Home » Spicy Chicken Katsu Curry – Warming Japanese Curry
07 March 2021
//
Asian Chicken Dinner Spicy
- 2616
- 5
WHAT'S SPECIAL!
Spicy Hearty curry and Crunchy Juicy Chicken!
Jump to Recipe
Who doesn’t love Chicken Katsu Curry, the well known and loved curry from Japan. It’s a real winter warmer and a dish that keeps you coming back for more. If you have not yet had this wonderful dish you are in for a real treat and my recipe is a great place to start. This curry is sweet, savoury and super comforting with caramelised onions, carrots and potatoes the flavours are simply amazing!
I was first introduced to this dish at Wagamama as a child. I simply fell in love with it! It was my go to dish almost every time I ate there. By the time I was 23 I found myself thinking why have I never attempted to make this at home? After all, it was one of my favourite meals that I craved often. There is one thing I always thought was missing from Wagamamas curry which was or course Chilli….Spice! It did not have the level of heat I want and love in my food and especially in a curry! I created this recipe after spending hours watching a load of YouTube videos and finally finalised my own recipe and tested it out! I could literally eat this tried and tested recipe everyday – I hope you will love this Chicken Katsu Curry too!
What is Chicken Katsu Curry?
Curry was brought to Japan by the British during the Menijii period. The very first katsu curry was made in 1899 in a restaurant in Tokyo called Rengatai. Over a century later, curry has became an integral part of Japanese cuisine – it might just be the country’s most popular dish today.
Lots of people actually think the sauce is the “KATSU” part of the dish, but katsu is actually a crispy fried cutlet of meat or seafood made with Japanese panko breadcrumbs. Katsu came around in the late 1800s and was meant to be a more European style of meat cutlet, similar to say a German schnitzel. Katsu is traditionally made with pork cutlet but can be made with chicken or seafood like prawns or calamari.
My new found favourite katsu place is Ichibanya Curry House in Soho. This is Japan’s biggest and most popular curry house and is practically like McDonalds over there. It is all over the place in Japan and lots of other Asian countries. I highly recommend this restaurant, it has a vast menu and is super authentic. Don’t be surprised if you go and find a queue outside – it is well worth the wait!
What do I need?
- Good quality Chicken Breast – I like to use organic chicken breast.
- Classic Curry Powder, Chilli powder and Cayenne pepper. I use Barts or Schwartz giant pack from Costco.
- Crispy Panko Breadcrumbs. See my brand recommendations below.
- Flour and Egg for breading the chicken and Ginger, Garlic, Carrots and Potatoes for the hearty curry.
- Sugar or Honey, Light Soya Sauce, Chicken stock Powder and Tomato paste for a tasty curry.
Tips & Tricks
- If you want an authentic Katsu chicken you need to use Panko Breadcrumbs and I recommend Yutaka or JFC.
- It’s always best to use home made stock in any recipe that calls for it, but if you don’t have any, I recommend Knorr organic stock pots for those moments where you need a helping hand.
- Make sure your oil is hot enough but not too hot or your chicken will brown too much. I like to use a trick I learnt from fellow food blogger Quang Tran. Simply use a chopstick in the centre of your pan to test if the oil is ready. The stick will bubble almost instantly when the oil is ready to go!
- This curry is a great freezer filler and will last a good 4-6 months, dependant on your freezer quality and choice of packaging. I use reused plastic Chinese takeout containers.
Chicken Katsu Curry Serving Suggestion –
This dish is traditionally served with steamed rice, mixed leaves or cabbage salad. However, the traditional curry sauce is substantial enough to be eaten alone with just the delicious crispy chicken! I love eating mine with a big bowl of sauce with a few carrots, a couple of potatoes and the crispy Katsu chicken ready for dunking on the side! Check out my Perfect White Rice recipe to complete this dish!
5 from 2 votes
Chicken Katsu Curry
Warming Hot Curry and Crispy Juicy Chicken!
Servings 2 people
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
Equipment
Peeler
Sharp knife
Cutting board
Meat mallet
Cling film
Small bowls
Heavy sided frying pan
Deep heavy bottom pot
Tongs
Oil splatter
Kitchen roll
Ingredients
Curry Sauce
- 200 g onions 2-4
- 2-3 carrots
- 200 g potatoes
- 6 garlic
- 1 tbsp ginger
- 25 g butter
- ¼ cup plain flour
- 40 g curry powder
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp chicken stock powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 500 ml chicken stock or water
Katsu Chicken
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1.5 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup plain flour
- 2 eggs (large)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- 4 cups sunflower oil (depends on the pan you are using)
Instructions
Curry Sauce
Peel the carrots and potatoes. Chop the potatoes into quarters, carrots in 3 inch pieces and the onion in chunky pieces, mince the garlic and chop the ginger finely.
Heat the oil and fry the onions alone until soft and golden brown then add the garlic and ginger and fry for a couple of minutes – careful not to burn it turn the heat down if needed.
Now add the butter, stir and allow to melt in the pan. Once melted add the flour and stir well. Then add the curry, powdered chilli, cayenne and stock powder. Keep stirring and now begin to add the stock/water bit by bit while continuing to stir.
Once all the liquid is in smooth out any clumps and then add the tomato puree, soya sauce, honey or sugar and cover and leave on high to come to the boil.
When the curry is bubbling stir, add the chopped carrots and potatoes and turn the heat down to medium/low. Cover and leave to simmer for 30-40 minutes, stir every 12 minutes.
Katsu Chicken
Wash, tidy and halve the chicken and dry with kitchen roll. Then place the chicken in-between 2 sheets of cling film on a chopping board and bash and flatten the chicken (not too hard) on both sides and set aside.
Now get three bowls for the flour, egg and panko breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the salt, pepper and chilli flakes in all 3 bowls and mix.
Next coat the chicken in the flour first then egg and finally the breadcrumbs and place on clean plate ready for frying.
Heat the sunflower oil on high for at least 10 minutes and then turn down to medium for a further 5 minutes and the oil should then be ready. Now use the tongs to place the chicken in the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes each side. When done place on kitchen roll to soak up the excess oil. Now serve and enjoy!
Notes
Serving suggestion:I love eating this recipe just with the curry sauce and katsu chicken! This dish is best served with some freshly cooked basmati or jasmine rice and some mixed leaves with a sweet tangy dressing.
Author: Jacinta
Calories: 545kcal
Cost: £10
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: Cheap, Chicken, Curry, Quick & Easy
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag@chilliandlifeon Instagramand hashtag it#chilliandlife #CANDL.
#chicken, #curry, #hearty, #japanese, #Spicy
Other Posts You May Enjoy
02 February 2022
Tom Yum Style Noodle Soup – Popular Thai Soup
26 July 2021
Thai Style Pineapple Fried Rice
19 July 2021
Fresh, Fragrant and Spicy Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad – Bun Bo Xao
20 June 2021
Sweet Miso Salmon Salad with Kale Radish and Dried Cranberries
18 June 2021
The Best Crunchy Spicy Satay Chicken Salad
15 June 2021
14 June 2021
-
Turned out great! Definitely on the spicy side, my son was having trouble with that, but he ate it anyway!Reply
-
Happy to hear it turned out great Taunya! With the seasons changing this warming dish is a must! Glad to hear your son soldiered the spice!
Reply
-
-
Pingback:
-
As a big katsu curry fan, I must say I was delighted with this rich, tasty and spicy sauce. A must !!Reply
-
Thank you Nounda, I am glad you enjoyed it!
Reply
-
