Katsu curry is a relatively recent addition to my life, albeit a delicious one.
My wife and I met online and were in a long-distance relationship for four years, and when life and bank accounts allowed, we traveled to each other’s countries to visit each other. When I first traveled to visit her and meet her family, we went to a Japanese restaurant in which I was inundated with so many foods I had never heard of, having grown up in a small town in Wisconsin.
After a couple of minutes of looking at the menu, my wife leaned over and said, “Maybe you’ll like the curry, since you like strong flavors and a little heat?” Completely at a loss for what to order, I decided to follow her suggestion.
What happened next was just pure fireworks in my mouth. Between the spice, the richness, the light heat, and the subtle sweetness, the sauce quickly caught my attention. Add in the delicious fried katsu cutlet, which is beautifully complimented by sauce and rice, katsu curry became a common order for me in Japanese restaurants and one of my favorite meals.
Japanese curries are available in many stores, especially if there is a Japanese or Asian market, in block form. The curry block contains a lot of spicing and flavors, so you don’t have to purchase wide variety of ingredients just to make your own Japanese curries. They also save a lot of prep time as they are very quick to make.
However, they may be a bit one note or simplistic, depending on your palate. This recipe takes the katsu cutlet from our tonkatsu recipe and marries it with an easy spruced up curry sauce that is sure to be a hit!
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Kitchen knife
- Cutting board
- Three small bowls (one heat-resistant)
- Medium sized stock pot
- Teaspoon or ¼ measuring cup
Katsu Curry Ingredients
- 1 Japanese Curry block (We used Vermont Curry – Medium Hot)
- 1 medium onion - sliced into half circles
- 1 medium potato - cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 medium carrot - cut into bite sized pieces
- ¼ cup brewed coffee OR 1 tsp instant coffee unsweetened/unflavored
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp. of butter - optional
- Togarashi - optional
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Slice the onions into half circles and cut both the carrots and potato into bite-sized cubes.
Step 2
Add onions to the stock pot and set over low heat, stirring constantly. You can add a tiny pinch of salt to the onions to help draw out the moisture. Over 30-45 minutes, with constant stirring, they will brown and have a jam-like consistency.
Step 3
In the same pot, add the chopped carrot and potato. Fill the pot with water to cover the vegetables. Chop up the curry block and add it to the water, dissolving it. Add the *coffee as well.
*Brewed coffee and instant coffee add different flavors to the curry but occupy the same role by increasing the depth and adding some light bitterness to compliment the sweetness. Brewed coffee will be more subtle and foundational, creating a more rounded flavor to the curry. Instant coffee is going to add a little more of a “oomph” (so adjust as needed), so the curry will have a stronger flavor, but it may not be well rounded. Ultimately, it’s your curry so use whichever you prefer!
Step 4
Cook the mixture over medium heat until the vegetables are fork tender. Lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer and reduce sauce until you reach desired consistency*, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste.
*If you do not want to wait for the sauce to reduce, see the section below for a couple of tips to help!
Plating
Place the rice on the plate, with the sliced katsu cutlet on the side of the rice, resting up against it. Pour the sauce on the cutlet and to the side of the rice. Sprinkle togarashi on top of the sauce if you want a little more heat.
Helpful Curry Tips
Tip 1 - Add An Additional Block of Curry
This will add a lot of flavor and help thicken the sauce quite quickly. However, because you are doubling the spicing, it may be too strong for you as well as be unbalanced in flavor. Curry blocks are also very high in sodium so a second block will make the sauce very high in salt.
Tip 2 - Use a Cornstarch or Flour Slurry
Combine 1 tablespoon of flour or cornstarch to 1 ½ tablespoon of water. Mix thoroughly and add to the sauce, stirring constantly. This will help thicken the sauce quickly without diluting or altering the flavor.
Tip 3 - Add Butter to the Sauce
Combine 1 tablespoon of flour or cornstarch to 1 ½ tablespoon of water. Mix thoroughly and add to the sauce, stirring constantly. This will help thicken the sauce quickly without diluting or altering the flavor.