Chicken Katsu Curry

It has been a lovely bank holiday weekend, celebrating my birthday on Sunday (I was thoroughly spoilt) with a fun packed day of shopping, sunday roast lunch at our local pub and a trip to the cinema to watch The Expendables. Today I was feeling a tad tired and lazy after doing a big food shop in the morning, hubby told me to put my feet up with a glass of wine and he would cook dinner for us. I had book marked this recipe in “Gizzi’s Kitchen Magic” and it is a dish I have wanted to try for a while. Hubby found the preparation basic and said as long as he had the ingredients ready up front it all came together really well. This chicken katsu curry, as Gizzi says, is “wickedly wonderful” and “what makes it stand out from other curry’s is that the meat is breaded and fried before having a luxurious curry sauce slathered all over it”. I have to agree with Gizzi and this goes down as a firm favourite, especially with hubby who thoroughly enjoyed it.

Chicken Katsu Curry

Serves 4

Ingredients
100g flour, seasoned with lots of salt and
pepper
1 free-range egg, beaten lightly
200g Japanese panko breadcrumbs
4 boneless chicken breasts
100ml groundnut or vegetable oil
steamed rice and salad to serve

For the curry sauce
1 tablespoon groundnut or vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
5 whole garlic cloves, peeled
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 tablespoon medium curry powder
600ml chicken stock
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon garam masala

To make the sauce, heat the oil in a small pan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, then throw in the carrots and sweat slowly for 10 minutes with the lid on, giving the odd stir, until softened and starting to caramelise.

Stir in the flour and curry powder and cook for a minute. Slowly pour in the stock until combined (do this gradually to avoid getting lumps). Add the honey, soy sauce and bay leaf and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, so the sauce thickens but is still of pouring consistency. Add the garam masala, then pass the sauce through a sieve (unless you prefer a chunky sauce).

Now prepare the chicken. Lay the seasoned flour, egg and breadcrumbs on separate plates. Coat the chicken in the flour, then dip into the egg and finally into the breadcrumbs.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the breaded chicken breasts for 5 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and leave to drain on kitchen paper. Slice the chicken diagonally and serve with the sauce drizzled over, steamed rice and salad.