Katsu Curry

Katsu Curry

I tried Japanese curry for the first time when my mom took me to CoCo Ichibanya in middle school. Before then, I had Korean curry which comes in a small spice packet from Ottogi. The Korean version is much milder in flavor, to a point where a lot of the spices are muted out. It's a curry that had been adapted to the older Korean audience who were unfamiliar to foreign spices.

When you walk into CoCo Ichibanya, you are immediately greeted at the door by a lady holding a tablet. After you are seated, the server comes and takes your order and any customizations. They ask you how much rice you want, the spice level of the curry, the toppings, and if you want any sides or drinks. My first CoCo experience was so memorable because it felt like the only place, other than a buffet, where I could totally customize what I eat. Aside from a buffet, it felt like the first place where I could fully customize my order.

My first bite of CoCo curry was unlike anything I had tried before. The spices were much more pronounced, but it was also sweet and buttery. Ever since that first bite, I've been hooked.

Today I've tried to recreate that first bite of Japanese curry I had in middle school. Not a replica of CoCo Ichibanya curry, but a representation of the memory I had when I took my first bite.

Ingredients

(Makes 4-6 portions of curry, 2 portions of katsu)

Curry

• 1 block, japanese curry block (4 pieces)
• ½ cup or 1 stick butter (use half for sauteeing and other half at the end)
• 3 onions, julienned
• 1 apple, grated
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp honey 
• 2 tbsp bulldog sauce or worcestshire sauce 
• 1 tbsp dark soy 
• 1L unsalted chicken stock or 1 chicken carcass

Katsu

• 300g pork loin, cut into around 1cm thickness
• 1 tsp koscher salt 
• ½ cup AP flour 
• 1 cup Japanese panko breadcrumbs 
• Neutral oil for frying

Batter

• 1 egg
• 1tsp koscher salt
• 2 tbsp AP flour 
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tsp koscher salt

1. Heat a heavy duty pot on medium low. Add ¼ cup of butter into the pot. 
2. Once the butter has melted, add the onions in. 

3. Caramelize the onions on low heat. This process will take around 30-40minutes. The onions will take on a dark brown color and will have a jammy consistency. 
4. Once the onions have caramelized, add the grated apple and tomato paste. 
5. Cook the tomato paste for 2-3 minutes. 
6. Transfer the mixture to a separate bowl. 

7. Turn the heat on high and add the chicken carcass into the same pot. (Skip this process if you are using chicken stock)
8. Once the chicken has taken on some color, add 1L of water in. 
9. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Take the carcass out once finished. 
10. Add the paste and the curry block. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened. 
11. Add soy sauce, honey, and bulldog sauce as well. (The dark soy is mainly there for the color and extra umami!) 
12. Blend to combine for a smooth curry. 
13. Finish with ¼ cup butter for a glossy sauce.  
14. For a curry that’s even better, rest it overnight to let all the spices get to ~mingle~. 

Katsu

1. Remove any excess moisture on the pork loin with a paper towel. 
2. Heat a large skillet with neutral oil. The oil should come around half the height of the pan. 
3. Heat the oil until it reaches around 180C/ 355F. 
4. Coat the pork loin in flour. Dust off any excess flour. 
5. Then coat the dusted pork loin in the batter. Let some of the excess batter drip off. 
6. Place the battered pork into the panko mixture. Make sure to tightly pack the pork with the panko and there are no dry spots. 

7. Gently place the breaded pork into the oil, away from your direction. 
8. Fry until golden brown, or for around 3 minutes and flip. 
9. Repeat for the other side until the katsu is golden brown. 
10. Let it rest on a wired baking tray for about 8 minutes. Wait until you cut into the katsu to make sure it’s extra crispy. If you cut too soon, the juices from the pork will be lost and make the crust soggy. 
11. While you wait for the pork to rest, plate the rice and curry in a bowl. 
12. Gently place the sliced katsu on top. 
13. Enjoy with Japanese pickles!!! 

Katsu Curry

4 from 368 votes

Recipe by Doobydobap Course: AppetizersCuisine: JapaneseDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

30

minutes

Recreating that first bite of Japanese curry I had, not a replica of CoCo Ichibanya curry, but a representation of my memory.

Ingredients

• Curry

• 1 block, japanese curry block (4 pieces)

• ½ cup or 1 stick butter (use half for sauteeing and other half at the end)

• 3 onions, julienned

• 1 apple, grated

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• 2 tbsp honey

• 2 tbsp bulldog sauce or worcestshire sauce

• 1 tbsp dark soy

• 1 L unsalted chicken stock or 1 chicken carcass

• Katsu

• 300 g pork loin, cut into around 1cm thickness

• 1 tsp koscher salt

• ½ cup AP flour

• 1 cup Japanese panko breadcrumbs

• Neutral oil for frying

• Batter

• * 1 egg

• * 1tsp koscher salt

• * 2 tbsp AP flour

• * ¼ cup water

Directions

• Heat a heavy duty pot on medium low. Add ¼ cup of butter into the pot.
• Once the butter has melted, add the onions in.
• Caramelize the onions on low heat. This process will take around 30-40minutes. The onions will take on a dark brown color and will have a jammy consistency.
• Once the onions have caramelized, add the grated apple and tomato paste.
• Cook the tomato paste for 2-3 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to a separate bowl.
• Turn the heat on high and add the chicken carcass into the same pot. (Skip this process if you are using chicken stock)
• Once the chicken has taken on some color, add 1L of water in.
• Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Take the carcass out once finished.
• Add the paste and the curry block. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
• Add soy sauce, honey, and bulldog sauce as well. (The dark soy is mainly there for the color and extra umami!)
• Blend to combine for a smooth curry.
• Finish with ¼ cup butter for a glossy sauce.
• For a curry that’s even better, rest it overnight to let all the spices get to ~mingle~.
• Katsu
• Remove any excess moisture on the pork loin with a paper towel.
• Heat a large skillet with neutral oil. The oil should come around half the height of the pan.
• Heat the oil until it reaches around 180C/ 355F.
• Coat the pork loin in flour. Dust off any excess flour.
• Then coat the dusted pork loin in the batter. Let some of the excess batter drip off.
• Place the battered pork into the panko mixture. Make sure to tightly pack the pork with the panko and there are no dry spots.
• Gently place the breaded pork into the oil, away from your direction.
• Fry until golden brown, or for around 3 minutes and flip.
• Repeat for the other side until the katsu is golden brown.
• Let it rest on a wired baking tray for about 8 minutes. Wait until you cut into the katsu to make sure it’s extra crispy. If you cut too soon, the juices from the pork will be lost and make the crust soggy.
• While you wait for the pork to rest, plate the rice and curry in a bowl.
• Gently place the sliced katsu on top.
• Enjoy with japanese pickles!!!

Notes

• The key is to make sure that the onions have caramelized fully to a dark jammy paste. It brings on so much depth and rounded sweetness to the dish.

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