Prawn katsu curry, my take on a glorious Japanese recipe that rocks panko bread-crumbed shrimp in a simple & delicious homemade curry sauce.
Most of the cooking time for this recipe is in the making of the curry sauce, but it is very easy, the prawns take just 5-6 minutes to cook!
Shrimp Katsu Curry
I adore stuff in breadcrumbs, it reminds me of my childhood. Dishes as diverse as fish finger sandwiches, chicken Kyiv and my monkfish goujons just fill me with joy!
And let’s face it my love of curry is hardly hidden under a bushel here, as a result, Japanese katsu curries are my kinda food crush! Naturally, I already have a chicken katsu curry, I also have a vegetarian tofu katsu curry too!
So when somebody wrote to me on social media and asked if you could do it with prawns I figured, I’m down for trying that.
So here you go, prawn katsu curry and it is so good! The sweetness of the prawns is outrageously good with my homemade Japanese curry sauce.
The sauce does take a while to cook, but you can make it in advance and if you do that then the prawns take just 5-6 minutes to cook.
Despite being late to the party, I think that this is my favourite iteration of katsu curry!
Frequently Asked Questions
What size prawns do you use?
I use prawns as big as I can get for this recipe, and that tends to be size 8-10 already prepped with the shell and head removed.
I use the same size prawns in my prawn sandwich with a bloody mary sauce, so if you have any left over, I have you sorted!
Are frozen prawns ok?
Yes, they are great, and finding fresh prawns in the UK is devilishly difficult, embrace the frozen shrimp!
You don’t even need to plan and defrost them in advance. Just run cold water over them whilst you are preparing the sauce and you are done.
Why do you add sticks to the prawns and is it essential?
I do it for two reasons, the first is purely aesthetic, they just look cool, which is incredibly shallow of me!
Secondly, it helps the breading stay in place as the prawns cook. Not using them may cause some of the breading to flake off as the prawns curl up when they are fried.
Can I make the curry sauce in advance?
Yes absolutely, the curry sauce is fine in the fridge for up to a week if stored correctly. It also freezes quite well, although it does lose some clarity of flavour.
Can I air fry or oven-bake the prawns?
I have tested this and whilst you can get it to work there really is no comparison to frying these prawns.
Set your oven or air fryer as high as it will go, give the coated prawns a spritz with oil and throw them in until golden.
A NOTE!
You will likely only need 1 egg and around 50g of breadcrumbs when coat the shrimp. However, I find it much easier and it causes less mess to have way more in the dish than needed.
If you are on a “waste not” drive then reduce the amount you use initially and add more as required.
Serving Suggestions
I usually keep my side dishes for katsu curry recipes very simple and this prawn number is no different!
Here it is served with some simply boiled rice that has a mountain of spring onions stirred through it.
If you want to run with a salad either this Japanese cabbage salad, which is more commonly served with Tonkatsu or my cold soba noodle salad would be awesome.
When it comes to greens you could add a side of something like my asparagus stir fry or stir fried broccoli.
But just like my previous katsu curry recipes, I’m very fond of serving this with chips.
It combines so many memories of dishes Scampi and chips, chippy curry sauce and chips, fish and chips, it’s just magic. But to make it easier I usually make my air fryer chips.
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 28cm or 11″ frying pan.
- 30cm or 12″ frying pan.
- Blender.
- Fine mesh sieve (optional).
- Colander to defrost the prawns if required.
- Kitchen knife.
- Chopping board.
- Stirring spoons, serving spoons and kitchen tongs.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, cups and spoons.
- Dishes or plates to place the ingredients to coat the prawns.
Prawn Katsu Curry Recipe
My take on a king prawn katsu curry, breaded jumbo shrimp fried until crispy served with my delicious homemade Japanese curry sauce.
Ingredients
For the Katsu Curry Sauce:
- 100g (⅔ Cup) Onion
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Flour
- 1 Tbsp Curry Powder
- ½ Tbsp Turmeric
- 1 Tbsp Shaoxing Wine
- ½ Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 250ml (1 Cup) Chicken stock
- 1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
For the Panko Prawns:
- 10-12 (300-325g) Large King Prawns
- 2-3 Tbsp Flour
- 2 Eggs
- ¼ Tsp Salt
- Pinch of White Pepper
- 75g (¾ Cup) Panko Breadcrumbs
- Oil for Frying
Instructions
- Peel and finely dice the onion for the sauce.
- Heat a 28cm or 11" frying pan a medium heat and add the oil and onions. Cook gently for 10 minutes, you do not want to add any colour.
- Peel and finely slice the garlic, add it to the softened onions and cook for a further minute.
- Add the flour and stir for 60-90 seconds to begin cooking it out.
- Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes.
- When the sauce has cooked and has a nice texture I like to blend and pass it through a fine-mesh sieve, this step is optional.
- If your prawns are frozen, defrost them by running them under cold water for 3-5 minutes.
- Devien the prawns then thread them onto skewers, starting at the head end. This will keep them straight when they are fried, this is an optional step and it is mainly aesthetic.
- Place the flour in a small bowl, add the eggs, salt and pepper to a second bowl and beat lightly and finally add the panko breadcrumbs to a final bowl.
- Dip the prawns into the flour, then into the egg and finally coat in the breadcrumbs. Repeat until all of the prawns are coated.
- Heat 6-7mm (¼") of oil in the base of a 30cm or 12" frying pan until it reaches around 160°C or 320°F, add the prawns and fry them for 2-3 minutes on each side and serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 583Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 302mgSodium: 2077mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 35g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.