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    Katsu Curry

    Katsu Curry is total comfort food with a Japanese twist. Crispy fried chicken or pork cutlet with a rich flavorful gravy, all atop a bed of rice. It can’t get much better than that!

    The combination of flavors and textures are just perfect in this dish, which is also known as Katsukarē.

    Cook up a big batch to feed a crowd, everyone is gonna want seconds!

    Katsu Curry is total Japanese comfort food, featuring a breaded pork cutlet along with a savory curry, all atop a bed of rice. It's so good!

    We love all types of curries here at GypsyPlate. From fiery Indian Vindaloo to slightly sweet South African Curry to boldly flavorful Jamaican Curry, there’s a whole world of curry varieties out there.

    Japanese Katsu Curry is one of the most unique, combining curry with a crispy fried cutlet.

    On our recent trip to England, we discovered that it was one of the mainstays on their menus. Having tried it a few times in restaurants there, we decided we just had to present it to you.

    two servings of katsu curry from english restaurants

    What is Katsu Curry?

    Katsu Curry is a pairing of Japanese Curry with Tonkatsu, a panko fried pork cutlet. Chicken is sometimes used in place of pork.

    Sometimes, the curry takes the form of a simple sauce, made with pre-made curry roux. Other times, the curry has additions like vegetables, which we are using today. It can even have meat in the curry. You can try pairing the katsu with our Japanese Beef Curry.

    It is said to have been invented in a restaurant in 1948, when a patron complained that it was too  much of a bother to eat katsu and curry separately.

    Since then is has spread, and is now one of the most popular dishes in the country. Many Japanese fast food restaurants specialize in the dish.

    Katsu Curry is total Japanese comfort food, featuring a breaded pork cutlet along with a savory curry, all atop a bed of rice. It's so good!

    Katsu Curry Ingredients

    Katsu

    • Pork – Loin, tenderloin or boneless pork chops. Alternately, chicken filets can be used.
    • Flour
    • Eggs
    • Panko

    Curry

    box of curry roux
    • Curry roux – S&B Golden Curry Hot mix is our favorite. You can find curry roux in the Asian section of most supermarkets.
    • Aromatics – Garlic & ginger.
    • Sauces – Soy sauce, ketchup, worcestershire sauce, apricot jam or preserves.
    • Veggies – Onions, carrots and potatoes. They’re totally optional, but we feel they round our the meal.

    How to Make Katsu Curry

    Katsu

    Slice pork to about 3/4 inch thick, then pound flat with a meat mallet to about 1/2 inch.

    TIP: We recommend placing the pork cutlets, one at a time, in a ziploc bag to beat them. This helps avoid splattering.

    Gather three separate, shallow bowls. Fill one with flour, one with whisked eggs, and one with panko.

    Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. You want the oil around 350 degrees. If you have an electric skillet, that works perfectly. If not, you can use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the oil.

    Season the pork with salt, then dredge in flour, then egg, then panko. Fry until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes, turning every few minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

    two fried pork cutlets on a paper towel lined plate.

    Curry

    Heat oil in a soup pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion and sauté till it is a nice golden brown. Add in chopped garlic and ginger, and sauté for a couple of minutes.

    Stir in potato and carrot chunks. Give it all a good mix.

    potatoes and carrots cooking in a dutch oven

    Add in 3.5 cups of water. Bring to a simmer and cook till the carrots and potatoes are soft to your liking.

    Stir in the curry roux, ketchup, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and apricot preserve. Once the curry cubes have dissolved, cook 10 more minutes.

    cooked Japanese curry

    How to Serve Katsu Curry

    The typical serving of katsu curry has a fried cutlet atop a bed of rice, along with the curry.

    Katsu Curry is total Japanese comfort food, featuring a breaded pork cutlet along with a savory curry, all atop a bed of rice. It's so good!

    Interestingly, we discovered that in the UK it is also sometimes served with fries. Give it a try, and see which way you like best!

    Storage and Leftovers

    Japanese curry can be refrigerated for 3-4 days, stored in an air tight container. It tastes even better, as all the flavors have time to mingle with each other.

    We recommend cooking the katsu fresh, so it retains its crunch.

    Katsu Curry is total Japanese comfort food, featuring a breaded pork cutlet along with a savory curry, all atop a bed of rice. It's so good!

    Give Katsu Curry a try in your kitchen, and find our for yourself why it is such a huge hit in Japan. Pairing something fried with a savory gravy is always a winning combination, and this delicacy from the far east is no exception.

    GypsyPlate is all about helping you experience the different cuisines of the world. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter, and join us on this culinary adventure. See you soon…

    Katsu Curry, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

    serving of katsu curry on the Gypsy Plate

    Try these other great curry recipes!
    Thai Green Curry
    Chicken Masala
    Trini Chicken Curry
    Beef Kheema
    Palak Paneer
    Caribbean Mussel Curry
    Country Captain

    featured image for katsu curry recipe post

    Katsu Curry

    Yield: 4 servings
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes

    Katsu Curry is total Japanese comfort food, featuring a breaded pork cutlet along with a savory curry, all atop a bed of rice. It's so good!

    Ingredients

    Curry

    • 1.5 Tbsp cooking oil
    • 1 medium onion, diced
    • 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
    • 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely diced
    • 2 large carrots, chopped
    • 1 large potato, cubed
    • 3.5 cups water
    • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
    • 1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
    • 1 Tbsp apricot preserve
    • 1 Tbsp ketchup
    • 3.2oz curry roux

    Tonkatsu

    • 4 boneless pork loin chops, pounded about 1/2 inch, thick
    • 1/2 cup flour
    • 2 eggs, whisked
    • 2 cups panko

    For serving

    • 4 cups cooked white rice

    Instructions

    Katsu

    1. Slice pork to about 1 inch thick, then pound flat with a meat mallet to about 1/2 inch. I recommend placing them, one at a time, in a ziploc bag to beat them. This helps avoid splattering.
    2. Prepare the dredging ingredients. Gather three separate, shallow bowls. Fill one with flour, one with whisked eggs, and one with panko.
    3. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. You want the oil around 350 degrees. If you have an electric skillet, that works perfectly. If not, you can use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the oil.
    4. Season the pork with salt, then dredge in flour, then egg, then panko. Fry until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes, turning every few minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

    Curry

    1. Heat oil in a soup pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion and sauté till it is a nice golden brown. Add in chopped garlic and ginger, and sauté for a couple of minutes.
    2. Stir in potato and carrot chunks. Give it all a good mix.
    3. Add in 3.5 cups of water. Bring to a simmer and cook till the carrots and potatoes are soft to your liking.
    4. Stir in the curry roux, ketchup, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and apricot preserve. Once the curry cubes have dissolved, cook 10 more minutes.

    To Serve

    1. Place a cup of cooked rice in the bottom of a bowl.
    2. Top the rice with a pork cutlet, along with curry.

      Did you make this recipe?

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      Picture of Alpana, blogger and recipe developer at GypsyPlate

      Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.

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