Katsu curry is a popular Japanese comfort food. It is a rice bowl which consists of a crispy chicken cutlet also known as katsu, Japanese curry and steamed rice . This is assembled at that moment and served piping hot which makes it a filling and delicious meal.
Katsu Curry Recipe
Among all the incredible dishes I tried during my trip to Japan, Japanese Curry with Chicken Cutlet remains one of the most memorable.
At first glance, it looks simple crispy chicken cutlet served over rice and generously covered with a rich curry sauce. But the moment I took my first bite, I understood why it's such a beloved comfort food in Japan.
You will love my Vegetable Tempura and Japanese Mayonnaise. Also check out recipe for sticky rice recipe to serve with this.
About Katsu Curry Recipe
If you are hearing about this dish for the first time. I like to explain it much further for you. Imagine a bowl of freshly steamed rice, topped with panko coated fried super crispy chicken cutlet, generously drowned with a thick, silky umami packed Japanese curry. One bite of this together and you will fall in love with it over and over.
The chicken katsu was perfectly crispy on the outside while staying juicy and tender inside. The curry was unlike the curries which we make in India. It was mildly spiced, slightly sweet, creamy, glossy and umami packed when paired with short grain rice it truly felt like a comfort meal. This is one dish which you can serve in a bowl or pack it in a bento box. This makes a perfect travel food option too.
What I loved most about Katsu Curry was how it combined texture and flavor so effortlessly. The crunch of the cutlet, the smooth curry sauce, and the soft rice created the perfect balanced taste. It also provided comforting satisfying meal.
Even after returning home, the taste of that Katsu Curry brings back wonderful memories of Japan which made me recreate this meal.
Similar Recipes
There are 3 parts in this dish. You have to make chicken katsu, curry sauce and rice. This is a great dish for meal planning. You can cook the curry upto 4 to 5 days in advance. Japanese curry stays fresh in fridge for a really long time. You can reheat at the time of serving.
Chicken katsu can be meal prepped in advance too. But I like to fry them fresh to retain the super crispy texture. But you can coat them in panko and store in fridge or freeze them upto a month. When you are ready to serve, you can fry them fresh.
With Japanese curry, it is pretty easy to make. All you need is curry block which is easily available in super markets. If you cannot find it, you can make them from scratch check my Japanese chicken curry recipe.
The curry sauce can be modified by the addition of chicken, or any meat of choice.
More Japanese Inspired Recipes to Try
Ingredients for Japanese Curry
- Oil -For making curry, I used sunflower oil for cooking the vegetables, you can use sesame oil as well.
- Onions - I used regular red onions for the base. It adds aroma and sweet taste to the curry.
- Garlic - some recipes doesn't uses garlic. But I like to add garlic to enhance the taste.
- Potatoes & Carrot - these two vegetables makes a hearty curry. You can use cauliflower, zucchini , sweet potatoes, pumpkin as well.
- Stock - i used vegetable stock to add a depth of flavour. You can use plain water.
- Curry Block - it is also known as curry roux. it is a premade block of curry powder, spices, water, fat. It comes in a cube like pack. You can choose from the different spice level options. It just melts into the curry.
- Optional - you can use chicken, any meat of choice.
Step by Step Pictures
How I make Japanese Curry
1)Heat oil in a cooking pot with lid. Add in garlic and onions and saute until fragrant. It will take a minute.
2)Let the onions release the flavour into the oil.
3)Now add in potatoes and carrots. Make sure it it cut into big chunks so it doesn't disintegrate into the sauce.
4)Saute this for a minute. You can add in sweet potatoes, zucchini, pumpkins as well.
5)Pour in stock of choice and mix well. Bring it to a full boil.
6)Cover and cook until the vegetables is just cooked and tender.
7)Now take your Japanese curry block. it is also known as curry roux. it is a premade block of curry powder, spices, water, fat. It comes in a cube like pack. You can choose from the different spice level options. It just melts into the curry.
8)This is how it looks like. Looks like a chocolate bar.
9)Add the curry block into the cooked vegetables and mix gently on low heat.
10)The heat till melt the curry block into the sauce. Once all the curry block is melted, let it simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
11)Thats it, your Japanese curry is ready to serve.
How I make Chicken Katsu (Step by Step)
12)Now that the curry sauce is ready, lets make chicken katsu.
Take couple of boneless chicken breast. Pat them dry completely with paper towel. Take them on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to butterfly the chicken breast so it opens like a book.
13)Place another sheet of plastic wrap or parchment on top and use a meat mallet or a rolling pin to gently smash the chicken breast so it gets slightly thin and in even thickness.
14)Remove the plastic wrap and this is how the chicken looks like. Now you can keep it as it is for one big chicken katsu. Or slice it in half so each chicken breast gives you 2 chicken cutlets.
15)Take plain flour and cornstarch in a bowl.
