This one actually goes back to one of the first posts I made on arcisfoodblog. It’s a delicious dish with succulent fried chicken and a smooth, mild Japanese curry sauce that has become a family favorite over the years.
A katsu curry is a sauce that is started off with fried onion, garlic, and carrot and then infused with (mild) curry powder, garam masala, soy sauce, and honey. Finally, the simmered down sauce is smoothened using a food processor or stick blender and is drizzled over crispy fried chicken. Although the spices are primary from Indian cuisine, the addition of the honey and soy sauce definitely gives it a Japanese twist.
Furthermore, as it coats very nicely, you can use this vegetarian sauce on a standalone basis, too: as a basis for your wok noodles or for a vegetable stir fry. We even used it as a spaghetti sauce once, and it was great.
The original post linked to a recipe that I found over at Reluctant House Dad. Sadly, this food blog is no longer around, so I salvaged the recipe from the internet archives for all of you to enjoy. Below is my version, with mainly some tweaks on quantities as now serving 4 rather than 2. Given my meager attempts at nicely plating this dish, all pictures in this post are from Reluctant House Dad’s blog as well…
The recipe (serves 4)
For the fried chicken
- 150g / 1 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper (adding a dash of shichimi togarashi and/or some garlic powder would bring even more flavor)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 150g / 2 cups homemade breadcrumbs or Japanese panko breadcrumbs
- 4 boneless chicken breasts
- 250ml / 1 cup vegetable oil
For the sauce
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tbsp medium curry powder
- 500ml / 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp garam masala
- Bread the chicken by first coating it in the seasoned flour, then dipping into the beaten egg, and finally into the breadcrumbs. Repeat, then put in the fridge to chill.
- To make the sauce, heat the oil in a small non-stick saucepan, then add the onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 mins, until softened.
- Add the carrots and sweat for 10 mins, until tender and starting to caramelize.
- Stir in the flour and curry powder and cook for 1 min.
- Gradually pour in the stock until combined, then add the honey, soy sauce and bay leaf and bring to the boil.
- Turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, so the sauce thickens but is still of pouring consistency.
- Add the garam masala, then transfer to a food processor (or use a stick blender) and whiz until smooth.
- Return to the pan and keep on a low heat until ready to serve.
- Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan and fry the breaded chicken breasts for 5 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through.
- Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and leave to drain on kitchen paper.
- Slice the chicken on the diagonal and serve with the katsu sauce drizzled over, on a bed of noodles or fried rice.
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