James is obsessed with katsu curry. When we lived in Boston and he was a postdoc and I was a grad student, both with infinitely flexible schedules and excellent procrastination techniques, we would go for lunch all the time at his favorite place, Fin’s Sushi & Grill. Despite the name, we would both invariably order a chicken or pork katsu curry bento box. Breaded and golden-fried crispy meat, lathered with a thick, sweet Japanese curry sauce, served with steaming white rice, petite California rolls, and crunchy salad, all in their appropriate bento containers, this meal put me right to sleep for the rest of the afternoon. But it was good, oh so very good.

Katsu refers to a breaded, fried cutlet in Japanese cuisine, and is commonly tori katsu (chicken cutlet) or tonkatsu (pork cutlet). But the story of Japanese karē raisu, or curry rice, is a fascinating one of the globalization and adaptation of food – how curry made its way to Japan from India, via Britain. Curry was thought to be introduced to Japan by the British in the Meiji era in the late 19th to early 20th centuries. During this period, Japan moved from a relatively isolated feudal society to a Westernized state, and underwent sudden and rapid modernization. Part of its foreign policy involved a close alliance with the UK, which involved particularly close relations between the navies of the two countries. Consequently, Anglicized interpretations of Indian curry were taken to Japan by the Anglo-Indian officers of the royal Navy and other British subjects. Since this new dish came from the West, it was actually classified as yōshoku (Western food), and subsequently became reinvented to something uniquely Japanese. In 1872, the first karē raisu recipe was published in a Japanese cookbook, and in 1877 a Tokyo restaurant first offered karē raisu on the menu. Just as in England, curry quickly became a staple of the Japanese diet.

[Side Note – I did not know ANY OF THIS until I researched the history of Japanese curry. Why my British husband also did not know the history and the globalized forces behind his love of katsu curry, I will never know]

In general, Japanese curry is sweeter, milder, and simpler than Indian curries, consisting of a broth of meat and vegetables thickened with a roux made of curry powder, flour and oil and sweetened with apples or other fruit. The popularity of karē raisu spread even further nationwide when food manufacturers introduced “instant” curry mixes – first, powdered mixes in the late 1920s, then the solid-block curry mixes popular today in 1954. These blocks contained roux thickener and various flavor enhancers such as vegetable or meat concentrate, and ensured that making a flavorful, warm pot of curry was an absolute breeze. Things got even easier when ready-to-eat curry sold in pressure-cooked and vacuum-sealed bags were introduced in 1969, with cooked meat, carrots, and potatoes already added, and requiring only hot water to heat.

My mom and I have been making Japanese curry with these curry cubes for forever. They pack such a flavor punch, and are DROP DEAD easy. We always stock up on these when we go to the Asian market, and we always have some in our home. But it wasn’t until James gave me a little nudge-nudge puppy-eyed encouragement, that I discovered that katsu cutlets are also actually pretty easy to make! The breading is not that intimidating once you’ve done it a few times, Panko is very easy to work with and is available in any large American supermarket, and the frying is incredibly fast and can be done in a skillet with not too much oil.

And so, katsu curry has traveled from India, to Britain, to Japan, to Chicago, where it has become a staple in our household, and one of James and my top favorite meals. Isn’t food just so darn cool??!

Some Notes:

• Instant curry cubes: My favorite is the House Foods Vermont Curry brand (don’t ask me why it’s called Vermont curry; that’s probably the place that most evoked warm, comforting curry to the Japanese??). You can buy it at any Asian supermarket, some American supermarkets with a large international selection, or on Amazon. They come in spice levels ranging from mild to hot, but honestly, I think they all taste exactly the same, so just buy whatever you can find! Golden Curry is another popular brand.
• I like my curries chock-a-block with vegetables, so I add a lot of them. If you like your curry sauce soupier and thinner, use the lower range given of carrots and potatoes, and add more water to the curry.
• Due to a previous encounter with banana pudding pie, I had a pile of leftover egg whites sitting in my fridge, which I used up here. Thus, my egg wash plate has no yolks, but yours will obviously contain them.

We served this with white rice and some sauteed broccoli and zucchini. Total time to dinner, including sides: about an hour. Not bad for a Fin’s-worthy katsu curry chicken dinner!

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Chicken Katsu Curry

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion
• 3-4 carrots (about 1/2 - 3/4 pounds)
• 1-2 potatoes (about 1/2 - 3/4 pounds)
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 3 whole breasts, or can use breast tenderloins or thin sliced chicken breast)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2-3 eggs, scrambled (start with 2 eggs; if you find you need more, crack another one)
• 1 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6-8 cubes instant curry mix (I use House Foods Vermont Curry cubes)
• Canola or other neutral oil
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

• Vegetable & Chicken Prep. Trim the onion at both ends, peel off the outer layer of skin, and cut into large chunks about 1-inch across. Wash and peel the carrots and potatoes. Cut the carrots into disks about 1/4-inch thick. Cut the potatoes into chunks about 1-inch across. Set the vegetables aside.
• Arrange the chicken on a large cutting board. If using whole breasts, I halve them horizontally so that they are thinner (the meat should be about 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick). To do this, lay a chicken breast flat on the cutting board. Run a knife horizontally through the breast, parallel to the cutting board surface, to cut it in half. As you're cutting, place your other hand on top of the meat to hold it in place, but take care not to cut your hand! Don't worry if one half is thicker than the other half - this will happen, and is not a big deal - just note which parts are thicker, and cook them for a bit longer once you get there. Once the chicken pieces are laid out, sprinkle salt and pepper on each side.
• Dredging and Breading Chicken. Place the flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs in 3 separate large, flat plates. Line the plates up in that order so that you can easily move the chicken from the flour to the eggs to the breadcrumbs. Place another couple more plates at the end of the assembly line for the finished breaded chicken. 
• Dip a chicken piece in the flour, dipping it on both sides to make sure it is completely coated. Shake the chicken to get rid of excess flour. Then, dip the chicken in the egg mixture, again making sure it is coated on all sides. Shake slightly to get rid of excess egg. Finally, dip the chicken in the breadcrumbs, flipping it a couple of times and patting gently to make sure it is completely coated. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate. Repeat the steps with the remaining chicken pieces.
• Once all the prep is ready, start the curry. Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil over medium-high heat in a large pot (mine is 5-quarts). Add the garlic and onion, and stir until the garlic is fragrant and onion becomes slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots and potatoes, and stir to combine. Add water so that just the tips of the vegetables are uncovered - about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups. For a chunkier curry, add less water. For a soupier curry, add more water. Cover, and then, once the water has come to a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook until the potatoes are just cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. At this point, add the curry cubes and stir to combine once they have dissolved. Start with 6 cubes, taste, and add more if the sauce is too bland. Cook for another 2-3 minutes more to thicken the curry sauce.
• While the curry is simmering, fry the chicken. Heat a large, flat skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in canola oil to a depth of about 1/4 inch. Test the oil with a bit of breadcrumb - it is ready when the breadcrumb sizzles when it hits the oil. Place the chicken gently into the hot oil. I was able to cook the chicken in 2 batches, 3 pieces at a time. Cook until the chicken is golden brown and crispy on the bottom, about 2-3 minutes. Flip the chicken, and cook until golden brown on the other side, another 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
• Assemble and Serve. Cut the chicken cutlets into strips about an inch wide. Serve with a dollop of rice and a ladle of curry. James likes the curry covering both his rice and chicken, as they do in the restaurants, but I like keeping my chicken separate so that it stays crispier. Add some green veggies, if you like, and enjoy!