16)Add in your seasoning ingredients. That is totally to your wish. I used garlic powder, Japanese curry powder, salt, black pepper powder and paprika. Once the seasonings are added, mix it really well.
17)Crack open one egg and add it into the flour mix. Mix the egg into the flour. If the batter is too thick, you can add a splash of water and mix well.
18)The batter has to be sligthly pourable consistency.
Coating Chicken
19)Now take your chicken cutlets and drop into the batter.
20)Coat the chicken on both sides, so each side is coated with the batter.
21)Drop the chicken on some panko breadcrumbs.
22)Coat both sides of the chicken in panko really well.
23)Once it is well coated, remove the chicken and place it on a wire rack while you heat the oil.
Frying Chicken
24)Heat neutral cooking oil in a pan and place it on medium high heat. Let the oil get hot. If you insert a chopstick into the oil, you will see small bubbles around the chopsticks which indicates the oil is at the right temperature.
25)Drop the chicken into the oil. The chicken should be completely immersed in the oil. So it fries from all sides.
26)Let the chicken fry on medium high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. It will get golden brown in colour.
27)Remove the fried katsu from oil. It should be super crispy and crunchy.
28)After every batch, use a skimmer to remove any fried crumbs from the oil. So it doesn't burn.
29)I dropped the half chicken cutlets into the oil and fried that for 3 to 4 minutes.
30)Once fried, remove it from oil.
31)Place the chicken katsu onto a wire rack so it doesn't get soggy. Let it sit for 3 to 4 minutes before serving. Cut into slices and serve.
Serving Katsu Curry
32)Take a bowl of freshly cooked rice. Place sliced chicken katsu on one side, generously pour curry on other side. Top with green onions for garnishing. Serve immediately.
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Katsu Curry Recipe (Japanese Chicken Katsu Curry Rice)
Equipment
Ingredients
For Japanese Curry
- 2 tablespoon Vegetable Oil or Sunflower Oil
- 1 tablespoon Garlic peeled and chopped finely
- 1 large Onion peeled and chopped finely
- 1 large Carrot cut into chunks
- 1 large Potato peeled and cut into chunks
- 3 cups Vegetable Stock
- 4 piece Japanese Curry Block
For Making Chicken Katsu
- 2 large Boneless chicken breast
- Sunflower oil for Deep frying
For Batter
- 2 tablespoon Plain flour
- 4 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 large Egg
- 3 tablespoon Water or as needed
For Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Japanese curry powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper powder
For Coating
- 2 cups Panko Breadcrumbs or as needed
For Serving
- 4 cups Freshly cooked short grain rice
- 2 no Green Onions chopped
Instructions
For Making Japanese Curry Sauce
- Heat oil in a pot. Add in chopped garlic and sauté until fragrant. Now add in onions and sauté for couple of minutes until raw smell leaves.
- Add in carrots and potatoes and give a good mix. Now pour vegetable stock and mix well. Bring it to a full boil, cover the pan with lid and cook on low medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes until the potatoes and carrots is cooked.
- Now add in the curry block and mix gently until the block melts completely. The sauce will get thick as it cools. Serve with rice.
For Making Chicken Katsu
- Take couple of boneless chicken breast. Pat them dry completely with paper towel. Take them on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to butterfly the chicken breast so it opens like a book.
- Place another sheet of plastic wrap or parchment on top and use a meat mallet or a rolling pin to gently smash the chicken breast so it gets slightly thin and in even thickness.
- Remove the plastic wrap and this is how the chicken looks like. Now you can keep it as it is for one big chicken katsu. Or slice it in half so each chicken breast gives you 2 chicken cutlets. Set aside till needed.
- Take plain flour, cornstarch, seasonings, salt, pepper in a bowl and mix well. Add in egg and mix to a batter, add little water at a time to make a slightly thin batter. The batter has to be sligthly pourable consistency.
- Now take your chicken cutlets and drop into the batter. Coat the chicken on both sides, so each side is coated with the batter.
- Take the chicken from batter, let the excess batter drip off, Drop the chicken on some panko breadcrumbs. Coat both sides of the chicken in panko really well. Once it is well coated, remove the chicken and place it on a wire rack.
- Heat neutral cooking oil in a pan and place it on medium high heat. Let the oil get hot. If you insert a chopstick into the oil, you will see small bubbles around the chopsticks which indicates the oil is at the right temperature.
- Drop the chicken into the oil. The chicken should be completely immersed in the oil. So it fries from all sides. Let the chicken fry on medium high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. It will get golden brown in colour. Remove the fried katsu from oil. It should be super crispy and crunchy. Place on a wire rack.
- After every batch, use a skimmer to remove any fried crumbs from the oil. So it doesn't burn. Continue with remaining batch. Once fried, let it sit for 3 minutes before slicing. Serve.
Serving Katsu Curry
- Take a bowl of freshly cooked rice. Place sliced chicken katsu on one side, generously pour curry on other side. Top with green onions for garnishing. Serve immediately.
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