Short answer
Katsu curry is a Japanese dish of rice topped with a crumbed fried cutlet, usually chicken, and a thick, mild, slightly sweet curry sauce made from a roux. It differs from Indian and Thai curries in being milder, thicker and flour-based.
Katsu curry is a Japanese dish of steamed rice topped with a crumbed fried cutlet, usually chicken, and a thick, mild, slightly sweet curry sauce. Katsu curry, known in Japan as katsu karei, is comfort food in Japanese cafes and homes, and it tastes closer to a savoury brown gravy than to a hot curry.
What is katsu curry?
Katsu curry is the combination of two dishes: katsu, a flat breaded cutlet, and Japanese curry, a thick stew-like sauce. The cutlet is sliced, laid on rice and covered or flanked with sauce.
Japanese curry arrived in the late 1800s through British influence, and it became a national favourite served at home, in school lunches and in specialist curry shops. The cutlet version is the most popular topping, though curry is also eaten plain, with vegetables or with croquettes.
How is Japanese curry different from Indian and Thai curry?
Japanese curry is thicker, sweeter and milder than Indian or Thai curry, and it is thickened with a flour-and-fat roux rather than coconut milk, cream, yoghurt or reduced onions. Its spice base is a ready-made curry powder blend rather than fresh paste.
| Japanese curry | Indian curry | Thai curry | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thickener | Roux of flour and fat | Reduced onion, tomato, yoghurt or cream | Coconut milk |
| Flavour | Mild, savoury, a little sweet | Varies from mild to very hot | Herbal, often hot |
| Spice source | Curry powder in a block | Whole and ground spices | Fresh paste of chilli, lemongrass, galangal |
| Served with | Short-grain rice, pickles | Basmati rice, bread | Jasmine rice |
| Typical add-ins | Carrot, potato, onion | Many | Eggplant, bamboo shoot, basil |
What goes into the sauce?
Japanese curry sauce is made from onion, carrot and potato simmered in stock with a block of curry roux, which contains flour, fat, curry powder and seasoning. Many cooks add grated apple, honey or a spoonful of soy sauce for depth.
Common ingredients:
- Brown onion, sliced and cooked until soft and golden
- Carrot and potato in chunks
- Chicken or beef, or no meat for a vegetable version
- Curry roux blocks, sold as mild, medium or hot
- Water or stock
- Grated apple or a little honey (optional)
Roux blocks are sold in Australian supermarkets and Asian grocers. Check the packet if you avoid certain ingredients, since roux can contain animal fat. A from-scratch roux of butter, plain flour and curry powder works too.
How do you cook Japanese curry sauce from a roux block?
Cook sliced onion until soft, add meat and vegetables, simmer them in water until tender, then take the pot off the heat and stir in the roux until it melts. Return to low heat and simmer until the sauce thickens.
- Heat a tablespoon of oil and cook one large sliced onion for about 10 minutes until golden.
- Add 300 g of chicken or beef pieces, one chopped carrot and two medium potatoes.
- Pour in about 700 ml of water and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, break in 4 to 5 roux cubes and stir until fully dissolved.
- Simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring so the bottom does not catch.
Adding the roux off the heat stops it clumping. Taste at the end: a little soy sauce adds depth, and a teaspoon of honey or grated apple softens the edges. If the sauce is too thick, loosen it with a splash of water. Different brands need slightly different amounts, so follow the packet for the ratio.
How do you assemble katsu curry?
Put a mound of rice on a plate, lay slices of crisp chicken katsu beside or over it, and ladle the curry sauce next to the cutlet. Keeping the sauce off most of the crumb preserves the crunch.
- Fry the chicken katsu and rest it on a rack.
- Warm the curry sauce until it coats a spoon.
- Spoon hot rice onto the plate.
- Slice the cutlet into strips and arrange them.
- Pour sauce over the rice and the edge of the cutlet.
- Add a small pile of pickles and, if you like, a few slices of cucumber.
What do you serve with katsu curry?
Katsu curry is served with a small portion of red or brown pickled relish (fukujinzuke or rakkyo pickled shallots), shredded cabbage or a simple salad. Pickles give a sharp, salty counterpoint to the rich sauce.
Other sides include:
- A soft-boiled or onsen egg
- Miso soup
- A small cucumber salad
- Extra sauce in a jug
What are the regional and local variations of katsu curry?
Katsu curry changes with the cook and the country. In Japan the curry is brown and mild, in Britain katsu curry became a popular chain and takeaway dish with a lighter, sweeter sauce, and in Australia cafes often serve it with a side salad and pickles.
Common variations include:
- Chicken katsu, beef katsu or vegetable katsu on the rice
- Extra egg, either soft-boiled or fried
- Cheese melted over the sauce
- A hotter roux for a spicier plate
- Sweet potato or pumpkin in place of potato in the sauce
The core idea stays the same: a crisp cutlet, plenty of sauce and rice that can carry it.
Can katsu curry be made ahead?
The curry sauce keeps in the fridge for up to three days and often tastes better the next day, but the cutlet should be fried fresh. A reheated cutlet loses crunch.
Make the sauce in a batch, cool it quickly and refrigerate it in a sealed container. Reheat it gently with a splash of water. Cook the rice and the cutlet shortly before serving. If you must prepare katsu in advance, crisp it on a rack in a 200 degree Celsius oven for several minutes before putting it on the plate.
Is katsu curry on the Andzero Cafe menu?
Katsu curry is not on the Andzero Cafe menu as recorded for this guide. The Glen Waverley cafe lists a Chicken Katsu Roll and a chicken katsu teishoku with pickles, miso soup, onsen egg and salad, which use the same crumbed chicken cutlet.
This guide is independent and not the cafe’s own site. The menu comes from press and visitor reports, may have changed and has no prices on record. Check the menu page and the hours and location page for what is recorded, and ask the cafe directly about anything new.
Common questions
Is katsu curry spicy?
Usually mild. Japanese curry roux is sold in mild, medium and hot strengths, and the mild version is sweet and gentle enough for children. Hot blocks add some heat, but it is rarely as sharp as Thai or Indian curry.
What is the red pickle served with katsu curry?
It is fukujinzuke, a relish of chopped vegetables pickled in sweetened soy sauce, often coloured red or brown. A small pile sits beside the rice to cut through the rich sauce.
Can you make katsu curry with beef?
Yes. Beef cutlets are less common than chicken, but Japanese curry sauce itself is often made with beef, onion, carrot and potato. A crumbed cutlet of either meat works on top.
Can you freeze Japanese curry sauce?
Yes, though potatoes turn grainy when frozen. Many cooks leave potato out of the batch they plan to freeze, then add fresh cooked potato when reheating the sauce.
What rice goes with katsu curry?
Japanese short-grain rice, steamed until soft and slightly sticky, holds the sauce well. Medium-grain Australian rice such as sushi rice is a close and widely available substitute.
Before you go, check the Andzero Cafe guide for the current hours and the menu.
This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Andzero Cafe itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.