Name: Paneer Katsu Curry
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: Serves 4-6
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 l oil, for deep-frying; ½ tsp ground white pepper; ½ tsp Garam Masala; 150 g (5¼ oz/3 cups) panko breadcrumbs; 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) store-bought paneer; 40 g (1½ oz/⅓ cup) cornflour (cornstarch), plus 40 g (1½ oz/⅓ cup) for the coating; 2½ tsp Chinese 5-spice; 2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour; ⅛ tsp salt; 2 tsp mild curry powder; 2 red chillies, finely chopped; 1 ripe banana, peeled and cut into chunks; 125 ml (4¼ fl oz/½ cup) ice-cold water; 250 g (8¾ oz) sweet potato, peeled and diced into 2-cm (¾-inch) pieces; 2 dried Indian bay leaves; 1 tbsp mango chutney; 1 tsp salt, or to taste; 1 star anise; 1 apple, finely chopped (no need to peel); 40 g (1½ oz/⅓ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour; 1 carrot, peeled and diced into 2-cm (¾-inch) pieces; 400 ml (13½ fl oz/1⅔ cups) full-fat coconut milk; 1 large onion, sliced; 3 tbsp oil; 2½ tbsp light soy sauce; 2.5-cm (1-inch) cinnamon stick

Preparation info

Serves
4-6

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
1 hr 50

Appears in

Sanjana Feasts

By Sanjana Modha

Published 2024

About

The concept of ‘curry’ comes full circle with this Japanese-style Paneer Katsu Curry, so to speak. It’s made with crunchy, panko-coated paneer and the sauce is crammed with sweet and gentle flavours. After colonising vast parts of the world, including the Indian subcontinent, the British invented curry powder to make cooking with spices accessible. Whipping up a ‘taste of the East’ had never been easier. This simplified method of cooking curry was introduced to Japan by British military per