Golden panko-crusted pork cutlet sliced over rice, with a thick, mildly spiced, sweet Japanese curry sauce.
Katsu curry is Japan's most popular comfort food. It combines tonkatsu (deep-fried breaded pork) with a uniquely mild, sweet Japanese curry sauce that differs completely from Indian or Thai curries. Japanese curry uses apple and honey to soften the spice into something warming and universally loveable. Served in every Japanese school cafeteria and restaurant, it's a national obsession.
Serves 4
Sauté onions in oil until deeply golden (15 min). Add carrots and potatoes, cook 5 minutes. Add water/stock and simmer 15 minutes until vegetables are tender. Break curry roux blocks into the pot, stir until dissolved. Add soy sauce and honey. Simmer 10 minutes until thick.
Place pork between cling film and pound to even 1cm thickness. Season with salt and pepper. Coat in flour, shake off excess. Dip in egg. Press firmly into panko.
Heat oil to 170°C. Fry cutlets 3–4 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through. Rest on a wire rack 3 minutes before slicing.
Use a wire rack not paper towels — paper traps steam and softens the crust.
Slice katsu into strips at an angle. Serve over rice with curry sauce poured alongside. Garnish with pickled ginger and shredded cabbage.
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Pound the pork to even thickness — uneven cuts fry unevenly.
Double-bread for an extra-thick crust: flour → egg → panko → egg → panko.
Japanese curry roux blocks (S&B or Vermont Curry) are the authentic choice — find them in Asian supermarkets.
Chicken katsu curry: use chicken breast instead of pork.
Vegetable katsu: use thick slices of aubergine or butternut squash.
Curry keeps 4 days. Katsu is best fresh — store separately and reheat in the oven at 180°C for 10 minutes.
Katsu curry entered Japan via British curry (introduced through colonial India in the late 19th century). The Japanese adapted it by reducing spice, adding sweetness, and pairing it with Western-style breaded cutlets. It became a staple of Japanese school lunches and chain restaurants like CoCo Ichibanya, which now has over 1,400 locations.
Absolutely — chicken katsu curry is equally popular. Use chicken breasts pounded thin. Cook time is slightly shorter — 3 minutes per side.
Yes — spray the panko-coated cutlets with oil and bake at 200°C for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway. The crust won't be quite as crisp as deep-frying, but it's noticeably lighter.
There isn't a close substitute for the flavour — the roux blocks contain a specific blend of spices, flour and fat that gives Japanese curry its distinctive mild sweetness. They keep well in the pantry, so it's worth seeking them out.
Per serving (450g / 15.9 oz) · 4 servings total
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