Chicken Katsu Curry

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breast fillets (pounded to 1cm thick)
• 100g plain flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 150g panko breadcrumbs
• 400g Japanese rice (or short-grain)
• ¼ white cabbage, finely shredded
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Lemon wedges

For the curry sauce:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 carrots, diced small
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 600ml chicken stock
• 1 Japanese curry block (S&B Golden Curry — red or yellow)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp honey

Method

1. Cook the rice according to packet instructions. Keep warm.
2. Make the curry sauce. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion 5 minutes until soft. Add carrots, cook 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, cook 1 minute.
3. Stir in flour, cook 2 minutes to make a roux. Slowly whisk in stock. Bring to simmer.
4. Add the curry block, breaking it up. Stir until dissolved. Add soy and honey. Simmer 15-20 minutes until thickened. If too thick, add a splash of water.
5. Set up breading station: flour in one bowl, beaten egg in another, panko in a third. Season the flour with salt and pepper.
6. Coat chicken: dredge in flour (shake off excess), dip in egg, press firmly into panko. Set aside on a plate.
7. Heat 1cm oil in a deep pan to 170°C (or until a breadcrumb sizzles immediately). Fry chicken 4-5 minutes per side until deep golden and cooked through.
8. Drain on kitchen paper, rest 2 minutes.
9. Slice each cutlet into 1cm strips.
10. Plate up: pile rice on one side, sliced katsu on the other, shredded cabbage in between. Spoon over a generous amount of curry sauce. Serve with lemon wedge.

Tips

• Pound the chicken flat — between two pieces of cling film with a rolling pin. Even thickness = even cooking.
• Pesto press the panko firmly — pat it on, don’t just roll. Loose panko falls off in the oil.
• Oil temperature matters — too cool = greasy, too hot = burnt outside raw inside. A piece of breadcrumb should sizzle immediately and brown in 30 seconds.
• Curry sauce keeps 3 days in the fridge. Brilliant stirred through leftover rice for next-day fried rice.
• No Japanese curry block? Use 2 tbsp mild curry powder + 1 tsp garam masala + ½ tsp each of cinnamon, coriander and a pinch of cloves. Won’t be identical but close.