Japanese Curry Biryani with Katsu Chicken

Name: Japanese Curry Biryani with Katsu Chicken
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 2 cups (400 g) Japanese short-grain rice, rinsed in several changes of cold water until the water runs nearly clear; 1 tablespoon (15 g) kosher salt, for the parboiling water; 2 tablespoons (30 g) ghee, melted; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) neutral oil (such as canola); 2 medium (300 g) yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced; 4 cloves (12 g) garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon (15 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated; 2 teaspoons (4 g) garam masala; ½ teaspoon (1½ g) ground turmeric; 1 tablespoon (16 g) tomato paste; 4 medium (400 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) half-moons; 1 small (100 g) sweet apple (such as Fuji), peeled and coarsely grated; 2½ cups (600 ml) low-sodium chicken stock; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce; 3¼ ounces (92 g) Japanese curry roux block, broken into small pieces along the scored lines; 1½ pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 3 breasts, each sliced horizontally into 2 thin cutlets (6 total), then pounded to ½-inch (1.25 cm) thickness; 1 teaspoon (5 g) kosher salt; ½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour; 2 large (100 g) large eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water; 2 cups (100 g) panko breadcrumbs; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) neutral oil (such as canola), for toasting the panko; 3 whole (45 g) scallions, thinly sliced; 3 tablespoons (40 g) red pickled ginger (beni shoga) (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Short-grain rice and carrot-studded Japanese curry are layered and baked together in a Dutch oven, then topped with crisp oven-fried panko chicken katsu. It has the fragrant, spiced feel of a biryani with the sweet, mellow comfort of Japanese curry.

Prep: 45 min
Cook: 55 min
Wait: 30 min
Total: 2 hr 10 min
Makes: 6 servings (1 katsu cutlet and about 1½ cups biryani each)

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the rice
2 cups (400 g) Japanese short-grain rice, rinsed in several changes of cold water until the water runs nearly clear
1 tablespoon (15 g) kosher salt, for the parboiling water
2 tablespoons (30 g) ghee, melted
For the curry sauce
2 tablespoons (30 ml) neutral oil (such as canola)
2 medium (300 g) yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
4 cloves (12 g) garlic, minced
1 tablespoon (15 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 teaspoons (4 g) garam masala
½ teaspoon (1.5 g) ground turmeric
1 tablespoon (16 g) tomato paste
4 medium (400 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) half-moons
1 small (100 g) sweet apple (such as Fuji), peeled and coarsely grated
2½ cups (600 ml) low-sodium chicken stock
1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce
3¼ ounces (92 g) Japanese curry roux block, broken into small pieces along the scored lines
For the katsu chicken
1½ pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 3 breasts, each sliced horizontally into 2 thin cutlets (6 total), then pounded to ½-inch (1.25 cm) thickness
1 teaspoon (5 g) kosher salt
½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
2 large (100 g) large eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
2 cups (100 g) panko breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons (45 ml) neutral oil (such as canola), for toasting the panko
To serve
3 whole (45 g) scallions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons (40 g) red pickled ginger (beni shoga) (optional)

Equipment (10)

5-quart (4.7 L) oven-safe Dutch oven with lid
Large stockpot (4–5 qt / 4–5 L) for parboiling rice
12-inch (30 cm) skillet
3-quart (2.8 L) saucepan or deep sauté pan
Rimmed baking sheet (18×13-inch / 46×33 cm) with a wire rack that fits inside
Fine-mesh strainer and large colander
3 shallow dishes for breading
Meat mallet or rolling pin, and plastic wrap
Instant-read thermometer
Aluminum foil

Steps

Before you start

Rinse and soak the rice first. The 20-minute soak runs while you prep everything else.
Check that your 5-quart (4.7 L) Dutch oven has an oven-safe lid, and that it and a baking sheet fit on two racks at once. Put one rack in the lower third of the oven and one in the upper third.
Japanese curry roux comes as a block in a box (for example S&B Golden Curry or Vermont Curry, about 92 g). Pick mild, medium or hot to suit your taste.
Have an instant-read thermometer ready. The cutlets are done at 165°F (74°C).

