Quick Japanese Chicken Cutlet Curry
Japanese curry is wildly popular not only in Japan, but in its neighbouring countries as well, frequently appearing in menus of Japanese restaurant everywhere. This is the easiest way to prepare this deliciously savoury and smooth curry. You can customise it to your personal taste and liking, and enjoy it in the comforts of your own dining room.
Compared to most other types of curries found in Asia, Japanese curry is, by comparison, milder and has a sweet fruity flavour profile. It is most commonly paired with fried breaded pork cutlet (Tonkatsu) or chicken cutlet (Torikatsu), but there are restaurants/cafes that serve it up with braised beef tendon as well - this would make it similar to a beef curry stew where the beef is cooked in together with the curry sauce until tender.
I have been making this dish for years, even before I got married and had children, as it is a really easy dish to make. And because I can easily make Japanese curry at home, I never order it when I'm out at a Japanese restaurant, I find that the quality of the homemade Japanese curry is somewhat similar to what I get when I order it at a restaurant and I just simply forgo it altogether. It doesn't even cross my mind, to be honest.
You will need~ For the Torikatsu (Chicken cutlet) - 2 pieces of Chicken Breast - 2 cups of Panko breadcrumbs - 1 egg (beaten) - 1/2 cup Canola Oil (or any other vegetable oil) - Salt to taste
For the Curry sauce - 3 blocks of concentrated Japanese curry paste - 5 cups of water - 1 carrot - 1 medium-sized onion - 1 medium-sized potato (optional)
Get started on the curry sauce first as the carrots and potatoes need some time to soften in the boiling water. Set a pot with the stated amount of water to boil. While waiting for the water to boil, roughly chop up the carrot and potato, and cut the onion into quarters. When the water is boiling, throw in the potato and carrot pieces. At this time, get started on the chicken cutlet. Prepare a 'breading station' - Panko breadcrumbs on a plate and the beaten egg in a large bowl. Prep the chicken breast by covering it with clingwrap and then beating it with a meat mallet, trust me, this is a good way to release all the tension and stress that you may be having, just thump it all away! Then, season the chicken breast with salt. Heat up a large flat pan with the 1/2 cup of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot enough, take the chicken breast and dip it into the egg mixture, and then into the panko breadcrumbs to completely cover it. Fry in the pan of hot oil. Remember to turn the fire down, we don't want to burn the cutlet. Do this with the other chicken breast. Check on the carrot and potato pieces, if they are already soft, add the concentrated curry paste blocks and onions into the water and stir to combine it into the water. By the time the block is completely mixed in, you should have a moderately thick brownish sauce. Let the mixture simmer for a couple of minutes and then turn the fire off. Serve the curry sauce over white rice and the chicken cutlet for a satisfying meal. Oishii!
Printable version>>
- For the Torikatsu (Chicken cutlet)
- 2 pieces of Chicken Breast
- 2 cups of Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg (beaten)
- 1/2 cup Canola Oil (or any other vegetable oil)
- Salt to taste
- For the Curry sauce
- 3 blocks of concentrated Japanese curry paste
- 5 cups of water
- 1 carrot
- 1 medium-sized onion
- 1 medium-sized potato (optional)
- * Get started on the curry sauce first as the carrots and potatoes need some time to soften in the boiling water.
- Set a pot with the stated amount of water to boil.
- While waiting for the water to boil, roughly chop up the carrot and potato, and cut the onion into quarters.
- When the water is boiling, throw in the potato and carrot pieces.
- At this time, get started on the chicken cutlet. Prepare a 'breading station' - Panko breadcrumbs on a plate and the beaten egg in a large bowl. Prep the chicken breast by covering it with clingwrap and then beating it with a meat mallet,
- Then, season the chicken breast with salt.
- Heat up a large flat pan with the 1/2 cup of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot enough, take the chicken breast and dip it into the egg mixture, and then into the panko breadcrumbs to completely cover it. Fry in the pan of hot oil. Remember to turn the fire down. Do this with the other chicken breast.
- Check on the carrot and potato pieces, if they are already soft, add the concentrated curry paste blocks and onions into the water and stir to combine it into the water.
- By the time the block is completely mixed in, you should have a moderately thick brownish sauce. Let the mixture simmer for a couple of minutes and then turn the fire off.
- Serve the curry sauce over white rice and the chicken cutlet for a satisfying meal.
