Chicken Katsu Curry

When you think of katsu  curry 🍛, it’s very much a Japanese dish. What you didn’t know is that it's also a beloved dish in Korea. As part of the many adapted dishes throughout Korean history. This dish has a very significant personal memory of growing up in Korea as a kid. In the city of Daejun and My mom used to take me to the mall for shopping on special weekends and I would be able to roller skate 🛼 at Lotte mall, in the city after we would go to the top floor and eat at the food court!  A huge delight and the most profound food experience I still remember. Seeing all the different foods that’s not what we eat at home. And to be able to eat food that requires a fork and knife. We did not own or use those when I was growing up in Korea. 

My ultimate  treat was the Katsu curry set menu served with soup and salad with all the crispy pork (traditional recipe is pork) served with that rich curry gravy over rice!  This dish made me feel excited and I felt the love of enjoying a different cuisine. Katsu curry is my ultimate comfort food and I still get the same feelings whenever I eat it. The recipe is three parts using chicken instead of traditional pork and more vegetable forward than the traditional restaurant style. The curry is easily available at HMart or Amazon.  It’s well worth the time and effort to make a memorable meal that you will be sure to repeat whenever you crave comfort food. It’s like a warm hug for your belly!

Recipe

Chicken Katsu

2 pcs of boneless chicken breast. Cut into 1” thick, even flat and wide pieces and tenderize.

2 cups of Panko breadcrumbs

2 egg beaten

Salt and pepper

4 cups of canola oil for frying

Curry

½ packet of golden curry

2 celery stalks chopped to 1” pieces

2 small carrots chopped to 1” pieces

1 medium onion roughly chopped to 1” pieces

½ red pepper chopped into 1” pieces

½ green pepper chopped into 1” pieces

Optional to add potato chopped into 1” pieces

1 garlic minced

2 - 3  cups of water

Neutral cooking oil

Butter

Rice 

Cook short grain rice according to direction.

Yield - 4 servings

Step 1

Prepare a deep dish pot and add the oil and bring to a frying temperature of 350- 375 degrees. Keep a thermometer on hand to check temperature as it's cooking or use a candy thermometer attached to the pot. Season the cut and tenderized chicken breast with salt and pepper. Place the beaten egg in a bowl

Place the breadcrumbs on a sheet pan tray. Dredge the chicken in the egg and then immediately move to the breadcrumbs tray and cover on all sides. Set aside breaded chicken pieces on a separate tray.

Once the oil reaches 350 degrees, drop in the chicken pieces, cook 4 minutes each side until brown. Set aside cooked chicken on a drying rack or paper towel lined tray.

Step 2

Using a deep dish pot bring heat to medium, add 1 tablespoon of neutral oil. Saute chopped onions, celery, first until soft. Add potatoes if using, peppers, garlic and 1 tablespoon of butter. Sautee for 3 minutes. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, drop in the curry cubes and melt by stirring constantly at a simmer. Keep stirring and simmer until all the vegetables become soft and fully cooked especially if using potatoes will take a bit longer. Check the consistency of the curry, add more water if it’s dense. It should come out to a thick gravy consistency. 

Step 3

Plate one cup of cooked rice and ladle the curry gravy over the rice. Add on the chicken katsu and serve immediately with a side of daikon pickles or kimchi.