Chicken katsu curry

Create 4 fillets from the 2 chicken breasts, cutting them in half lengthways. Place between cling film or parchment paper and then use a rolling pin to beat to an even thickness of around 2-3 cm.

Add the milk to a large mixing bowl with a pinch of salt. Then add the beaten chicken fillets. Cover and leave in the fridge for around 25 minutes (or up to 24 hours if you have the time).

Add the plain flour and breadcrumbs to two separate plates, then add the beaten eggs to a shallow dish. Add the chilli powder to the flour and stir to combine, then add 1 tbsp of soy sauce to the beaten eggs.

Remove the chicken from the fridge. Take the first chicken fillet and coat it in the flour mix. Dip into the egg mix, and then finally coat in the breadcrumbs. Set aside on a clean plate and repeat with the rest of the fillets. 

For the sauce, first heat the butter in a saucepan and then add the chopped carrot and onion for around 5 minutes to soften. Add the chopped garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, for around 3 minutes. Then add the curry powder, honey, ketchup, miso paste and remainder of the soy sauce to create a paste. Cook for a further minute, then add 700ml boiling water with the chicken stock cube. Cover and leave to simmer for at least 20 minutes, until the carrot is fully softened.

Heat the sunflower oil in a large frying pan whilst the sauce is still simmering. Add the chicken fillets and fry for around 4 minutes on each side, until golden and crisp.

Use a hand blender to then blitz the sauce until completely smooth (you can also transfer the sauce to a food processor as needed). Serve immediately with the chicken fillets, over a bed of rice, with sesame seeds sprinkled over the top.

Tips & tricks

Make sure that you flatten the chicken fillets out as evenly as possible. This is to ensure they all cook at a similar rate, leaving you with perfectly crispy chicken for the dish.

When preparing the chicken, try to keep your dry hands and wet hands separate. In other words, use one hand for the flour and breadcrumb dipping, and one for the egg dipping. This helps to prevent bread crumbs sticking to your hands and ensures maximum coverage for the chicken itself. The longer you can leave the chicken in the fridge in the milk base, the better, as it’ll make the chicken softer and more tender. But if you’re really stuck for time you can use our quicker suggestion above.

There tends to be little variation on the classic list of katsu curry ingredients, but some recipes do call for potatoes as an addition to the dish.

Origin of the recipe

Japanese katsu curry is said to have originated when the British introduced curry to Japan in the Meiji era. It’s considered to be from Western cuisine and it’s thought the British navy used to enjoy this dish as a heaty recipe on long journeys across the high seas. The name “katsu” is a shortened form of “katsuretsu” which means cutlet, hence the name of the dish. It’s a variation on classic Japanese curry dishes and you can find a more traditional Japanese curry recipe here. Or for wider Japanese cuisine inspiration, explore our bank of dishes here.

Storage

Freshly made katsu curry will keep for around two to three days in the fridge.