Name: Chicken Katsu Curry
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 4 boneless chicken thighs or breasts; Salt and black pepper; 1/2 cup plain flour; 2 eggs, beaten; 1.5 cups panko breadcrumbs; Vegetable oil for frying; 3 cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice; 2 tbsp butter; 1 large onion, thinly sliced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated; 3 tbsp Japanese curry powder (or 2 S&B curry roux blocks); 2 tbsp plain flour; 2.5 cups chicken stock; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp honey or mirin; 1 medium carrot, diced; 1 medium potato, diced

Japan's great comfort food — golden panko-crusted chicken cutlet draped in a thick, mildly spiced curry sauce over steamed white rice.

The Cultural Story

Japan's relationship with curry is one of food history's great love stories. Curry arrived via the British Royal Navy in the Meiji era (1860s–1912), who had themselves borrowed the concept from India. The Japanese took it, stripped out the heat, thickened it into a velvety stew, and made it entirely their own. Today Japanese curry is one of the country's most-eaten meals — sweeter, more umami-forward, and distinctly more subtle than its Indian ancestor. Katsu (cutlet) entered the equation later, providing a crisp, satisfying counterpoint to the sauce's softness. The combination became a national institution. School cafeterias serve it on Fridays. Salary workers order it for lunch without thinking. On cold autumn evenings, the smell of curry wafting from train station kiosks is as Japanese as sakura and ramen. There are curry chain restaurants with hundreds of locations across the country. It is the food that reminds every Japanese person of childhood, regardless of where in Japan they grew up.

Ingredients

4 boneless chicken thighs or breasts
Salt and black pepper
1/2 cup plain flour
2 eggs, beaten
1.5 cups panko breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil for frying
3 cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice
2 tbsp butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
3 tbsp Japanese curry powder (or 2 S&B curry roux blocks)
2 tbsp plain flour
2.5 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey or mirin
1 medium carrot, diced
1 medium potato, diced

Instructions

1Make the curry first. Melt butter in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook slowly 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and caramelized — this sweetness is essential.
2Add garlic and ginger, cook 2 minutes. Stir in curry powder and flour, cook another 2 minutes until fragrant. This toasted roux is the backbone of Japanese curry's smooth, glossy body.
3Gradually pour in chicken stock while whisking to prevent lumps. Add soy sauce, honey, carrots, and potatoes. Simmer 20-25 minutes until vegetables are tender and sauce coats a spoon thickly.
4Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Set up a breading station: flour, beaten egg, panko. Coat each piece in flour, dip in egg, then press firmly into panko to adhere on all sides.
5Heat 1 inch of oil in a wide pan to 340°F (170°C). Fry chicken 4-5 minutes per side until deep golden. Lower temperature ensures the inside cooks through before the crust burns. Drain on a rack.
6Slice chicken on the diagonal into thick strips — this reveals the golden crust and juicy interior.
7Serve rice in a mound on one side of the plate, ladle curry sauce generously on the other, and lay sliced katsu across the boundary where rice meets sauce. Eat by dragging each piece through both.

Chicken Katsu Curry

The Cultural Story

Ingredients

Instructions

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