Katsu Curry
Serves 2 to 3 · Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 35 minutes · Total: about 50 minutes
On rainy days, there’s nothing quite like katsu curry: hot rice, thick curry, crisp cutlet, and cold shredded cabbage on the side. I use curry blocks for this. They taste right, and once you add onion, carrot, potato, and a little grated apple, the sauce tastes much better than it should for how easy it is.
Ingredients
Curry
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 carrot, cut into small chunks
- 1 small potato, cut into small chunks
- 2 cups water or chicken stock
- 2 to 3 Japanese curry roux blocks, about 50 to 70g
- 1 teaspoon ketchup
- ½ teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons grated apple (optional but good)
Katsu
- 2 chicken cutlets or boneless pork loin cutlets
- Salt
- Black pepper
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup panko
- Neutral oil, for frying
To serve
- Hot white rice, short-grain or jasmine
- Finely shredded cabbage
- Fukujinzuke or pickled daikon (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Make the curry
Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until soft and lightly browned.
- 2
Add the vegetables
Add carrot and potato. Stir for 1 minute, then add water or stock. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- 3
Add the curry blocks
Turn the heat to low. Add the curry roux and stir until fully dissolved. Add ketchup, soy sauce, and grated apple if using. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until thick and glossy. Keep warm.
- 4
Prep the cutlets
Pat the chicken or pork dry. Pound to an even ½-inch thickness if needed. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- 5
Bread the katsu
Coat each cutlet in flour, then egg, then panko. Press the panko on firmly so the crust is even.
- 6
Fry
Heat about ½ inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the cutlets for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden and cooked through. Drain on a rack.
- 7
Slice
Rest the katsu for 2 minutes, then slice into strips.
- 8
Serve
Put rice on the plate, spoon curry beside it, and place the sliced katsu on top. Add shredded cabbage and pickles on the side.
Recipe notes
Cook’s notes
- Do not pour all the curry over the katsu right away. Keep some of the cutlet above the sauce so the crust stays crisp.
- For better cabbage, slice it very thin, soak it in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain well.
- Use boxed Japanese curry roux. Golden Curry, Vermont Curry, and Java Curry all work.
Equipment & shortcuts
- Stovetop is the best method here — the curry comes together quickly, and you need the stove for the katsu anyway. An Instant Pot is only worth it if you're making a big batch of curry sauce ahead.
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