Chicken katsu curry

I used to work with a girl that was a former Wagamama waitress; she would shudder at the words kat-su-curry. From years of serving hoards of half term yummy mummies with their screaming kids that very dish. I have to be honest I am more of a Yaki udon kind of girl, but a few weeks ago I suddenly had the urge to try it at home and I mean it couldn't be easier if you tried. Prep all your bits before you start cooking and you'll be making this time and time again. 

For the chicken:

100g plain flour, add salt + pepper and a sprinkle of curry powder

One egg, beaten

200g  Japanese panko breadcrumbs

4  x free-range chicken breasts

100ml groundnut oil

For the curry sauce:

1 x tablespoon groundnut or vegetable oil

2 x onions, peeled and chopped

6 x whole garlic cloves, peeled

4 x carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

3 x tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp mild curry powder

1-litre x chicken stock

2 x tsp honey

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1/2 tsp dark soy sauce 

4 x curry leaves 

1 x tsp garam masala

To serve - 

Sticky white rice 

Japenese pickles 

Peppery salad leaves 

Add the onion, garlic and carrots to a pan with some groundnut oil and fry over medium heat. You want to cook some of the liquid out of the veg and caramelise a touch too; this will take about 10 minutes. Add the curry powder and stir till it coats all the veg, now add your flour and cook out for a few minutes. Take your stock and slowly add to the veg, make sure you do this gradually, kind of like when you make a white sauce. You may not need all the stock, keep going till you have the type of consistency you like in a curry sauce. Leave that on very low to blip away. 

Now for the chicken, set up a breading station. One small plate of flour, one for the egg and another for breadcrumbs. Take your chicken breast and coat in the flour, then the egg and then one coating of breadcrumbs (don't be tempted to re-dunk, it will make them very claggy). Heat a frying pan with the groundnut oil or veg oil, bring to a medium/high heat and fry your chicken for 5 - 6 minutes on each side. Drain on some kitchen roll and slice into 3 or 4 pieces. 

Return to the curry sauce; it should now be thickened and lovely. This stage is optional, I prefer to sieve my sauce and take all the veg out but if you like a thicker sauce then feel free to blitz it. 

Serve up some sticky rice, the chicken slices and ladle over your curry sauce. Top with some nice Japanese pickles, you can get these online or in Chinese supermarkets. I also make my own with sliced mooli radish and red cabbage. You can go rogue with the pickles, just promise me you'll have pickled ginger, it is the KING of the pickles! 

So there you go, katsu curry and not a screaming brat in sight!

Enjoy x