OK! This recipe is using Japanese curry roux. In Japan there are so many curry roux products. I don’t know how many there are, but tons I think!! In Australia you can buy Japanese curry roux anywhere now as it is getting popular. I saw frozen Katsu-Curry at the supermarket. It’s maybe good for single person or a quick dinner, but the thing is, if you make curry sauce with Japanese curry roux, you can freeze it. When I have leftover curry sauce I portion it up and freeze them. I sometimes give my Japanese curry lover friend curry sauce, frozen rice, and frozen sausages, so he can heat up the sauce and the rice and just cook sausages in a frypan.

When I was kid, my mother used to make Japanese curry for Sunday dinner. She called it lazy dinner and always put a lot of potatoes in it but I wasn’t a big fan potatoes in curry. I like a runny, soupy, curry sauce but I miss my mother’s curry 😢.

Why turn heat off before putting the curry roux in? This is because if put the roux in with the heat on the roux won’t melt as well. This sounds weird but if the heat is on it will cook the roux rather than melt it and you get LUMPS!!!

This recipe uses pork strips but you can use any meat you like but I wouldn’t recommend lamb as it doesn’t go as well with Japanese curry as it does with Indian or Middle Eastern.

If you don’t eat pork you can use chicken fillet instead, but it won’t be Tonkatsu Curry, it’ll be Chicken Katsu Curry.

Tinned diced tomatoes have water in the can so only add extra water to make up the amount needed on the roux box. If your roux box says 750ml and your tinned tomatoes are 400g add 350ml of water.

When prepping Tonkatsu for crumbing just dusting your palms with flour is enough. If you use too much flour it won’t stick to the meat properly and your crumbs will fall off.

I’ll show you how to cook rice, the Japanese way, in another video.

Check this video how to cook rice the Japanese way

Katsu-Curry (Japanese Curry with Tonkatus)

Servings Curry-4 people Tonkastu-2 people | Prep Time 30mins| Total Time 50mins

Ingredients

For Japanese Curry

For Tonkatsu (crumbled sirloin Pork)

Cooked rice for 2 people (see my YouTube video “How to Cook Rice The Japanese Way”)

Method

1. Wash and peel all vegetables.
2. Slice onion.
3. Dice carrot. Big, small, your choice.
4. Cut meat bite size.
5. Heat oil in a pot.
6. Into the pot, add the onion and stir until light brown.
7. Add the ginger and stir.
8. Add the carrot and stir.
9. Add the meat and cook through.
10. Add the tinned diced tomato (400g) and stir well.
11. Pour the water (see your curry roux box, mine said water 750ml so I add 350ml of water) and stir well 750ml= 400ml tinned diced tomatoes + water 350ml
12. Reduce heat to low and cook until the vegetables are soft.
13. Once the vegetables are soft turn heat off.
14. Add the curry roux and stir until the roux melts.
15. Once melted turn heat on back to low and heat until curry thickens then turn heat off.

(Prep for Tonkatsu)

1. Place pork sirloin fillet on chopping board. Remember to be careful of cross contamination and use separate chopping boards for meat, fish, chicken, and vegies.
2. Stab the fillet with a fork multiple times. Great stress relief 😤
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Crack egg into a bowl and lightly beat the egg.
5. Add the panko into another bowl.
6. Dust your palm with flour. Using your hands lightly coat the fillet. Not too much or the crumbs won’t stick. Check out my YouTube video how to make Japanese curry to see it done.
7. Dip the fillet into the egg making sure to coat it evenly then place the meat in the panko crumbs. Turn the meat over and cover completely.
8. Add oil into a pot big enough to fry the fillets.
9. Heat up the oil to 160℃. If you have thermometer, it will be very useful.
10. Once the oil is 160℃, carefully place the fillets into the oil.
11. Deep fry the fillet until cooked though. I always check for an inside temperature of 60℃ with a thermometer.
12. Take the fillets out from the oil and place on a tray with lined with kitchen paper or newspaper to absorb excess oil.
13. Cut the Tonkatsu.
14. Serve on a bed of cooked rice, top with curry, then “ITADAKIMASU” (Japanese say this before eating and it means “thanks for the feast”).