a mild curry, with a hint of sweetness, so it's a great family-friendly option. Remember though, this does depend on the heat of your curry powder. Check yours is mild if you're worried - some are spicier than others.

What can I serve with the curry?

You could add some extra steamed or stir-fried greens - spinach, bok choi, asparagus or tenderstem broccoli would be great. You could also stuff the chicken into soft, fluffy bao buns ! Or, pile it on top of poke bowls or 2-ingredient dough garlic naan .

Can I make it in advance?

You can make the sauce up to 5 days in advance, and you can bread the chicken pieces the day before you want to cook them. The curry is best eaten right after the chicken is cooked - it will lose its crispiness if you store it in the fridge (but it will keep for 3 days - it just won't be crispy when you reheat it). You could try reheating it in the oven or in an air-fryer to get a little of the crispiness back, but microwaving it will make it soggy.

How do you make the curry sauce thick and smooth?

This recipe uses the vegetables themselves to thicken the sauce, rather than relying on thickeners like cornstarch or flour. Blending the sauce once the veggies are lovely and soft automatically creates a lovely, thick sauce.

Crispy Chicken Katsu Curry

Name: Crispy Chicken Katsu Curry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: japanese
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter; 1 carrot, chopped; 1 onion, diced; 4 garlic cloves, chopped; 1-inch piece of ginger, chopped (or use 1/2 tablespoon of ginger paste); 2 tablespoons curry powder; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 tablespoon ketchup; 1 tablespoon miso paste (optional); 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 2 1/4 cups chicken stock; 1 1/2 cups rice; 3 cups water; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 boneless, skinless, free-range chicken breasts; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/3 cup plain flour; 2 eggs; 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

Description

Crispy, golden chicken piled on top of creamy, sweet, spicy sauce and fluffy rice makes chicken katsu curry an undisputed fakeaway favourite. It’s quicker and easier to make than you’d think, and uses mostly store-cupboard ingredients.

You’ll also need a stick (immersion) blender, a regular blender or a food processor for this recipe.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the curry sauce –

2 tablespoons butter
1 carrot, chopped
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1-inch piece of ginger, chopped (or use 1/2 tablespoon of ginger paste)
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon miso paste (optional)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 1/4 cups chicken stock

For the rice –

1 1/2 cups rice
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt

For the breaded chicken –

2 boneless, skinless, free-range chicken breasts
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plain flour
2 eggs
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Make the katsu curry sauce. Set a small pot over medium heat, then add 1 tablespoon of butter. Let it melt, then add the diced onion and chopped carrot, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the onion has started to soften (you’ll see it start to change colour and become more transparent). At this point, add the crushed garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Then add 2 tablespoons of curry powder and stir it through the vegetables so the spices can bloom. Add 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of miso paste (if you’re using it), 1 tablespoon of ketchup and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and stir again. Finally, pour in 2 1/4 cups of chicken stock, stir, bring the sauce to a simmer then set the heat to low and let it simmer for 20 minutes until the veggies are super soft.
Cook the rice. Add 1 1/2 cups of rice, 3 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a pot you have a lid for (or use a board or a plate as the lid if you don’t). Set the pot over high heat, and when you can see foam on top of the water, pop the lid on and turn the heat right down, then leave for 12 minutes. After that, turn the heat off and leave the pot with the lid on until you’re ready to serve.
Prep the chicken. While the sauce cooks, prepare the chicken. Set yourself up with three separate bowls and a large plate or chopping board. Crack the eggs into one bowl and give them a good whisk with a fork, add 1/3 cup of flour to another bowl, then add 3/4 cup of panko breadcrumbs to another bowl. Carefully slice your chicken breasts, lengthways, so you’re left with four long pieces.
Bread the chicken. Dunk each side of a piece of chicken into the flour, let any excess flour come off as you pick it up, then dunk each side in the egg, picking it up and letting any excess drip off into the bowl. Finally, transfer it to the bowl with the panko breadcrumbs, pressing the chicken into the breadcrumbs firmly, and picking up breadcrumbs from the bowl and scattering them on top. Turn the chicken over, pressing firmly to make sure it’s well coated. Transfer the breaded chicken to your prepared plate or chopping board, then repeat with the rest of the chicken. PRO TIP: Try to keep one hand as your ‘wet’ hand and the other as your ‘dry’ hand, so that you don’t end up with super messy, sticky fingers (use one for the egg, and the other for the flour and panko).
Blend your sauce. After simmering for 20 minutes, your katsu sauce should have reduced and the veggies should be soft (cut into a carrot to check). Use a stick blender to carefully blitz the sauce until it’s super smooth and thick. Give it a taste, then add any salt if you think it needs it. Set aside while you cook the chicken. PRO TIP: If you’re using a regular blender or a food processor, make sure you let the sauce cool for about 5/10 minutes before blending – if it’s piping hot, it can make the lid of the blender/processor blow off and make a big mess.
Cook the chicken. Over high heat, add 1/4 cup of oil to a large, ideally non-stick skillet or frying pan. Once it’s looking shimmery (this means it’s hot), add the breaded chicken, and cook for about 4 minutes on each side, until crispy and golden. You may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your pan. Transfer to a plate or board lined with a piece of kitchen towel, then sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt.
Garnish and serve. Divide the rice between plates, then pour over the sauce. Slice each breaded chicken fillet into pieces, and layer on top of the rice and sauce. Finish with a scattering of sliced scallions and sesame seeds, and dig in.

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES: I love the deep savoury note the miso paste brings to the curry, but you can leave it out if you can’t find it. I don’t peel the ginger or the carrot – the sauce is blended up anyway and I don’t think you can notice.

MAKE AHEAD: The sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead of time, then stored in a container in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. You can bread the chicken a day in advance, but don’t cook it until you’re ready to serve – it’s tricky to reheat crispy, breaded chicken. The best way to do it is either in the oven (10 minutes at 180C/360F fan) or in an air-fryer (5 minutes at 200C/390F), but it’ll never be quite the same.

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 30
Category: fakeaways
Method: stove top
Cuisine: japanese

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bowl

Keywords: chicken rice curry, katsu curry