Chicken Katsu

I’ve seen katsu curry on the menu a few times at our local Japanese but it’s known for being rather high in points. Having been craving it for a while, this week I thought I would see if I rustle up a low point version and the result was delicious! I served this with 50g of rice per person and lots of green salad leaves. The chicken katsu itself if 5sp so you can add as much rice as you require, just be sure to add the points.

Ingredients

Serves 4 = 10sp per serving on all plans ( 5sp on ? if served with brown rice)

For the chicken

4 x 165g chicken breast, raw, slightly beaten and flattened with a rolling pin

1 x egg

100g breadcrumbs

2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

For the sauce – makes 4 portions at 3sp per serving

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

Thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and grated

2 tsp plain flour

1 tbsp curry powder

2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp tomato purée

500ml hot chicken stock made with one chicken stock cube

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

2 tsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp clear honey

100g light coconut milk

Serving suggestions

50g basmati rice per person

Mixed salad leaves

Method

Preheat the oven to 180c.

Begin by frying the onion, garlic and ginger, for around 10 minutes until the onion is tender and starting to brown. Add a little water if the pan gets too dry. Add the flour and stir to coat the veggies and then add the curry powder, garam masala, turmeric and chilli powder as well as the tomato purée and fry for a minute stirring to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Next pour in the stock and then add the carrot, soy sauce and honey. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, add the coconut milk and then simmer gently for about 15 minutes uncovered.

While the sauce is simmering you can cook the chicken. Pop the breadcrumbs, egg and flour in separate bowls. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Beat the egg. Line a baking tray ready for the chicken. Next take the chicken and coat in the flour, then the egg and then the breadcrumbs. Repeat for the other breasts. Pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes (until cooked through) whilst the sauce is simmering.

Take the sauce off the heat and pop into a food processor. Whizz the mixture until it’s a smooth purée (add water to loosen if you need to do that the mixture is loose enough to be strained). Strain the mixture through a fine sieve back into the pan, pressing it through well with the back of a wooden spoon. If you end up with a lot still left in the sieve, add it back to the blender with 100ml water and reblend, then restrain. Keep the sauce warm on the hob. Season to taste with salt to taste and set to one side (the sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and chilled).

Serve with rice, some mixed salad leaves and the chicken, sliced. Pour a generous amount of the sauce over the chicken.

Enjoy!