Chicken Katsu Curry

By Culiora

Crisp, panko-crusted chicken cutlets meet a velvety, mildly spiced Japanese curry sauce studded with carrots and potatoes. The sauce balances savoury dashi with sweet grated apple and warm aromatics, creating the ultimate Yoshoku comfort meal. Served alongside steamed short-grain rice, it delivers a deeply satisfying textural contrast.

• Servings: 4
• Prep time: 25 min
• Cook time: 40 min
• Total time: 65 min

Ingredients

• 2 pcs medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 2 pcs medium carrots, cut into bite-sized rolling wedges (rangiri)
• 2 pcs medium waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks
• 2 clove garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 40 g unsalted butter
• 40 g all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp Japanese curry powder (e.g., S&B)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 800 ml chicken stock or dashi stock
• 1/2 pcs sweet red apple (such as Fuji), peeled and finely grated
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp tonkatsu sauce or Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp honey
• 4 pcs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approx. 180 g each)
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 50 g all-purpose flour
• 2 pcs large eggs, beaten
• 120 g Japanese panko breadcrumbs
• 500 ml neutral cooking oil for shallow frying (e.g., canola or sunflower)
• 600 g cooked short-grain Japanese rice
• 2 tbsp fukujinzuke (Japanese red pickled vegetables, optional)

Instructions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring frequently, until deeply golden brown and softened, about 12 to 15 minutes.
2. Stir in the grated garlic and ginger, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the carrots and potatoes, stirring to coat in the aromatic oil.
3. Pour in the chicken stock or dashi, then bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork, around 15 minutes.
4. While the vegetables simmer, prepare the roux: in a small separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until it turns a light nutty brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the Japanese curry powder and garam masala, cooking for 1 minute until very fragrant. Remove from heat.
5. Ladle roughly 150 ml of hot stock from the main pot into the roux saucepan and whisk briskly until a smooth, thick paste forms. Pour this mixture back into the main pot, whisking thoroughly to prevent lumps.
6. Stir the grated apple, soy sauce, tonkatsu sauce, and honey into the curry. Simmer uncovered on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce becomes glossy and thick. Keep warm on the lowest heat setting.
7. Prepare the chicken katsu: place each chicken breast between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound evenly with a rolling pin or meat mallet to an even thickness of about 1.5 cm. Season both sides with fine sea salt and black pepper.
8. Set up three shallow dishes in a row: one with the flour, one with the beaten eggs, and one with the panko breadcrumbs. Dredge each cutlet in the flour, shaking off excess; dip completely into the egg; then press firmly into the panko to ensure an even, thick crust.
9. Pour the frying oil into a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet to a depth of around 1.5 to 2 cm and heat to 170°C. Fry the cutlets in batches of two for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning once, until deeply golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 74°C. Transfer to a wire rack to drain for 2 minutes.
10. Slice each chicken cutlet crosswise into 2 cm wide strips. Serve immediately by arranging warm short-grain rice on one side of a wide, shallow bowl, ladling hot curry sauce over the other side, and resting the crisp sliced katsu over the top. Garnish with fukujinzuke pickles if desired.