Chicken Katsu Curry

Craving something crunchy, savory, and uniquely seasoned? If so, I think a great option would be a curry dish, but just any regular curry dish. Chicken Katsu Curry has become more popular recently with the hype that Japanese and Korean restaurants have gotten globally. But what’s gotten so many people buzzing about this dish? 

History of Chicken Katsu Curry:

Katsu Curry is quite the unique dish because a lot of people perceive it to have originated from a specific nation. But the truth is, it is the product of different cuisines coming together when trade among various nations became more prominent. Sounds familiar? That’s likely because that same narrative applies to a lot of Filipino dishes that were adapted from recipes brought over by foreign nations.

For the case of Katsu Curry, British people had traveled to Japan in the Meiji Restoration period, bringing with them the delicious curry dish. They had come from India at the time, and began to appreciate the appeal of this flavorful, velvety dish as a filling meal that was useful for trips aboard their ships. 

A more specific story says that this came from a British sailor who was shipwrecked in Japan. But this one hasn’t been fully proven. Eventually, Japanese cooks became familiar with the food, and started making it in their own way. Now, it’s one of the most famous dishes in the country, often paired with some pork or chicken. 

What is Chicken Katsu Curry?

The final product that you will often see in our age when talking of katsu curry would be composed of some thick, curry sauce, vegetables like potatoes and carrots, and of course, the meat, which would be chicken or pork. But of course, one of the things that makes this dish truly special is the katsu. 

These breaded cutlets get the help of buttermilk, pepper, salt and more to create a most crispy, irresistible ingredient. This, of course, pairs beautifully with our smooth, brown sauce with a few cubed potatoes and other toppings to complete the dish. Want to give this a go? Let me go through the steps with you!   

Cooking your Chicken Katsu Curry:

Seasoning and coating the chicken:

We will first need to get ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Put this all over your 2 boneless chicken breasts, making sure that it you distribute the seasonings evenly. Then place the chicken breasts on a wide bowl, and pour ¾ cup of buttermilk inside. Coat each side of the chicken nicely, and then you can cover your bowl.

We will toss this inside the fridge, and let it sit there for a minimum of 3 hours. As we’re waiting, we can proceed to our sauce.

Making the curry sauce:

Pour 3 tablespoons of cooking oil inside your cooking pot. And then let this heat up. Afterwards, incorporate 1 onion you’ve wedged into the dish, and sauté this. Continue sautéing until the onion has separated into layers. Then you can place 1 carrot and 1 potato, both of which you’ve cubed, into the pot. Cook this all together for 1 minute. 

Add 2 ¼ cups of water, and then cover the pot. We will wait for this boil. Once it does, you can take the heat down to medium, and keep everything boiling for 10 minutes more. Now go ahead, and put your 3 ounces of curry sauce mix inside, and stir it nicely. Once it is good and mixed, you can turn your heat off, and transfer the sauce elsewhere. Make sure to keep it warm.

Cooking the chicken:

Let’s move on to the chicken. Start things off by letting your oil get hot inside a deep cooking pot, and reach 350 °F. Then you can take your chicken out of the buttermilk, and then just let the liquid drip. Start coating the chicken in some Good Life Panko Breadcrumbs afterwards. Take a look at the entire chicken to make sure it has breading all over. Then toss this inside your deep cooking pot. Repeat this for the other chicken breast.

We will deep fry the chicken breasts for 10 to 12 minutes. Once you’ve finished cooking them, you can take them out of the pot, and strain them to get the excess oil out. 

Assembling the Chicken Katsu Curry:

Now transfer the chicken to a platter of choice. You can also opt to store the other chicken for later by placing it in a different container. But for the katsu you’re already planning to eat, go ahead and plate this nicely by topping it with your delightful curry sauce from earlier. Finish things off by adding some freshly cooked rice on the side. And there you have it! You’ve made yourself some crunchy, tasty Chicken Katsu Curry!

Wasn’t that fun? Don’t hesitate to learn more yummy recipes by looking through this blog!