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Quick & Easy Katsu Curry Sauce
Recreate Wagamama’s famous katsu curry sauce with this quick and easy recipe. The taste is absolutely delicious and you can serve it with pretty much everything!
If you’ve ever tried Wagamama’s katsu curry sauce, then I’m sure you’ll be happy to know that you can make it easily at home!
The secrets out, and I can’t wait to share this mouth-watering and exceptionally tasty recipe with you. All you need is a few basic ingredients and 20 minutes, and you’ll be wondering why you haven’t made this sooner…
This recipe is so versatile and it’s hard to find a dish it doesn’t compliment. I love pouring this sauce over crispy panko chicken breasts, but really, how you serve it is up to you!
Why You’ll Like This Recipe
- Make Wagamama katsu curry without leaving the house!
- You only need basic ingredients to create this not so basic sauce
- You can make this sauce ahead and freeze for later
- The sauce has a rich and umami flavour
- The texture is smooth and thick (yet still pours beautifully)
- A nut-free katsu curry sauce recipe
- This curry recipe is easily adaptable to vegetarian and vegan diets
Watch How To Make It
Below is a video of how I made this Japanese kastu curry sauce from scratch with this recipe! Making this dish really is so simple.
What Is Katsu Curry Sauce
It’s a Japanese sauce that’s rich and flavoursome and it’s usually served with rice and breaded meats like this panko chicken recipe (which is basically made for this sauce).
It’s a popular choice in many Japanese restaurants like Wagamama, and that’s no surprise, it’s made with a blend of seasonings like garlic, ginger, curry powder and chicken stock for an amazing taste.
There are many variations to this recipe, but you’ll find that authentic katsu curry sauce recipes are made with curry roux, which is a paste formed from cooked down butter, flour and spices. Traditional recipes can also include potatoes alongside carrots and onions.
I checked my local supermarket and I couldn’t find curry roux anywhere, but my local Asian supermarket had it in stock and they also sell it here on Amazon. Luckily, you don’t need curry roux for this katsu sauce recipe.
If you like katsu curry, then you’ll probably love this Chinese curry sauce recipe – it’s so good! Plus, this homemade Chinese BBQ Sauce is amazing too.
Recipe Ingredients
Below are the ingredients needed to make this recipe, just a few simple ingredients create this great tasting sauce!
- Chicken Stock: For an authentic katsu curry you can use S&B curry powder but other brands of curry powder are also fine to use. You can use a mild, medium or hot curry powder, this is up to your personal preference.
- Plain Flour: Flour is mixed into the softened onions and carrots which thickens the sauce creating a luxuriously thick texture.
- Large Onion: I used a yellow onion for this recipe; they’re great for curry bases and stews.
- Carrots: Two large carrots are needed for this recipe. I cut them into circle chunks.
- Ginger & Garlic: Adding garlic and a piece of ginger is essential for a delicious katsu curry flavour. I used two large garlic cloves and ginger paste. A good alternative is to use ginger and garlic paste.
- Seasonings: I like to season this sauce with mild curry powder (you can use a hot or medium curry powder), dark soy sauce, turmeric and black pepper. If you’re using a medium or hot curry powder, then you might want to omit the black pepper.
- Honey: This adds a slight sweetness to the sauce. If you don’t have honey then you can use sugar instead, either ingredient will work well.
Some recipes include coconut cream but I personally prefer this sauce without it. If you want a Wagamama katsu curry sauce flavour, then add 200ml of coconut milk to this recipe.
Japanese Curry Powder
If you want an authentic katsu curry sauce, then you have to try S&B curry powder, it’s a Japanese curry powder made from herbs and mild spices.
It’s a lot sweeter and less spicy than Indian curry powders, however, both are fine to use. Though I prefer using S&B curry powder, I still enjoy the sauce with Indian curry powders too.
If you don’t have any curry powder at hand, garam masala is a good substitute.
How To Make Katsu Chicken Curry Sauce
Below is a step-by-step guide on how to make this easy katsu curry sauce (the best comfort food). Full recipe instructions are on the recipe card:
Step One:
Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a frying pan (wok or pan) over a medium-high heat. Add chopped carrots and sliced onions to the pan and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until the carrots have softened and the onions have started to caramelise.
Step Two:
Add curry powder, diced garlic, ginger, black pepper and turmeric to the pan and stir ensuring that the spices are evenly distributed.
