Katsu Chicken Curry

Katsu curry is a Japanese curry that is served with breaded chicken. I don’t know about you but anything with breaded chicken just feels like a treat dinner to me. This one has all the feels of being fried chicken, with the beauty of being air-fried and a much less calorie dense meal. I served my Katsu chicken with some leftover rice from the day before. I simply fried up and 2 egg omelette (seasoned with salt & pepper & cooked in sesame oil) and chopped it up and boiled some garden peas and stirred it all through to create a “fried rice” flavour, without going through any effort of actually making fried rice.

Ingredients

Serves 4 | 332 calories per serving (no rice)

For Curry Sauce

• 2 onions (roughly chopped)

• 1 medium carrot (roughly chopped & peeled)

• 4 cloves of garlic (skin removed)

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

• thumb sized piece of fresh ginger (skin removed)

• 1 star anise

• 1 tbsp curry powder

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 1 tbsp flour

• 600 ml chicken stock

• 2 tbsp tomato pureé

For Breaded Chicken

• 3 chicken breasts

• 1 beaten egg

• 8 heaped tbsp panko breadcrumbs

• 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)

• Aromat (optional)

• salt & pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven or air fryer to 180 Celcius.

2. Slice each chicken breast down the middle so that you have a thinner breast. Try to get the chicken to an even width. Flatten thicker parts with a meat tenderiser or a rolling pin. I usually lay some greaseproof paper on top of the chicken before I do this, so I don’t get raw chicken on my utensils.

3. Beat your egg in one bowl & your breadcrumb, chilli & seasonings in another.

4. Dip your chicken into the egg (on both sides) and then roll in the breadcrumb mix. Repeat for each piece of meat.

5. Lay in the airfryer in an even layer and spray a few time with frylight. I usually would turn the chicken after 10-12 minutes. Spray with oil again and then cook for a further 10-12 minute (or until golden & crispy).

6. While your chicken is cooking, sauté your onion & carrot in the oil for 8-10 minutes.

7. After this time, add your roughly chopped, ginger & garlic. Cook for a further 3-4 minutes.

8. Add in all your spices & flour. Stir.

9. Gradually add your stock. (Don’t worry if there are a few flour lumps, this will all be blended).

10. Once all your stock has been added add in your tomato pureé. Simmer it all for about 5 - 7 minutes.

11. Blend until smooth. Just remember to remove the star anise (if you are using ground star anise, then obviously that’s fine!).

12. I served this with some steamed rice and poured the sauce on top of the chicken. Add an extra 200 calories to include 1 cup of cooked basmati rice.