Katsu Curry
By cookism
Like most Japanese dishes, the katsu curry—the perennial staple of Japanese curry with tonkotsu—is big on flavour while retaining a taste of refinement. We simply cannot resist the heavenly combination of crispy, golden breaded pork atop a bed of fragrant rice doused with rich, glossy curry. A simple, winning dish to brighten any occasion.
- 4
Ingredients
- For tonkatsu:
- 4 pork loins, 200g each
- Salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup plain flour
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup panko
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- For Japanese curry:
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 200 g pork belly, thinly sliced and cut into chunks (those used in Shabu Shabu)
- 1 large carrot, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 250 g potato, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 115 g Japanese curry roux, cut into small pieces
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice
Preparation
Step 1
1. Heat vegetable oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add sliced onion and saute till soft and translucent. Stir in sliced pork belly and when it’s cooked, add in carrot and potato pieces. Stir well and pour 850ml of water into the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer for about 15 minutes until carrots and potatoes are tender.
2. Add in curry roux and stir till dissolved and evenly corporated. Simmer curry for about 5 minutes until thickened while stirring frequently to prevent the curry from burning. Remove from heat and scoop a few spoonfuls onto plates of rice.
3. While the curry is cooking, make tonkatsu. Make a couple of slits on the fat and connective tissue of the pork loins. Roughly pound the meat using the back of the knife, shaping it nicely and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
4. Coat the meat with flour and pat to remove excess. Dip it into the beaten egg, then cover with panko and press lightly to adhere.
5. Heat deep frying oil to 180C, and fry breaded meat for about 3.5 minutes until golden brown, flipping once or twice. Transfer tonkatsu onto a cooling rack to rest for a minute or two before cutting it into smaller pieces. Place tonkatsu onto plates of rice and curry. Serve immediately.