Simplified Baked Chicken Katsu Curry with Rice

Ingredients

• 170g chicken breast or boneless thighs
• 90g extra chicken for Dinner 3
• 75g dried rice
• 15g plain flour
• ½ egg
• 35g panko or ordinary breadcrumbs
• 10ml rapeseed or sunflower oil
• ¼ onion, chopped
• 1¼ carrots, chopped
• ½ garlic clove
• ¾ tsp mild curry powder
• 5g plain flour for sauce
• 180ml water or very low-salt stock
• 40g frozen peas
• small pinch garam masala
• 20g plain full-fat yoghurt, optional

Method

1. Heat the oven to 210°C / 190°C fan. Line a baking tray.
2. Cut chicken into strips. Keep the Dinner 3 extra chicken strips separate but coat and bake them at the same time.
3. Put flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs into three shallow bowls. Dip chicken in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs.
4. Place chicken on the tray. Drizzle or brush lightly with oil. Bake for 18–22 minutes, turning once, until golden and fully cooked through with no pink in the middle.
5. Save the extra cooked chicken for Dinner 3. Cool quickly and refrigerate.
6. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat a little oil in a pan. Add onion and carrot. Cook gently for 8–10 minutes until soft.
7. Add garlic and curry powder. Stir for 30 seconds.
8. Stir in the sauce flour, then slowly add water or very low-salt stock, stirring to avoid lumps.
9. Simmer for 15 minutes until the carrot is soft. Add garam masala. Blend until smooth, or mash well for a more textured sauce.
10. Cook rice according to packet instructions. Add peas for the final 3–4 minutes if you want pea rice.
11. Remove baby and toddler portions before adding any adult soy sauce, salt, chutney or chilli.
12. Serve sliced crispy chicken with rice, peas and curry sauce.