1
Rinse and soak rice
- Put the rice in a large bowl and cover with cold water.
- Swirl with your hand, drain, and repeat 4–5 times until the water is only slightly cloudy.
- Cover with fresh cold water and let soak for 20 minutes, then drain well in a fine-mesh strainer.
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Ready when: Grains look opaque white and the water is nearly clear
Tip: Don't skip the rinsing. Removing surface starch keeps the layers from turning gluey.
2
Slice and season chicken
- Lay each chicken breast flat and slice horizontally into 2 even cutlets.
- Place the cutlets between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a mallet or rolling pin to an even ½-inch (1.25 cm) thickness.
- Season both sides with the kosher salt and black pepper.
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Ready when: All 6 cutlets are the same thickness
Tip: Even thickness means every cutlet finishes at the same time without drying out.
3
Toast the panko
- Heat the 3 tablespoons panko oil in the 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
- Add the panko and stir constantly for 3–4 minutes until evenly light golden.
- Tip into a shallow dish and let cool for a couple of minutes.
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Ready when: Crumbs are an even light golden brown and smell nutty
Tip: Pre-toasting is what makes baked cutlets crisp instead of pale. Pull it off the heat when it is a shade lighter than you want, as it keeps colouring in the oven.
4
Bread cutlets, preheat ovenOven 400°F / 205°C
- Position racks in the lower third and upper third of the oven and preheat to 400°F (200°C).
- Set a wire rack inside the baking sheet.
- Put the flour in one shallow dish and the beaten eggs in another.
- Dredge each cutlet in flour and shake off the excess, dip in egg and let the extra drip off, then press firmly into the toasted panko on both sides.
- Place on the wire rack.
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Ready when: Every cutlet is fully and thickly coated with no bare patches
Tip: Use one hand for the dry steps and the other for the egg to avoid clumpy fingers.
5
Cook curry aromatics
- Heat the 2 tablespoons oil in the saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onions and cook, stirring often, for 8 minutes until soft and golden at the edges.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric and tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes until the paste darkens slightly and the spices smell fragrant.
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Ready when: Onions are golden-edged and soft; tomato paste is brick-red
Tip: If the onions start to brown too fast, lower the heat and add a splash of water.
6
Simmer carrots, add roux
- Add the carrots, grated apple, chicken stock and soy sauce.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cover, reduce to medium-low and cook for 8 minutes, until the carrots are just barely tender when pierced (they will finish in the oven).
- Remove the pan from the heat, add the roux pieces, and stir until completely dissolved.
- Return to low heat and simmer, stirring, for 3 minutes.
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Ready when: Sauce coats the back of a spoon like heavy cream; carrots are firm-tender
Tip: Always take the pan off the heat before adding the roux so it melts smoothly with no lumps.
7
Parboil the rice
- While the sauce simmers, bring 3 quarts (about 3 L) of water and the 1 tablespoon salt to a rolling boil in the stockpot.
- Add the drained rice and boil for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Drain immediately in a colander and shake well.
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Ready when: A grain bitten in half has a firm, chalky white center and a soft outside
Tip: Don't boil past 5 minutes. Short-grain rice turns mushy easily and still has to finish in the oven.
8
Layer the biryani
- Brush the inside of the Dutch oven with about half of the melted ghee.
- Spread half of the parboiled rice in an even layer, then spoon over half of the curry sauce with carrots.
- Add the remaining rice, gently without pressing down, then spoon the remaining sauce over the top.
- Drizzle with the remaining ghee.
- Cover the pot tightly with foil, then press the lid on top.
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Ready when: Pot is sealed with no gaps for steam to escape
Tip: Do not stir the layers. Keeping them separate gives you the biryani effect of rice with streaks of curry.
9
Bake rice and cutletsOven 400°F / 205°C
- Place the Dutch oven on the lower rack and the baking sheet of cutlets on the upper rack of the 400°F (200°C) oven.
- After 12 minutes, flip the cutlets.
- Bake until the cutlets are golden and reach 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part, about 22–25 minutes total.
- Take the cutlets out then, and leave the covered pot in for 3 more minutes if needed, for about 25 minutes in all.
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Ready when: Cutlets are deep golden and read 165°F (74°C); rice is tender and has absorbed most of the sauce
Tip: Keep the lid on the pot the entire time, since escaping steam leaves the rice undercooked.
10
Rest the biryani
- Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and keep it covered.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes so the rice finishes steaming and the sauce is absorbed.
- Rest the cutlets on the rack for the same time.
- Then uncover and gently fold the rice and curry together just 3–4 times with a spatula, leaving some streaks.
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Ready when: Rice grains are tender and plump with no hard center
Tip: Fold gently so the grains stay whole rather than breaking.
11
Slice and serve
- Cut each katsu cutlet crosswise into ¾-inch (2 cm) strips.
- Scoop the biryani onto plates or a platter, fan the sliced katsu on top, and scatter with scallions and, if you like, red pickled ginger.
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Ready when: Crust is still crisp on the strips
Tip: Slice the katsu just before serving and don't cover it, or steam will soften the coating.

Good to know

Tips

Pound the chicken to an even thickness so all cutlets cook through at the same time.
Toast the panko before breading for a golden, crisp coating without deep frying.
Do not stir the curry into the rice before baking, so you get distinct layers.
Keep the pot sealed during baking so the steam cooks the parboiled rice.

Make ahead

The curry sauce with carrots (through step 6) can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated; reheat gently before layering. The breaded raw cutlets can be refrigerated on the rack, uncovered, for up to 4 hours before baking.

Storage & reheating

Store the biryani and katsu separately in airtight containers. Biryani keeps 3 days in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer. Reheat the biryani covered in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 20 minutes, or in the microwave with a splash of water. Reheat the katsu uncovered on a rack at 400°F (200°C) for 8–10 minutes to re-crisp. Do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Substitutions

boneless, skinless chicken breasts → boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Pound to ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick; they stay juicier. Still cook to 165°F (74°C).
Japanese short-grain rice → medium-grain rice (such as Calrose). Same amount and timing; avoid long-grain, which needs different parboiling.
Japanese curry roux block → 1 tablespoon curry powder plus 3 tablespoons flour cooked in 2 tablespoons butter. Cook the roux for 2 minutes, whisk in the hot sauce, and add 1 teaspoon sugar and ½ teaspoon salt.
ghee → unsalted butter. Use the same weight.