In watching some cooking shows lately; I keep hearing the word Chicken Katsu. I did not know what Katsu meant, it all looked like fried chicken cutlet or a schnitzel to me. I ended up googling it and basically they are all pretty much the same, the difference is Katsu you use panko, you don’t pound it flat and it is deep fried instead of shallow pan fried. So pretty much with this dish I combined a little of each. I butterflied the chicken breast so it was on the thin side and even and I shallow fried it instead of deep frying it. I did panko it but that is my go-to anyway.
For those that think curry is spicy this one is not. I would say it barely had any heat at all. But the flavor was lovely and you should check this out if you are interested. I gave some leftovers to my daughter for lunch the next day; who lived in Japan for 2 years; said and I quote “omg it’s so good” ” it totally reminds me of getting katsu curry in Japan”. No higher praise needed, food memories are wonderful.
This recipe asks for Hot Madras Curry Powder. I planned on making my own Madras spice mixture so I started pulling out every spice I saw on the list, which was pretty long, about 12 spices and voila I actually had Hot Madras Curry Powder; I had no idea! I bet my daughter bought it. I would have stayed away from it because it said hot. I was a little hesitant using it but I read that even though it says hot Japanese curry spice mixture is really not that hot so I tried it and loved it. I will be making this again soon!
Chicken Katsu Curry Rice
Ingredients
Curry Sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons Hot Madras Curry Powder or use your favorite
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 medium potato peeled and diced to about 1" pieces
- 3 medium carrots peeled and cut into about 1" pieces
- 2 cups Chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
Chicken Katsu
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 large egg
- 1⅓ cups panko breadcrumbs
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven or other medium to large pot over medium heat. Add the 1 tablespoon oil and the onion, and cook until the onions begin to turn translucent and the edges begin to brown, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce, and cook for 1 minute. Then stir in the curry powder, salt, and sugar, and cook for another minute.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the potatoes and carrots are tender, about 20-25 minutes.
- Butterfly the chicken breast so they’re thin and even. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Season both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and dust with a light, even coating of flour. In one shallow bowl, beat the egg. Put the panko breadcrumbs into another shallow bowl.
- Add a thin, even layer of oil to a heavy skillet over medium heat. The oil is ready when you throw a panko breadcrumb into the oil and it sizzles. Dip the chicken into the egg to coat. Transfer to the panko and press it evenly into the chicken to get a good coating.
- Carefully lay the chicken in the hot oil without over crowding and cook for 6 minutes on one side, until golden brown. Flip and cook the other side for another 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken, adding oil to the pan as needed.
- Stir the cornstarch with the water to make a slurry, and add it to the curry sauce. Stir until the sauce is thickened, then stir in the butter. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt to taste if needed.
- Slice the chicken, and place over the steamed rice. Ladle the curry sauce on the side. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from: thewoksoflife.com