Step Three:
Add flour to the onions and carrots and stir until evenly distributed, then add soy sauce and honey to the pan and stir.
Step Four:
Slowly add chicken stock to the pan and mix thoroughly. Leave the sauce to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and the carrots are soft.
Step Five:
Pour the sauce into the blender and blitz until it reaches a smooth and thick consistency or skip this step if you want chunks of carrots and onions in it.
If you want to make the sauce runnier, simply add more water. To garnish, you can sprinkle spring onions or coriander on top.
What To Serve With Katsu Curry Sauce
Imagine drizzling this rich, smooth and flavourful katsu curry recipe over crispy panko breaded chicken! I’ve also listed delicious recipes that will match perfectly with this sauce:
- Chicken Goujons
- King Prawn Fried Rice
- Crispy Chicken Burgers
- Salt And Chilli Chicken
- Chicken Balls
- Pork Balls
- Oven Roasted Aubergines
My Top Tips
If you don’t have fresh ginger and garlic at hand, you can use dried ginger and garlic powder. It’s a great alternative that also adds good flavour to the sauce. My favourite alternative to use is ginger and garlic paste, which is fresh ginger and garlic blended into a paste.
Once the sauce is made, feel free to adjust the seasonings to your taste. You may want to add more salt or spice for extra flavour.
To make a velvety smooth sauce, make sure to blend the sauce before serving. You can use a tabletop blender or a hand-held blender. When using a tabletop blender, try not to overfill it, or the mixture will fly everywhere. Blend it in batches if you made a big batch of sauce.
How To Make This Recipe Vegan, Vegetarian Or Gluten-Free
To make this katsu curry sauce recipe vegan or vegetarian, you simply need to swap the chicken stock with vegetable stock instead. If you don’t eat honey, then you can use sugar as an alternative.
All other ingredients are vegan and vegetarian friendly, but double check the ingredients before starting this recipe.
If you want to make this sauce gluten-free, instead of using plain flour you can make a cornflour slurry to thicken the sauce instead. Simply mix two tablespoons of cornflour with four tablespoons of water.
How To Store Leftover Katsu Curry Sauce
If you have any katsu curry sauce leftover, then you can keep it for later! To store, place it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up 3 days.
To reheat, simply use a microwave or heat it over the stove. The sauce will thicken during reheating, but you can add some water to make it runnier.
FAQs
Chicken katsu curry is a Japanese dish which consists of crispy fried chicken (usually chicken cutlets) served with rice and katsu curry sauce. It’s a tasty meal that’s easy to make and is full of so much flavour.
Yes, you can freeze katsu curry sauce. To freeze, simply allow the sauce to cool down before placing it in a freezer-safe and airtight container. Place the sauce in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to use the sauce, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight or on low heat in a saucepan, stirring occasionally.
Katsu sauce and curry sauce are similar but they are not exactly the same thing. Katsu curry is a Japanese sauce that is slightly sweet and very mild. Whereas Indian curry sauce contains a variety of spices, is less sweet and varies in heat.
Katsu curry has a delicious flavour. The sauce has a savoury and umami flavour that’s slightly sweet. Whilst the chicken is seasoned and coated in panko breadcrumbs. The crispy texture of the katsu pairs well with the smooth texture of the curry sauce.
Katsu Curry Sauce Recipe (So Easy)
Ingredients
- 600 ml Chicken Stock
- 2 tbsp Plain Flour
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 Onion
- 2 Carrots
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1 tsp Ginger
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Curry Powder
- 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Honey
Instructions
- Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a frying pan (wok or pan) over a medium-high heat.
- Add chopped carrots and sliced onions to the pan and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until the carrots have softened and the onions have started to caramelise.
- Add curry powder, diced garlic, ginger, black pepper and turmeric to the pan and stir ensuring that the spices are evenly distributed.
- Add flour to the onions and carrots and stir until evenly distributed, then add soy sauce and honey to the pan and stir.
- Slowly add chicken stock to the pan and mix thoroughly. Leave the sauce to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and the carrots are soft.
- Pour the sauce into the blender and blitz until it reaches a smooth and thick consistency or skip this step if you want chunks of carrots and onions in it.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Music in video from Uppbeat, License code: 08VBCZFHCZBZDBBY
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