Easy Chicken Katsu Curry Recipe (Gluten-Free)

So I love Katsu Curry, but the kits in the supermarket are so expensive for what it little more than a sachet of sauce and some breadcrumbs. They are also full of gluten, which several of my friends have to avoid. Hence I came up with this recipe and tried it on my husband last night and he loved it :). It is based off of these two recipes: Chicken Katsu Curry from allrecipes.co.uk, Crunchy Chicken Cutlets from Simply Nigella. If you wanted a vegetarian version you could use vegetables like aubergine (egg plant), sweet potato and butternut squash, like they do in Wagamamas.

Easy Chicken Katsu Curry

Serves 2

For the sauce

(the original recipe says this serves 4, but my family like a lot of sauce :))

• 2 tblspns sunflower or coconut oil
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped (I used garlic from a tube, which worked well)
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 2.5 tblspns corn flour (if you like your sauce slightly runnier, go with 2 instead)
• 4 tspns curry powder (check you have a gluten free variety or here is a recipe for making your own)
• 600ml chicken stock (I use the liquid stock that you add to water - many varieties are gluten free, but always check the label)
• 2 tspns honey
• 4 tspns Tamari (Japanese gluten free soy sauce - you can get it in most supermarkets)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tspn garam masala 

For the Chicken

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 large egg
• 1 tspn curry powder (check you have a gluten free variety or here is a recipe for making your own)
• 1 tblspn corn flour
• 1 clove garlic, minced (again I used garlic from a tube)
• 1 tspn garam masala
• 75g/3 cups cornflakes (check the packet to make sure they are gluten free)
• 2 tblspns sunflower oil for frying (coconut oil isn't good in this instance because it tends to burn the cornflakes)

Instructions

1. In a bowl with a flat bottom (big enough to get all the bits of chicken in), mix the egg, the curry powder, the corn flour and the garlic together with a small whisk.
2. Lay out a sheet of cling film on a hard surface and, one at a time, place a chicken breasts on it and fold the film over the top. Then pound the chicken until it is nice and thin and flat.
3. Cut each breast into 4 or five smaller pieces along it's length (with the grain).
4. Add each mini-fillet to the bowl of curry mixture, turning to fully cover each piece, then leave for a little while.
5. Put the cornflakes in another large bowl and gently crush them with your hands.
   • Tip: you want small pieces, but not tiny crumbs.
6. Add the garam masala to the cornflakes and stir in.
7. Take each piece of soaked chicken and cover in the cornflakes, pushing the cornflakes firmly onto both sides of the meat. Then leave the pieces on a wire rack to dry while you make the sauce.
   • Tip: If you don't leave them for at least 10 mins the cornflakes will fall off as soon as they hit the pan.
8. In a non-stick saucepan heat the oil and add the garlic and the onion, leaving to soften.
   • Tip: I find putting a lid on helps with this part.
9. Add the carrots, stir and cook very gently for 10 to 12 mins.
10. Add the curry powder and the corn flour, stirring for about 1 min until everything is coated.
11. Slowly add the stock.
    • Tip: add only a little stock at a time, stirring well to make sure the sauce remains smooth and without lumps.
12. Add the honey, the bay leaf and the Tamari and bring to the boil, before turning down the heat and leaving to simmer for 20 mins.
    • Tip: if your sauce thickens too much, add a little bit of water.
13. When there is about 10 mins to go, heat the frying oil in a wide based frying pan.
14. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 3 mins on each side and then put in a warm oven while you finish the sauce.
    • Tip: they are thin so this should be enough, but always check that the chicken is cooked through properly. If you see any translucent pink, keep cooking.
15. Take the bay leaf out of your sauce and stir in the garam masala. Then blitz it with a stick blender or in a food processor.
16. Pass the sauce through a sieve and then return to the saucepan to reheat.

Serve everything with rice (I used brown rice, but white rice is traditional, sticky white rice if possible).

This recipe takes time, but it is straightforward and very, very tasty. You also get to take out any pent up frustration on the chicken when you prepare it :).

---

(Free on Kindle Unlimited)

The Machine: Rise of the Gifted
by Natasha Duncan-Drake

Rafe Derouet used to be a world class, British figure skater competing against his arch rival, flamboyant American Louis Hayes. A catastrophic knee injury ended his career and now all he can do is look on from the sidelines, commentating where he used to be a star. He hates Louis and wants nothing more than to see his nemesis go down in a blaze of failure.

Then mysterious men in black with guns take over a press meet, trying to arrest Louis, awakening something dangerous in their target, and setting in motion events they cannot control. Most shocking of all, Rafe finds out Louis can literally read his mind.

Dragged into a murky world of government agents and x-files by one of those x-files, Rafe finds his world view completely changing. And, along the way, his hatred for Louis proves to be something else entirely.

Now Rafe just needs to survive so he can decide what to do about it.

The Machine: RotG