Curry Chicken Katsu Rice

Our new favourite recipe is this Japanese Chicken Katsu Curry rice! This dish is a symphony in textures: crispy panko-breaded cutlets, creamy curry sauce and translucent Japanese rice. What else could you want from a meal, really?

This Chicken Katsu Curry Rice is a collaboration with the NEW YORK rice factory. All opinions on The Woks of Life are ours. Enjoy!

The Return to Katsu

Many of you are enjoying my other Katsu dish, Katsudon (a breaded cutlet of pork with egg over rice).

Your positive comments inspired me to make another favourite katsu dish, katsu curry rice. This time, with chicken!

It’s a wonderful combination of crispy cutlet with rich curry and sticky Japanese short-grain rice to soak it up.

Japanese Curry Made from Scratch

A lot of Japanese (including my college friends) use a curry roux in a box. This is a curry sauce block that you can add to liquids, meats and vegetables to make an “instant” sauce.

I researched Japanese curry roux and tried a few. These brands are delicious but I made this Japanese curry myself for those who don’t have access to them. Curry powder can be found at your local grocery store and is much easier to locate than curry roux in a box.

Don’t worry, though. It’s easy to make. You can make a curry sauce quickly if you have ever made the 15-Minute Takeout Style Curry Chicken Stir Fry.

Choose the Right Rice

It is important to serve the right rice with this recipe! This dish is best served with high-quality Japanese rice short-grain.

We use rice from the NEW YORK rice factory, a company based in NY that specializes in providing high-quality Japanese rice to clients outside of Japan. They sent us koshihikari – a cultivar of Japonica rice.

This company treats its rice as if it were a fine wine. The package of rice that I bought was labelled as the year it was harvested.

The company offers a carefully selected selection of rice from Japan’s highest-quality producers, and aims to maintain its quality throughout the entire process from milling through transportation. The rice is milled in the U.S. because the quality and taste of the rice begin to diminish after milling.

Tip!

Rinse the rice several times and drain the starchy water before cooking it in the rice cooker or on the stovetop.

This removes excess surface starch and gives the rice a less sticky texture. Each grain should be distinct but just sticky enough for them to stick together.

It is a bit fussy! As you can see, rice is important in Asia. And it is also very important to prepare it properly!

We suggest cooking 2 cups of rice for this recipe, which yields 6 cups of rice cooked, or approximately 1 1/2 cups per person.

Let’s get to the recipe.

The recipe for Chicken Katsu Curry rice

Over medium heat, warm up a Dutch Oven or similar medium-sized pot. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the onion and cook for about 2 minutes until the onions become translucent.

Add the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce, if using, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Stir in the curry powder, salt, and sugar and cook for one minute.

Stir in the carrots, potatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the carrots and potatoes are tender.

While you’re at it, butterfly the breasts of the chicken to make them thin and even.

You can use a pounder to even out the thickness of the chicken if it is not uniform. Pat the chicken with a towel. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of each chicken piece and then dust lightly with flour.

Beat the egg in a shallow bowl. In a shallow bowl, place the panko breadcrumbs.

Over medium heat, add a thin layer of oil evenly to a nonstick pan or cast iron skillet. When you drop a breadcrumb of panko into the oil, it will sizzle. Dip the chicken in the egg and coat. Then, transfer the panko to the chicken and coat it evenly.

Cook the chicken in batches. Lay the chicken carefully in the hot frying oil, and cook it for six minutes on one side until golden brown.

Flip the chicken over and cook on the other side for another 5-6 mins. Repeat with the rest of the chicken and add oil as necessary.

Stir together the cornstarch and water to form a slurry. Add it to the curry paste. Stir the sauce until it thickens, and then add the butter. Add salt to taste and season as needed.

Slice the chicken and serve over the rice. Pour the curry sauce to the side. Enjoy!