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Japanese Chicken Katsu Curry and Rice
5 from 2 votes

Japanese Chicken Katsu Curry and Rice

Balanced, flavorful, and enjoyable—this recipe has it all.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 4 portions
Course: Main Course, Lunch, Dinner
Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

Japanese Style Curry (sweet)
  • 300 g chicken thigh or chicken breast, boneless
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • 1 tbsp butter unsalted
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 2 potato
  • 1 carrot
  • 4 ervings worth curry roux homemade or boxed
  • 600 ml water if using premade curry cubes, check box for water quantity
  • 1 tbsp tsuyu sauce
  • ½ tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp sake
  • 1 pinch chili powder optional
  • ½ tsp fenugreek powder
  • 1 tsp tomato ketchup
Chicken Katsu
  • neutral cooking oil for deep frying, generic cooking oil
  • 2 chicken breast large
  • 2 pinches salt
  • 2 pinches black pepper
  • 6 tbsp cake flour
  • 100 ml water
  • 2 egg
  • 100 g all-purpose flour
  • 50 g panko breadcrumbs
  • 4 tbsp Parmesan Cheese grated
To Serve
  • 4 portions Japanese short-grain rice see my post for how to cook Japanese rice on the stove, cooked
  • fukujinzuke pickles optional
  • parsley optional

Instructions

Japanese Chicken Curry
    Cup of Yum
  1. Cut 300 g boneless chicken thigh into bitesize pieces and sprinkle with 1 pinch salt and pepper
  2. Thinly slice 1 yellow onion, and peel and cut 2 potato and 1 carrot into rough bite-size pieces.
  3. Heat a large pot on medium and melt 1 tbsp unsalted butter. Add the chicken pieces and fry until sealed on the outside.
  4. Once sealed, add the sliced onion and cook until slightly softened.
  5. Next, add the potato and carrot along with 1 tbsp tsuyu sauce. Mix over the heat for about 1 minute.
  6. Add 600 ml water and bring to a boil. (If using boxed curry, check the instructions for the correct amount of water.)
  7. Lower the heat to simmer and add the 4 servings worth curry roux. Mix it until it's completely dissolved.
  8. Add ½ tbsp honey, 1 tbsp sake, ½ tsp fenugreek powder, 1 tsp tomato ketchup and 1 pinch chili powder. Mix well and simmer for 10-20 minutes or until it reaches your preferred thickness. Once thickened, turn off the heat and place a lid on top to keep it warm. You can make the katsu while it simmers, but keep an eye on it and stir it occasionally.
Making katsu
  1. Heat your cooking oil to 170 °C (338 °F). While it heats, cut 2 large chicken breasts in half horizontally and sprinkle with 2 pinches salt and pepper on both sides.
  2. Wrap the chicken in plastic wrap and use a meat tenderizer or rolling pin to pound it until it's 1cm thick. (about 1/2 inch)
  3. In a bowl, mix 100 ml water, 2 egg and 100 g all-purpose flour to make a thick batter.
  4. Add 50 g panko breadcrumbs and 4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese to a plate, and mix them together.
  5. Pour 6 tbsp cake flour onto a plate and coat the surface of the chicken. Brush off any excess to ensure the coat is even.
  6. Once the oil is ready, dip your chicken into the batter.
  7. Cover the chicken in the panko mixture, making sure it's fully covered, before placing it straight in the oil.
  8. Fry for 6 minutes (or until golden) turning the katsu over halfway through to make sure it's evenly cooked.
  9. Transfer to a wire rack and allow any excess oil to drip off.
Serving
  1. Dish up your rice on one side of the plate, and spoon the curry onto the other side.
  2. Cut the katsu into 1cm strips and place it in the middle of the rice and curry. Garnish with fukujinzuke pickles and a sprinkle of parsley.
  3. Enjoy! 

Notes

  • If your curry becomes too thick, you can add more water a little at a time.
  • If your curry is too thin, you'll need to cook it for longer. You can try turning up the heat but make sure to keep stirring so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.
  • Refer to the article above for storing and reheating instructions for both the curry and katsu.