Chicken katsu curry
This popular Japanese chicken katsu curry is easy to make for a low-cost midweek meal. You can prepare the curry sauce in advance, and the strips of chicken are quick to coat and fry up into hot crispy morsels.
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 1 brown onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp medium curry powder
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 500ml/18fl oz chicken stock
- 1–2 tbsp soy sauce
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the chicken
- 400g/14oz chicken mini fillets or 2 chicken breasts, cut into strips
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
- 100g/3½oz dried breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- jasmine rice, to serve
Method
To make the sauce, put the onion, carrot and oil into a saucepan and cook over a low–medium heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft but not coloured.
Add the garlic, ginger and curry powder and cook for a minute, stirring often. Add the flour, mix well and cook for a further 30 seconds. Gradually add the stock, stirring constantly. Bring slowly to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook gently for 10 minutes until smooth and thickened.
Blend the sauce until smooth using a stick blender and season to taste with soy sauce, salt and pepper.
To prepare the chicken, tip the flour onto a plate, the beaten egg onto another and the breadcrumbs onto a baking tray.
Coat the chicken fillets in flour, shake off the excess, then dip into the beaten egg to coat and shake off any excess. Put the chicken into the breadcrumbs and turn gently so that each piece is evenly coated.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add half of the chicken pieces and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden. Remove from the pan and keep warm while you fry the remaining chicken.
Serve the crisp chicken with steamed rice and the hot curry sauce poured over.
Recipe Tips
The curry sauce can be prepared in advance and kept in the fridge for 2–3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Why not make a double quantity and freeze half for another dinner?