Katsu Curry Recipe

We both LOVE katsu curry (japanese curry - very mild with breaded pork or chicken) and it is something we can't get here (btw we do love and eat local food too - but we just miss some things). After a bit of research I bought some golden curry sauce from the Japan Center along with some panko (breadcrumbs for the katsu bit).

Maybe people who have been to japan and have eaten REAL japanese food will be horrified by not making the curry from scratch, but I didn't feel I could get it to come out quite as well... synthetic tasting... as it should.

Serves 2
50g curry flakes
300ml hot water
1 onion peeled and chopped
1 potato peeled and chopped in to 3cm cubes (salad potato that won't go mushy is best)
1 large carrot peeled and chopped in to biggish lumps (similar size to the potato)
2 pork chops (with bone removed)
1 tbs spn plain flour
pinch of salt
1 egg (beaten)
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs (or just normal breadcrumbs - make sure they are dry)

150g rice
175 ml water (to cook rice)

Fry the onion in a little oil until golden
Mix the curry flakes with a little water taken from the 300ml in a pan until disolved add the rest of the 300 ml.
Bring to the boil and stir until thickened
Add the potato, carrot and fried onion
Simmer very gently for about an hour

About 30 mins before the curry is cooked put on the rice.
Put the rice and water in a pan and bring to the boil
Turn the heat down low and simmer for 15 mins or until the rice is cooked
Leave with the heat off for a further 15 mins to go sticky.

About 20 mins before the curry sauce is ready prepare and cook the pork chops.
Mix the salt and flour on a plate and coat the chops in the the mixture
Put the beaten egg on a plate and dip the chops in it both sides
Put the panko flakes on the first plate (get rid of any remaining flour first) and coat the chops.
You can deep fry or I kind of deep shallow fried them in about 1/2cm of oil.

Serve with the rice and chops on a plate and put the curry sauce over the top. There used to be a restaurant called Noto on the high walk near the Barbican which did the best Katsu curry in the WORLD. The presentation was perhaps less artistic than many places but it was delicious. I went for this style of presentation :)