Hearty Chicken Katsu Curry Recipe (Katsu Kare)

“Steph ain’t got nothin’ on this chicken katsu curry” – Elijah 

Chicken katsu curry (katsu kare) has comforting warmth, bold flavor, and a crispy (but juicy) bite is guaranteed to slam dunk you into a food coma. If you’ve ever wanted to make this yourself, now’s the time! 

Katsu curry (katsu kare) is a hearty Japanese dish made of vegetable curry topped with fried chicken or pork. It is served with a variety of pickled veggies, fresh veggies, and rice.

The history of Japanese curry

The spice mix for curry powder were most likely brought over to Japan through the British Empire, who had colonized India from 1858 – 1947. In the early 1900’s, the Russo-Japanese War meant that the Japanese government needed a way to feed their Navy and Army. It also became very popular among civilians, although it is unclear exactly when this happened.

Curry sauce ingredients

The popular Japanese curry sauce is made from curry roux (cubes of pre-mixed spices, which come in mild, medium, or spicy), garlic, onion, carrots, and potato. In addition, there are ingredients like grated apple, mirin, and honey, which add a subtle sweetness to the bold curry sauce.

The curry is very versatile for cooking at home, since you can make this with basically any vegetables you currently have. Note: we recommend using “sturdier” vegetables, like potato, radish, or bok choy, that will hold itself well against the heavy sauce.

You can also make this recipe vegetarian, or switch out the meat for pork or beef. Or, simply eat it with rice. It’s delicious either way. Go ahead and make it your own!

How to cook chicken katsu

To fry katsu, you must first tenderize the meat for even frying and better texture. It breaks up the stiff muscle fibers so your chicken will come out soft and succulent.

Next, coat the chicken in flour, then egg wash, then panko. Do this right before frying so that the panko doesn’t become soggy.

Fry with neutral oil (vegetable, canola, peanut, safflower, etc.) for about 5 minutes on each side.

Tips on cooking chicken katsu curry

Tip #1: Tenderize the meat until the thickness is even, but don’t overtenderize. Overtenderizing will cause the meat to be ripped or smashed, and won’t cook as well in the fryer due to the uneven surface area.

Tip #2: How do you know if the oil is ready if you don’t have a thermometer? You can test the heat of the oil with a wooden spoon or chopstick. If the oil bubbles steadily when you dip the utensil in the oil, it is ready for frying. No bubbles = not hot enough. Violent bubbles = too hot.

Tip #3: For faster (and less messy) cooking, make an “assembly line” of flour, egg, and panko next to your fryer. We like to use our tupperware because they perfectly fit one slice of chicken and have room for us to roll it around for coating. Coat in flour, then egg, then panko, then…fry! In this way, you won’t be moving so much around the kitchen and you can cook much faster!

Final Thoughts

Katsu curry (katsu kare) is a hearty Japanese dish that warms the bellies of everyone who eats it. Savor the simple pleasure of fried chicken combined with the rich flavors of curry sauce.

References & Further Reading

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/japanese-curry-history

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=885e797402814f6498e63ce610d8c165

https://taiken.co/single/the-origin-and-history-of-japanese-curry-rice/

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2011/08/26/food/curry-its-more-japanese-than-you-think/

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