Japanese Curry + Katsu

Previously on Week # 3 of the Steemit Sandwich Contest, I had won a 2nd spot with my Katsu Sandwich. A few people on Steemit had asked questions about Katsu, therefore I have decided to make a new post focusing on how to make Katsu and what do we normally pair it with.

Katsu is basically tender and juicy meat, wrapped in Panko (breadcrumbs), pan-fried or baked (Sigh, annoying auto spell-check changed Panko to panic. But don’t panic, people, Panko is good stuff, lol). We love Katsu in Japan and I think it’s like our national dish. Typically, you can serve Katsu on its own with sauce and along with a salad if you are in the mood for a light meal. As mentioned, you can make a sandwich with Katsu. However, in Japan, a lot of people love to pair it with Japanese Curry (called Katsu Curry), which is the ultimate comfort dish, especially when you are craving a big meal. In particular, I enjoy the crunchy texture of Katsu mixed with the flavourful curry.

Here is the meal I put together last night which includes Japanese Curry and Katsu:

Here is how I made Katsu at home last night:

• Pound the meat with a mallet to tenderize it
• Coat the meat properly. First, dust with flour, then egg and finally Panko
• Ensure the oil is hot before frying the meat
• Season with salt as soon as it’s fried

If you follow all of the above, 100% of the time, your Katsu would remain tender and juicy.

In fact, Japanese Curry is also one of the most popular dishes in Japan. We like curry on rice or noodles, or, we even make curry filled pastry. We did not invent curry, of course, it was the British who introduced it to us. But curry is widely consumed by Japanese households. However, some people like to use instant curry. Instead, I prefer to make my own. Japanese curry is different from Indian or Thai, as our curry sauce is a lot thicker and the spice level is mild.

Here is how I made Japanese Curry last night:

• Fry onion and garlic in the pan
• Add vegetables (mushroom, beans, carrot, tomatoes)
• Add mild curry powder and flour to form a thick paste
• Add stock and simmer for 20 minutes
• Season with salt and pepper

It was such a satisfying dinner and I was in a coma soon after that, lol.